How Hemp Can Help Reduce Acid Reflux

You’ve felt the pain of heartburn and are always looking for a way to reduce it. It’s time you ask: how can hemp help reduce acid reflux?

Hemp reduces acid reflux through nutrients that fight acid in the stomach that cause pain. Hemp is naturally alkaline, low in carbs, and loaded with healthy fats. These qualities have been scientifically proven to suppress stomach acid and help relieve acid reflux. 

The combination of lifestyle changes and diet can reduce acid reflux as well. Hemp is a high protein superfood that can help you make the lifestyle and diet changes needed.

High protein and high fiber help you lose weight and avoid overeating. Hemp is full of fiber which, as you will read, has a major impact on acid reflux symptoms. 

Keep reading to learn more about changes you can make to reduce acid reflux. And find out how hemp can help you achieve each one. 

What is Acid Reflux?

Acid reflux occurs when stomach acid moves upward into the esophagus burning as goes. People with acid reflux have a weakened or dysfunctional esophageal sphincter muscle (LES).

The LES muscle, shaped like a ring, stops the acid in your stomach from going up into your esophagus. In the case of a person with acid reflux, the LES opens and closes at the wrong time. When the LES is weak acid squeezes through the opening.

Most people believe acid reflux is the same as heartburn. The truth is heartburn is a symptom of acid reflux. 

Some symptoms of acid reflux include. 

• Heartburn
• Difficulty swallowing 
• Acidic taste in your mouth
• Cough 
• Tooth erosion 
• Inflammation of the sinuses

What is GERD?

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a more serious form of acid reflux. GERD is when the muscles between the stomach and esophagus is weakened and opens or relaxes when it shouldn’t. GERD allows the food and acid in your stomach to come up the esophagus. 

Continued acid reflux contributes to the weakening of muscles between the esophagus and stomach. About 20-40% of the people in America with heartburn are diagnosed with GERD.

Your LES connects the stomach and the esophagus. The LES opens to allow food to come through. Then it closes to stop the same food and stomach acid from flowing back into the esophagus. 

Unlike acid reflux, GERD can cause vomiting that happens over and over again. This symptom has recently been found to be more common in children than previously thought. 

What Causes Acid Reflux?

Acid reflux is typically caused by poor diet factors, such as, overeating, consuming alcoholic or carbonated beverages, or excessive weight gain. Serious medical conditions, like a hiatal hernia, may also cause acid reflux. Chest discomfort or burning of acid reflux is caused by stomach acid which backs up into the esophagus. 

Drinks that can trigger acid reflux include coffee, soda, alcohol, and other caffeinated beverages. You should also avoid spicy, fatty, and acid foods.

Acid reflux is often caused by overeating, increasing acid production. Acid reflux sufferers may see symptoms of acid reflux at bed time from overeating. Laying down provides an easier pathway for acid to escape back into the esophagus. 

Less common, but a more serious condition is the hiatal hernia. A hiatal hernia is the bulging of your stomach up into your chest through your diaphragm. Unfortunately, doctors don’t know why hiatal hernias happen. 

Scientists believe that dietary factors are also a major cause of acid reflux. While there’s no cure, lifestyle and diet changes have been proven to help relieve acid reflux symptoms. 

How to Relieve Acid Reflux

Relieve acid reflux by making healthier diet and lifestyle choices. Eliminate or reduce foods which can trigger acid reflux and ensure you’re eating vegetables and other natural foods. Temporary relief may come from portion control and sleeping on your left side.

Here are some tips for relieving acid reflux:

Avoid overeating 

The more food your stomach contains the more acid you are going to make. If you are overstuffed that acid has nowhere to go, but up. Even if you prop yourself up to avoid stomach acid from coming up the esophagus, it won’t help if there’s no room in your stomach. 

Weight loss

Studies show that the increase in belly fat impacts acid reflux and GERD. More weight can mean more pressure on your abdomen which causes your esophagus to push up. 

If you have a sliding hiatal hernia your stomach is already in danger of sliding up into your chest. More weight on your chest will add to the stress. 

Sleep on your left side

The added pressure on your abdomen is also why pregnant women are more at risk of reflux and heartburn. 

When pregnant, you are carrying an extra person and that’s been known to cause a little added pressure. Luckily, it’s safe for pregnant women to eat hemp hearts to help with acid reflux symptoms. 

Doctors recommend that pregnant women lay on their left side to increase blood flow to the baby. Lying on your side also takes the pressure off of your organs and helps with swelling. The advice works well for anyone with acid reflux because your esophagus enters the right side of your stomach.

Low carb diet

Carbohydrates take a longer time to digest creating more stomach acid. So a diet low in carbs is a good option for people with acid reflux. 

When you do eat carbs it’s best to eat complex carbs that contain fiber. Fiber helps with hunger and has been shown to reduce acid reflux symptoms. 

Drink more water

We are made of water and when we’re hydrated, our bodies perform at its peak. If that wasn’t enough of a reason to drink more water, most other drinks cause problems with acid reflux. Too much coffee, carbonated beverages, alcohol, and citrus juices can all affect acid reflux.

