Fluoride Poisoning – It’s All Over

June 8th, 2011

NHF Ireland

By: Mary Sparrowdancer

German and Austrian scientists knew in the early 1930s that an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) could be successfully treated by bathing patients in water containing minute amounts of fluoride. They had discovered nearly a century ago that fluoride blocked thyroid function. For the US government, long partnered with the pharmaceutical industry, to then force this same treatment on a nation of people with healthy thyroids under the lie that fluoride “prevents cavities in children,” is unconscionable. The Nuremberg Code of ethics pertaining to human experimentation labels it an act of crime, stating, “The voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential.” Today, 70% of the US is being forced to receive this thyroid-blocking chemical via their water without consent or medical monitoring for overdose, allergic reaction or blocked thyroid function. The benefits are being reaped by the largest of US industries: The pharmaceutical industry. Fluoride has created a nation of sufferi ng people seeking more drugs to treat blocked thyroids and fluoride toxicity. We might drink bottled water, but most of us cannot avoid the bathwater.

Deliberately damaging the thyroid will produce a plethora of symptoms affecting the entire human body from head to toe. Symptoms of thyroid damage and fluoride poisoning include weight gain, edema, kidney disease, kidney failure, hair loss, depression, aggression, aches, pains, skin problems, bone deformities (likely including “arthritis” and spontaneous fractures), sexual/erectile dysfunction, memory loss, weakness, fatigue, heart disease, irritability, cancer, digestive disorders including severe GERD as a result of swallowing fluoride, nausea, vomiting, visual problems, gum disease, “high cholesterol,” connective tissue damage, brittle teeth, wrinkles, premature aging, dehydration, and long, long after the whole body has been damaged, “cosmetic fluorosis” might finally show up in a tooth or two. “Cosmetic fluorosis” is usually the only sign of fluoride poisoning mentioned by fluoride promoters, while downplaying the rest of the signs as though their livelihoods depended upon it.

Lethal fluoride doses cause death to occur by “natural causes” such as cardiac arrest, or acute renal failure or (for those who believe that cancer is a “natural cause” of death), by cancer. Fluoride binds to and possibly mimics calcium, but fluoride is a liar. The heart cells utilize a perfect balance of calcium and magnesium and other natural substances in the body’s matrix to cause the heart to beat and then rest. Fluoride, bound to the calcium, confuses the normal functioning and cellular communication within the body, and causes arrhythmias.

The fluoride that is purchased by municipal waterworks and added into public drinking water is not even a “pharmaceutical grade” fluoride. It is primarily discarded waste, a slurry of toxins not wanted by the phosphate fertilizer mining corporations that sell it to waterworks. From there, it is then disposed of (sometimes by unskilled workers) into our drinking water. For those who have swallowed the propaganda that fluoride is “completely safe,” and is some kind of a “nutrient” that is good for us, there is news footage available of a recent fluoride spill that took place in Illinois. A Hazmat team in protective gear was called in to clean up the mess, but not before the fluoride began eating through the concrete driveway it had spilled upon.

This should leave little question as to why a 2005 study by the American Gastroenterological Association showed that there was a sharp increase in Barrett’s esophagus and GERD, and other reports show that adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, once rare, has now become one of the most frequently occurring cancers. Fluoride can eat its way through a titanium container. Fluoride is converted in the stomach into hydrofluoric acid, an acid so strong that it cannot be stored in a glass container because it will eat the glass. Fluoride, proven to block thyroid function, is not a substance we should be forced to drink, breathe, eat, and bathe in without our consent.

Fluoride promoters have utilized all seven propaganda techniques identified by the “Institute for Propaganda Analysis,” (est. 1937 and brought to an early end in the 1940s), including “Name-Calling, Glittering Generality, Transfer, Testimonial, Plain Folks, Card Stacking, and Band Wagon” in order to keep the fluoride flowing here and creating medical problems. Mention an aversion to fluoride, and the promoters will more than likely make comments about “tinfoil hats,” or make a reference to the strange movie, “Dr. Strangelove.” They also refer to people opposed to being dosed with fluoride against their wills as “anties” as though attempting to paint a picture of opponents as confused old ladies. The one thing that fluoride promoters are incapable of doing, however, is engaging in a logical debate about fluoride. They cannot debate fluoride because they have no real facts or clinical evidence showing that fluoride “prevents cavities.” They merely repeat, as they have been repeating for over 60 years, the following mantra: “It is well-known that fluoride prevents cavities.”

