Transcript Of Today's Episode
Announcer: You're listening to the Doctor Is In podcast, brought to you by martinclinic.com. During the episode, the doctors share a lot of information. As awesome as the info may be, it is not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease. It's strictly for informational purposes.
Dr.Martin: There was a story that came out in the news, a Canadian story, but it certainly affects everybody in North America. That is finally they're saying it that they're using [00:00:30] proton-pump inhibitors. Those are things for acid reflux so all those drugs. Any drug that you're on for any kind of acid reflux, girds, or whatever are being used and way over-used. They're not meant to be used for a long period of time.
Dr.Martin: Finally, they're admitting that when you take that kind of a medication to suppress the acid [00:01:00] in your stomach... Look, nobody wants to live with acid reflux, heartburn. It can be very disabling, and I understand that. Now, they're saying look, they were never meant to be used for a long period of time. I've written out six things here that long-term effects of using a medication.
Dr.Martin: I know people and patients that have been on these things 10 years, 15 years, 20 years for acid reflux. [00:01:30] What they're showing now is something that we've been saying at the Martin Clinic for many, many years. By the way, acid reflux is not that you have too much acid. You actually don't have enough, and your stomach is trying to make more acid to compensate. That goes up from the stomach into the esophagus. It can be very, very [00:02:00] painful and no fun at all.
Dr.Martin: The number one thing that causes that low acidity in the stomach is a lack of enzymes first of all, where the gall bladder, liver, and everything in the digestive tract is not working properly. Secondly, one of the biggest, biggest things that is happening is that people's insulin is way too high. That is a common denominator when insulin [00:02:30] resistance, and you're eating too many carbohydrates, too much sugar. It actually causes the body to release much more acid. So change the diet and get on digestive enzymes, absolutely need those enzymes.
Dr.Martin: Let me just show you what this story was saying. I'm not only saying it, been saying it for years, but now even doctors are being told, "Quit prescribing [00:03:00] this for many, many years. It's going to cause a malabsorption syndrome of vitamin B12." B12 is a finicky vitamin at the best of times. If you're on any kind of medication, but especially any medication for acid reflux, a proton-pump inhibitor, you're going to be low in B12. 100% for sure.
Dr.Martin: The other thing is you're going to be low in magnesium. You're going [00:03:30] to be often low in iron. That can be a factor in anemia because you're not absorbing. You might be eating these things. You're eating red meat. You're getting B12. You're getting heme iron in red meat. If you're on a proton-pump inhibitor, you're not even absorbing the B12, magnesium, and iron. These can cause major deficiencies in the body.
Dr.Martin: One of the things that they're showing is that if you're on these things for a period [00:04:00] of time, your bones don't get the amount of calcium they need. The amount of magnesium we already talked about. Again, you're not even going to be absorbing vitamin D properly because these things block the absorption of these very important nutrients that your bone needs.
Dr.Martin: The other thing, this is fascinating, is that people that are on proton-pump inhibitors are much more susceptible to dementia [00:04:30] and Alzheimer's. Imagine that. Again, the reason is because you're not absorbing the nutrients that your brain needs for it to be healthy. Can you imagine? You might get rid of your acid reflux, as long as you take the medication, but look what you're setting yourself up for, osteoporosis, dementia.
Dr.Martin: They're showing now that even your heart nutrients, [00:05:00] you're much more susceptible to heart disease, heart attacks, stroke because of proton-pump inhibitors. This is very common, by the way. Proton-pump inhibitors over a period of time make you highly susceptible to kidney disease. A loss of kidney function, again, all due to the fact that you're not absorbing the proper nutrients and mineral.
Dr.Martin: Another one, immune system. The [00:05:30] immune system is decreased. We already talked about vitamin D which is a real important vitamin for your immune system. Again, as this proton-pump inhibitor suppresses the acid in your stomach, then you're much more susceptible to H. pylori which is a bacterial infection of the stomach or C. difficile. Again, C. difficile is a [00:06:00] bacterial infection that's becoming commonplace today. It's almost can't be treated by antibiotics. It's so resistant to antibiotics. One of the big reasons we're seeing so much of it today is the fact that people are on these acid-blocking medications.
Dr.Martin: Again, they're meant to be used temporarily, and they should not be used long term. I really get upset [00:06:30] with people that are on these things. I am upset at their doctors for prescribing them without trying to fix the problem. So get on digestive enzymes absolutely with every meal. Change your diet, again, because of what insulin does. Lower your carbohydrates. Lower your sugars. It's amazing what happens to those acid levels in your stomach.
Announcer: [00:07:00] You've reached the end of another Doctor Is In podcast with your hosts, Dr. Martin Junior and Senior. Be sure to catch our next episode and thanks for listening.