• Coffee weakens the LES and has been reported to cause heartburn as a symptom in people with acid reflux.
• Alcohol increases the intensity of acid reflux by relaxing the LES, even in people who don’t have acid reflux. More specifically, beer and white wine have been shown in studies to cause reflux symptoms. 
• Carbonated beverages cause you to belch more giving you more of a chance for acid to escape the esophagus. 
• Citrus juices have a neutral pH that irritates the lining of the esophagus and temporarily makes your heartburn worse. 

Filling up on water will increase brain activity, help you lose weight, and give you energy. So next time you think about filling up on a carbonated beverage consider a glass of water instead. 

Don’t eat before bed

Every time you eat you make more stomach acid. If you eat before bed and then lay down stomach acid will travel up the esophagus. 

This is why it’s also a good idea to prop your head up to avoid heartburn after eating. Use gravity to help you calm your acid reflux symptoms. 

Many of these tips to stop acid reflux are enhanced by eating hemp. Eating hemp products ca help you lose weight, avoid overeating, and change your diet for the better.

How Can Eating Hemp Naturally Help Reduce Acid Reflux?

Hemp can help you naturally reduce acid reflux because hemp is high in fiber, full of healthy fats, and is a good source of protein.  Consuming hemp products can help support an overall healthy diet. Hemp helps reduce acid reflux by assisting with weight management, digestive health, and balancing your body’s pH.

Hemp can help you achieve lifestyle changes by helping you avoid overeating by keeping you full longer. Staying full longer helps you avoid eating before bed and keeps you from over-snacking throughout the day. 

To use hemp products to help reduce acid reflux add them to your daily diet. Every hemp product adds vitamins and nutrients you need. The right hemp product is the one that fits best into your daily routine. 

You can take hemp oil as a supplement, eat hemp hearts with your meals, or add hemp protein to your shakes. The best part is that when you eat hemp you are eating high protein and low carbs. High protein and low carb diets help keep stomach acid low. 

High in Fiber 

Studies have shown that a diet high in fiber helps reduce acid reflux symptoms. Foods high in fiber help with acid reflux because it’s a digestive aid. Fiber absorbs liquid in the digestive system and stops stomach acid from building up.

Hemp seed products are high in fiber and low in carbs which is rare. Fiber is the main source of the carbs that make up hemp seeds. This is important for providing the fast digestion that lowers stomach acid.  

Low in Carbs

Eating more carbs can cause problems for acid reflux because of how long they take to digest. The exception is for complex carbs that contain fiber like hemp products. 

The type of carbs you eat is just as important as the number of carbs you eat. Instead of eating high sugar carbs that don’t provide much nutritional value try hemp hearts. Hemp seeds offer nutritional benefits without any added sugar or carbohydrates.

In addition to adding fiber to your diet complex carbs also hold off hunger. Between fighting hunger and helping with digestion hemp decreases the amount of stomach acid you make. More stomach acid causes more reflux symptoms.

 

 

Good Source of Protein 

Lean protein is important for your diet in general. Issues like overeating and weight management can be dealt with by a good source of protein. 

Protein, like fiber, helps you avoid overeating and ensures you are full. Staying full longer will also stop you from eating constantly throughout the day and building up more stomach acid. After all, each time you eat even a snack you build up stomach acid. 

Lean protein also helps you build muscle and burn fat helping you lose weight. It gives you the tools needed to build the body you need to fight off acid reflux. 

Full of Healthy Fats

Hemp is full of healthy fats. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids help the body by reducing hunger and improving the right kind of inflammation. 

Omega-3 fatty acids reduce the inflammation that causes skin conditions like eczema. Fatty acids also help with inflammation in the digestive lining. 

Fats should be eaten in moderation, so it’s important to choose healthy fat. Hemp has a balanced amount of fat and protein that can help you relieve acid reflux. 

Is Hemp Acidic or Alkaline?

Hemp protein is alkaline, in fact, it’s more alkaline than meat. The pH of hemp seeds is between 4.0 and 6.0. This is important because our bodies have a more alkaline pH. 

Hemp protein is one of the plant-based proteins that can help your diet without irritating acid reflux symptoms.

When you eat a lot of acids your body pulls minerals from inside to maintain the alkaline pH it needs. If you have acid reflux, this is especially important because your body is already combatting the acid in your stomach. 

The low pH of hemp offsets the high pH of stomach acid. You should always take care when eating food with high acidity like fruit. Foods that are high in acid could worsen acid reflux and irritate the esophagus. 

Summary: How Hemp Can Help Reduce Acid Reflux?

Hemp can help reduce acid reflux in two major ways. Consuming hemp adds nutrients to your diet and assists in making lifestyle changes.

The healthy fats and protein in hemp help you make the lifestyle changes needed to reduce acid reflux. While the fiber and alkaline nature of hemp, help you relieve symptoms like heartburn. 

Certain lifestyle changes can reduce acid reflux. Avoid eating before bed, sleep on your left side, and drink more water. 

Use hemp to help you stop overeating and lose weight. You can even use hemp seeds while you are pregnant and at high risk of acid reflux.

Hemp has numerous benefits, all of which can help reduce acid reflux. Choose hemp to supplement an overall healthy lifestyle and the benefits will help with acid reflux and GERD. 

You can add hemp to your diet in the form of hemp oil, hemp hearts, or hemp protein. Read our blog to find out more about how to add hemp into your daily routine. Try Humming Hemp products today to begin reducing your acid reflux.