Stomach Trouble: Too Little Acid?

Are Antacids and acid blockers curing—or causing—stomach troubles? A fascinating new book by highly respected doctor Jonathan Wright MD that is packed with scientific citations suggests that the conventional treatment for the stomach may be making things worse — and not just in the stomach.
(Your Stomach is published by Praktikos Books, a new book imprint from an organization, Praktikos Institute, devoted to the dissemination of natural health information and with whom we share some board and staff members.)
Stomach ailments are extremely common in America. A majority of us may suffer from them at one time or another. Many lead lives of utter misery as a result. One of the most common problems, acid reflux, is also associated with throat cancer, the cancer increasing most rapidly today.
Shockingly, the problem may not be too much stomach acid, but too little! Other maladies— bloating, belching, constipation, indigestion, and even thinning hair or breaking fingernails in women—may also be the result of too little acid. Antacids may actually be making the problem worse.
Drug companies currently sell over $20 billion worth of antacids a year, not including over-the-counter antacids. Two prescription antacids, Prilosec® and Nexium®, currently have over  $6 billion in sales, accounting for almost a quarter of the manufacturer’s total revenues. If antacids and acid blockers are a cause rather than a cure for stomach problems, this would rank as one of the major medical errors of history.
Dr. Jonathan Wright, MD, the author of Your Stomach, will be well known to many of our readers. He is  the founder and medical director of Tahoma Clinic in Renton, Washington where he also practices medicine. With an undergraduate degree from Harvard and a medical degree from the University of Michigan, Dr. Wright has been at the forefront of natural biomedical research and treatment since 1973. Dr. Wright is internationally known for his books and medical articles. He has authored/co-authored 11 books including the Book of Nutritional Therapy and the  Guide to Healing with Nutrition. Dr. Wright also  authors Nutrition and Healing, a monthly newsletter emphasizing nutritional medicine.