There were 113.4 million prescriptions written each year for Nexium, Prilosec, Prevacid, Protonix, Aciphex which are proton pump inhibitors that decrease stomach acid. Most often used to treat heartburn or GERD, they have finally been shown their risks outweigh any benefit. Increased risk of bone fracture, stomach infection, and pneumonia have been demonstrated by recent studies. The stomach is normally an acid environment, necessary for proper digestion of nutrients and for protecting against infectious organisms. This results in a viscious cycle where you can’t digest the very nutrients you need to heal the problem you are trying to treat. Naturopathic medicine has many tools to assist the body in healing itself and digestion is one of our many specialties.
Arch Intern Med. 2010;170(9):747-748.