If fluoride “prevented cavities” as the CDC and other government pharmaceutical branches imply, they would be shining a light on the Commonwealth of Kentucky. According to the NIH “Community Water Fluoridation Status by State” 2002 report (reportedly updated in March of 2010), the state of Kentucky ranks #1 in having the highest percentage of fluoridated water of all states in the US. According to Kentucky Oral/Dental Health, the state has received awards for achieving this feat. “The American Dental Association, the Centers for Disease Control and the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors have recognized Kentucky’s efforts.” If we were going to see water fluoridation in action and working as promised by the fluoride salesmen, we would have seen its miracles clearly happening on any given day in the gleaming smiles of our Kentucky neighbors. Instead we see something unexpected.

When the ADA’s and CDC’s exaggerated hoopla dies down, a check of the facts reveals that Kentucky is also ranked #1 in other areas not mentioned during the praising ceremonies. Kentucky ranks #1 in incidence of cancer in the USA, and it ranks at the top for having one of the worst dental health scores in the US. Despite all of its award-winning fluoridation, it has one of the worst rates of cavities in children, as well as complete toothlessness in adults. One must also wonder if the spontaneous fractures and tendon problems in the racehorses might be due to the fluoride in their drinking water. Horses drink many times more water than humans do.

Even more disturbing than the lie about the “benefits” of having “optimally fluoridated water,” is that the majority of physicians do not know how to treat fluoride poisoning, nor do they even know how to look for it or diagnose it. Due to the media, many people simply conclude that Americans are just fat and lethargic, everyone has heartburn so what else is new, arthritis is just bone aches and crippling deformities, fibromyalgia is a sign of malingering, and degenerative disk disease raises no eyebrows or questions as spines spontaneously collapse and disks bulge from sea to shining, oil-slicked sea. We are not adequately studying cause and effect at this time. Instead of treating symptoms with even more pharmaceuticals, we need to start looking for the cause of the symptoms.

Many physicians are unaware that in addition to the daily doses of fluoride their patients are receiving via water, air, dental products, and our fluoride-contaminated food, a growing number of prescription drugs are now fluorinated as well. Lipitor, for instance, is fluorinated and has been known to cause aches and pains, and according to the Lipitor website, can cause serious muscle problems resulting in kidney failure, as well as liver problems, edema, tendon problems, jaundice, nausea and GI problems. A number of patients are reporting memory loss, as well; however, this complaint has not yet become an “accepted” side effect. All of these complaints are, however , “accepted” symptoms of fluoride poisoning. High concentrations of fluoride can also be found in other unexpected items, such as tea, grapes and raisins, and some American wines contain too much fluoride to be sold in European markets.

The amount of fluoride constituting a “lethal dose” is not even known at this time due to disinformation and lack of appropriate study, nor is it known how long a lethal dose will take to finally kill the victim via organ failure or cancer. Most of the deliberate fluoride dosing is sub-lethal, thus allowing people to live out their lives without frank evidence that they are being chronically poisoned by a daily dose of fluoride. They will, however, live out their lives while suffering from the resulting, unexplained but now “commonly found” symptoms that their grandparents never had. They will desire lifelong medications for relief of these symptoms, and no one knows how many years the fluoride will shave off the life of each person being forced to take it.

Click here for the full report from The NHF Ireland

Cinnamon, Ginger and Apple Cider Vinegar Are Great Natural Heartburn Remedies

February 22nd, 2011

Natural News

By: Celeste M. Smucker

The terms heartburn, acid reflux, and GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) describe a chronic condition that is both painful and expensive – costing our economy as much as $10 billion annually in medical care costs and lost productivity. Standard interventions of medication and surgery also include over the counter remedies for which there is a huge market. Fortunately, there are many effective alternative and traditional solutions. Some of the simplest such as apple cider vinegar, cinnamon and ginger are readily available in most kitchens.

GERD is caused when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), opens inappropriately to allow acid from the stomach to flow up into the esophagus. This can cause inflammation often experienced as heartburn. Other symptoms of acid reflux disease may include chest pain, a dry cough, sore throat, laryngitis, dental caries and even asthma and lung problems depending on the individual. Chronic GERD can also lead to narrowing or ulceration of the esophagus and to cancer. Individuals who suffer from this condition experience increased absenteeism, reduced work productivity, and sleep disruption.

The causes of GERD are varied. It has been linked to fatty or refined foods as well as coffee and alcohol. It is also associated with smoking, stress and overeating. A recent review of 20 studies of GERD and obesity found that overweight people are 50% more likely to experience acid reflux than are those who are normal weight.

