A Miracle Cure?

My troublesome guts have improved enormously. I no longer have to take Omeprazole or Gaviscon and I can eat a wide range of foods again. Several months ago I began working with a nutritionist based at Framar Health in Belfast. My first session with Sarah Trimble focused on allergy and food sensitivity testing. She confirmed my gluten intolerance and explained that I was sensitive to foods which are high in histamine (e.g. nuts, citrus fruits, tomatoes, chocolate, pickled foods, smoked meats, etc). This was very helpful, but not too surprising. I had been avoiding some of these foods for years, as they were on the High FODMAP list. She also recommended that I take a specific probiotic, to help rebalance my gut flora. The testing also indicated that I had an increased need for Magnesium and B vitamins. Sarah explained which foods I needed to eat to increase these nutrients, and suggested several supplements. I’ve followed all of her advice and it helped me enormously. But the biggest single improvement in my gut health came from another source.

My dearest T used to have gut problems and she reads articles on gut health to keep informed. One of these explained that the symptoms of too much stomach acid (e.g. heartburn, acid reflux, belching) are much the same as the symptoms of too little stomach acid. There was also a simple test to determine which condition you have. I’d been treated by my GP for too much stomach acid for six years, so I took the test: two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar mixed with a little water before a meal. It was a revelation. The persistent and intractable gut problems that had been dogging me for ages disappeared almost overnight. I had too little stomach acid, not too much. This was probably a legacy of my stomach being in the wrong position for years after one of my cancer operations. Taking apple cider vinegar before every meal is a simple and natural solution. I rarely get heartburn, acid reflux or belching. Previously I had to take Gaviscon three or four times a day. Now it's only about once a month. You are what you eat, goes the old saying. I’ve become a new man.