Treatment for acid reflux includes medications to reduce stomach acid followed by (if these are not effective) surgery. Unfortunately, long term suppression of stomach acid can lead to digestive problems and deficiency diseases. In addition, there is increased susceptibility to infection due to over growth of bacteria normally controlled by stomach acid. Headache, diarrhea, abdominal pain and fractures of the hip, spine, forearm and wrist as well as blurred vision and pneumonia are some other potential medication side effects. As a result, it makes sense to consider natural solutions, many of which are cost effective and well established in folk medicine with few if any side effects.

One of the most highly recommended acid reflux remedies is apple cider vinegar. Sip a tablespoon of the unfiltered, unpasteurized variety in 8 ounces of water during meals. Why does this work? There are two theories. One is that many people actually have insufficient stomach acid. In this case, the LES (which is pH sensitive) may open when it shouldn’t allow stomach acid up into the esophagus. Acidity in the vinegar communicates to the LES to stay shut keeping stomach acid where it belongs. An alternative theory is that the vinegar dilutes stomach acid somewhat (since it is less acidic), mitigating reflux symptoms but not enough to impair digestion.

In addition to directly affecting digestion, apple cider vinegar provides an array of vitamins and trace minerals and promotes a more alkaline environment in the body while it helps destroy harmful bacteria. The result is better health including improved digestion.

Cinnamon is another natural remedy for digestive problems including GERD. It works in part by reducing stomach acid, but it also has antibiotic and antifungal properties which facilitate digestion. Other folk traditions rely on ginger for acid reflux since it helps calm stomach acid and relax the muscles of the esophagus. Try sipping a tea made with fresh ginger root and a pinch of cinnamon as a restful way to relieve GERD symptoms. Alternatively enjoy an interesting Korean remedy made from cinnamon sticks, fresh ginger root, sugar and dried persimmons; recipes for which are readily available online.

Click here for the full report from Natural News

Heartburn Drugs Are A Major Gamble

May 26, 2010

BusinessWeek.com

By Steven Reinberg

Blockbuster heartburn medications such as Prevacid, Prilosec and Nexium will now carry a warning on their labels linking the drugs to a heightened risk for fractures, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced late Tuesday.

The label will advise consumers to use this class of medicines, called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), carefully, because high doses have been associated with an increased risk of fractures of the hip, wrist and spine, the agency said.

PPIs, which include prescription and over-the-counter drugs, work by blocking stomach acid from being produced. However, as with any drug, this benefit comes with some risk, the FDA said.

“Epidemiology studies suggest a possible increased risk of bone fractures with the use of proton pump inhibitors for one year or longer, or at high doses,” Dr. Joyce Korvick, deputy director for safety in FDA’s Division of Gastroenterology Products, said in an agency statement.

“Because these products are used by a great number of people, it’s important for the public to be aware of this possible increased risk and, when prescribing proton pump inhibitors, health care professionals should consider whether a lower dose or shorter duration of therapy would adequately treat the patient’s condition,” she said.

Based on a review of the scientific evidence, the agency is instructing the makers of the drugs to change the labels for both the prescription and the over-the-counter versions of the proton pump inhibitors. The FDA based its decision on the results of seven studies, six of which noted a link between PPIs and fracture, primarily among users aged 50 and over.

Proton pump inhibitors include the drugs esomeprazole (Nexium)), dexlansoprazole (Dexilant), omeprazole (Prilosec, Zegerid)), lansoprazole (Prevacid)), pantoprazole (Protonix)), and rabeprazole (Aciphex)). These medicines are used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), stomach and small intestine ulcers and inflammation of the esophagus. Over-the-counter versions of Prevacid, Prilosec and Zegerid also fall into this class of drugs.

The FDA is advising consumers to not stop taking PPIs until they have consulted with their doctor. However, patients should be aware of the increased risk for fractures. The highest risk was seen in people taking higher doses of PPIs, or among those who took them for a year or more, the agency said.

For people taking over-the-counter proton pump inhibitors, the FDA said they should only be taken for 14 days to help ease frequent heartburn. If heartburn continues, people should see their doctor. Under no circumstances should over-the-counter PPIs be taken for more than three 14-day periods in a year, the agency said.

Dr. Amar R. Deshpande, an assistant professor of gastroenterology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, said the data behind the FDA decision “is not new.”

PPIs may disrupt the body’s ability to absorb calcium, which, in turn, can increase the risk for fractures, Deshpande explained. He also believes that this class of drugs is overused and often taken by patients for too long.

There’s a need to “be judicious in general, irrespective of this data,” Deshpande said. “With PPIs we should really have a targeted endpoint to come off these medications. There is more reason to do that now that we are seeing data that they can have potential side effects.”

It is probably also a good idea to shy away from high doses of the heartburn medications, unless absolutely necessary, he said.

“Everything in medicine is a risk/benefit ratio,” Deshpande said. “Patients need to talk to their doctor about what they are on the PPI for and look at the risk/benefit ratio and see if they should be on it indefinitely or should be able to come off the PPI.”

Click here for the full report.

My Favorite Natural Healing Juices…

Folks, you’ve heard me say it before, stay away from drugs! Stay away from all the garbage and all the crap. There are natural cures out there! The drug companies don’t want you do know this because they’ll lose money if you find a natural way to cure yourself.

Here are just a few of my favorite natural healing juices…

Celery Juice:
High blood pressure medication is so damaging to the body. If you’re on high blood pressure medication, you don’t need to be. Get a juicer and start making your own celery juice. It’s loaded with magnesium and magnesium deficiency is the number one cause of high blood pressure. There are a whole bunch of other nutrients in celery that relax and soothe muscle cells in the arterial walls. This allows the arteries to dilate, lowering the blood pressure. It will also calm you down. One of the physicians at the Whitaker Wellness Center decided to put this to the test. Every day for a month, she and her father would drink one bunch of celery, mixed with a little orange juice for flavor. In just 30 days, her father’s blood pressure went from 148 to 128 and hers went from 120 to 105. That’s without dangerous, prescription drugs.

Cabbage Juice:
Two thousand years ago, in ancient documents, cabbage was said to surpass all other vegetables as a digestive aid. One of the reasons is that it’s very high in glutamine, which is an amino acid that serves as fuel for the rapidly dividing cells in certain parts of the body. Multiple studies support cabbage’s reputation as a therapy for gastro-intestinal disorders, especially ulcers, heart burn, and GERD. Cabbage juice actually can heal peptic ulcers. One study showed that it healed peptic ulcers 92% of the time. Do you realize that’s better and more effective than any drug known to man? There’s one person I know who swears by cabbage juice. She was plagued with inflammation of the stomach lining and had severe acid reflux. Her regular MD doctor tried all of the usual drugs, but nothing alleviated her pain or reduced the frequency of her episodes. She then learned about cabbage. Whenever she had a flair-up, she would drink the juice of half a head of cabbage, which is about 4 ounces. She did this 5 times a day for about 3 days and also drank a lot for pure water. She was then problem free for 9 months. If she would have just taken a little bit on a regular basis, it would have been even more miraculous.

Cherry Juice:
Cherries have been discovered to contain very powerful, natural anti-inflammatory compounds. They work better than Aspirin, Advil or any other pain medication. Researchers at Michigan State University found that just 10 tart cherries packed the same pain relieving punch as 2 Aspirin, plus the fact they have all the anti-oxidants for anti-aging and good heart health! You can’t get that from any drug! Cherries have also been shown to reduce or eliminate gout, which is caused by a build-up of uric acid. As you know, this can cause pain and stiffness, specifically in the big toe. A study at the University of California found that eating 8 oz of tart cherries reduced levels of uric acid. Cherries are an amazing and healthy food. If you have pain or inflammation, this is a wonderful natural cure.

Cranberry Juice:
Now a lot of people have known this for years, but in recent years, no one is talking about it since the FDA passed a rule that only a drug can be used to treat, cure or prevent a disease. For years, doctors used to treat urinary tract infections with cranberry juice. Back then when you went to the store and bought cranberry juice, the cranberries were not genetically modified and weren’t loaded with toxins. It was real cranberry juice. Today, it’s hard to get real cranberry juice, unless you go to a whole foods type store where you can get 100% organic cranberry juice. Read the labels. No high-fructose corn syrup allowed. You can also get cranberries and juice them yourself in a juice machine. Make sure, if they have the pits in them, you take them out. The juice of cranberries can absolutely, 100% cure and prevent urinary tract infections.

Melon Juice:
Cantaloupe and honeydew are very good natural remedies for weight loss. I personally drink, in season, organic watermelon juice. It is the first thing I drink in the morning. Sometimes I drink other types of juice in the morning, but generally melon. It’s great for clearing out the intestines and livening up the whole digestive tract!

Juice It Up!

August 19, 2009

Natural News

By Dr. Julian Whitaker

Some mornings on my way to work, I drop by the local Jamba Juice store a block from my office and down 16 ounces of carrot juice and four ounces each of wheatgrass juice and a green tea energy drink. I drink this cocktail for overall health and vitality. The wheatgrass is full of vitamin K and amino acids, the carrot juice is packed with beta-carotene, and the green tea gives me a boost of caffeine and antioxidants to get my day started.

However, this is not a story about general health maintenance. It is about “targeted” juices that have predictable and rapid therapeutic effects on specific health conditions. Let’s start with a very common problem: high blood pressure.

Celery Juice Lowers Blood Pressure
When you think about lowering blood pressure, celery probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But this crunchy vegetable deserves some serious attention. Loaded with potassium and magnesium, celery contains something even more important: 3-n-butyl-phthalide, a compound that relaxes the smooth muscle cells in the arterial walls, allowing the arteries to dilate and effectively lowering blood pressure.

One of the physicians at Whitaker Wellness decided to put celery to the test. Every day for a month, she and her father juiced and drank one bunch of celery, mixed with a little orange juice for flavor (it’s somewhat bitter on its own). Her father’s systolic blood pressure went from 148 to 128 and hers went from 120 to 105. Imagine results this dramatic without dangerous prescription drugs!

Another great juice for people with hypertension is Low-Sodium V8 Juice. It works on two fronts to lower blood pressure. First, it contains a particularly high dose of potassium (840 mg per eight ounces) that helps keep blood pressure in check. Second, according to a study recently published in JAMA, it is an effective blood thinner, which further contributes to its antihypertensive effects. For Ted, one of my longtime patients, simply drinking 12 ounces of Low-Sodium V8 Juice daily was enough to keep his blood pressure in the normal range.

Cabbage Juice Heals the Stomach
Roman statesman Cato the Elder wrote more than 2,000 years ago that, as a digestive aid, “Cabbage surpasses all vegetables.” One reason is its high content of glutamine, an amino acid that serves as a primary fuel for the rapidly dividing cells of the GI mucosa. Multiple studies support cabbage’s reputation as a therapy for gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, especially ulcers, heartburn, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). In one of them, cabbage juice healed peptic and duodenal ulcers in an incredible 92 percent of cases studied!

One person who swears by cabbage juice is a patient we’ll call Betty, who was recently at the clinic. Betty was plagued with inflammation of the stomach lining and severe acid reflux. Her conventional doctor tried her on all the usual drugs, but nothing alleviated her pain or reduced the frequency of her episodes-until she came across an article on cabbage juice and decided to give it a shot.

Now whenever Betty has a flare-up, she drinks the juice from half a head of cabbage (yielding approximately four ounces of pleasant-tasting, slightly sweet juice) five times a day for about three days, in addition to copious amounts of water. This three day-regimen keeps her problem-free for eight or nine months-and I’ll bet if she drank it religiously, she wouldn’t have any problems at all.

Sauerkraut has also been touted for its ability to heal the stomach. In addition to the healthful compounds found in cabbage, this fermented food and its juice are also an excellent source of beneficial bacteria that nurture the GI tract. Eldon, a Health & Healing subscriber, eats it right from the jar to quell heartburn.

Cherry Juice Reduces Pain and Inflammation
Cherries make a mean pie, but a pain reliever? In recent years, cherries have been discovered to contain potent natural anti-inflammatory compounds called anthocyanins and other flavonoids that work on the same inflammation pathways as aspirin and NSAIDs to reduce pain. In fact, researchers from Michigan State University found that just 10 tart cherries pack the same pain-relieving punch as one or two aspirin-and offer a wallop of antioxidants to boot.

Cherries have also been shown to reduce gout. Gout is caused by a buildup of uric acid, which crystallizes in the joints and causes pain, stiffness, and inflammation. In a study conducted at the University of California Davis, eating eight ounces of cherries significantly reduced levels of plasma urate, a marker of uric acid. Cherries also produced small but notable decreases in markers of inflammation.

Francis, a friend of mine, squelches the gout pain in his big toe by eating cherries. And J. Otto Garry, a subscriber from Tamarac, Florida, has had great success treating his arthritis with cherry juice. He drinks three ounces in the morning and another three ounces in the evening to reduce and prevent inflammation. He also includes cod liver oil in his juice and takes alfalfa tablets along with it, which add to its anti-inflammatory value.

Cranberry Juice for UTIs
Everybody knows that cranberry juice can prevent and treat urinary tract infections (UTIs), but have you ever wondered why? Cranberries contain a combination of anthocyanins (the phytonutrient that gives both cranberries and cherries their rich color) and a unique sugar called mannose. Together, these compounds are responsible for thwarting UTIs by making it impossible for bacteria to cling to the walls of the bladder and urinary tract.

Ann, a subscriber I met at a Subscriber Seminar a while back, told me she used to have frequent UTIs until she started keeping a bottle of unsweetened cranberry juice in her fridge. Now when she feels a flare-up coming on, she drinks a glass or two daily for a few days, and she never gets infections anymore.

Judicious Juicing
As a general rule of thumb, I don’t recommend drinking a lot of fruit juice as it is loaded with sugar and calories. However, the juices listed above boast too many healing properties to ignore. Judicious juicing offers an easy way to drink to your health and naturally knock out many pressing health concerns. Bottoms up!

Click here to continue reading the full article from Natural News

Proton Pump Inhibitors to Treat GERD Cause Heartburn Problems

August 13,2009

Natural News

By S.L. Baker

Prilosec, Nexium, Prevacid, Aciphex. These and a dozen more drugs known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have quickly become superstars of Big Pharma. As recently reported by US News and World Report, last year people worldwide shelled out some $ 25.6 billion for these drugs that are supposed to alleviate heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Although hailed by most doctors as safe, reports have started cropping up that side effects may include everything from dizziness to osteoporosis, increased risk of heart attacks, pneumonia and more.

Now comes research that shows the drugs actually cause the symptoms they are supposed to treat. A new study just published in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute, found that taking a PPI drug for eight weeks induced acid-related symptoms including heartburn, acid regurgitation and dyspepsia in healthy individuals soon after they stopped taking the pills.

“The observation that more than 40 percent of healthy volunteers, who have never been bothered by heartburn, acid regurgitation or dyspepsia, develop such symptoms in the weeks after cessation of PPIs is remarkable and has potentially important clinical and economic implications,” Christina Reimer, MD, of Copenhagen University and lead author of the study, said in a statement to the media. “This study indicates unrecognized aspects of PPI withdrawal and is a very strong indication of a clinically significant acid rebound phenomenon that needs to be investigated in proper patient populations.”

In the randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial, the scientists investigated whether long-term treatment with a PPI could cause a dependency state. Specifically, they wanted to see if patients would need non-stop, continuous treatment with the drugs due to rebound acid hypersecretion when the medications were stopped. In all, 120 healthy participants were randomized to about three months of taking inactive placebo pills or 40 mg. of the PPI drug esomeprazole (brand names: Nexium, Esotrex) daily. This was followed by having all the research subjects take a placebo for another four weeks. A Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) was filled out weekly by those participating in the study.

During the first two weeks after withdrawal of the PPI, the majority of research participants began to have mild to moderate indigestion discomfort. What’s more, the GSRS scores for acid-related symptoms were significantly higher in the PPI group during weeks 10, 11 and 12 of the study. In fact, 44 percent of the people taking the PPI experienced at least one worrisome acid-related symptom in weeks nine through 12 compared to only 15 percent in the control taking placebo pills. About 22 percent of people in the PPI group complained of dyspepsia, heartburn or acid regurgitation in week 10 and 11; around 21 percent of the research subjects had indigestion problems in week 12 of the study. However, those in the placebo group reported indigestion and reflux symptoms at a far lower rate. Only about seven, five and two percent of them had heartburn or other related problems during weeks 10, 11 and 12 of the study.

“We find it highly likely that the symptoms observed in this trial are caused by rebound acid hypersecretion and that this phenomenon is equally relevant in patients treated long term with PPIs. If rebound acid hypersecretion induces acid-related symptoms, this might lead to PPI dependency. Our results justify the speculation that PPI dependency could be one of the explanations for the rapidly and continuously increasing use of PPIs,” Dr. Reimer stated.

In the media statement, the researchers noted previous research has have shown that about 33 percent of patients who start taking PPI drugs keep on refilling their prescriptions. So why do they need maintenance therapy if these drugs are supposed to successfully treat GERD and related conditions? Reimer’s research strongly indicates it’s because when people try to stop taking PPIs, they experience an increase in gastric acid secretion that soars beyond their pre-treatment levels. Within two weeks after withdrawal from treatment, they experience even worse heartburn, regurgitation and other GERD symptoms than ever — so they have to go right back on the expensive PPI drug therapy.

Click here for the full report from Natural News