Your PPI Stomach Acid Drug May be Killing You

Your PPI Stomach Acid Drug May be Killing You

The PPI class of drugs (proton pump inhibitors) are the main drugs used to treat GERD in America. They are very effective at reducing stomach acid. The pH of your stomach, designed to be pH 2 in order to efficiently digest protein, essentially goes to pH 7 (neutral) and relieves the burning sensation of GERD. They are very popular for that reason. The problem is.....

The biology of making nitric oxide (NO) is dependent on a pH of <3 in the stomach to convert the nitrites in saliva into nitric oxide. When you eat vegetables, you get a dose of natural nitrates which are then concentrated in your saliva. Unique bacteria to the crypts of your tongue convert those nitrates into nitrites. But that's only the first step. The second, essential step is the conversion of nitrites in the saliva into NO, nitric oxide, in the stomach. A normal pH will stop that process cold. Just like mouthwash will completely stop the process.

Several studies have now confirmed the problem. Nitric oxide is critical to the health of your endothelium, the lining of your arteries. It is arguably the largest organ in your body. The health of the endothelium depends on your blood level of nitric oxide. We lose about 12% of nitric oxide per decade, so the aging process is already setting up our arteries to be NO deficient. Without sufficient NO, the endothelium falls apart and more easily ruptures, allowing underlying plaque to be exposed. That sets off platelet aggregation and clotting in the artery, a heart attack.

I believe NO may be the single most important supplement you can take to prevent aging other than plasmalogens. The drawback right now it cost. At $ 80 a month, it's a bit pricey. There will be competitors who make a similarly effective product, so waiting a year may be rational.

What is one to do if they have GERD and can't stand the pain at night? The answer, in my opinion, is to find a way to take BPC-157 pills. BPC is the natural compound found in the human gut to protect us from the naturally caustic effect of stomach acid. Great apes, eating 99% plant material, don't need to digest animal protein and have a stomach pH of 4. Humans prove their meat-eating proclivity by having evolved a stomach pH a hundred times lower. pH 2. That pH of 2 is hard to protect against. We had to also add BPC-157 to heal our gut from the extreme acidity we needed to digest protein properly. It can be ordered from a wide variety of sources off of the internet. Manufacturing peptides is still in its infancy and there is some risk of less-than-pure product. Reputable compounding pharmacies run the nascent peptide through several passes down the gel column. Each pass loses 10% of product but increases purity by 90%.

And you may have intuited another problem with PPI therapy. Yup, you do a miserable job digesting protein and may become protein deficient. It is clear you become B12 deficient as B12 is absorbed with a protein binder made in the same cells that make the acid. Throw in calcium, iron, magnesium, and Vitamin C and PPIs reduction of acid results in a whole raft of deficiencies.

www.What will Work for me? The Peptide Society has BPC-157 as a key ingredient in the anti-aging portfolio. I take it every day. My GERD has virtually disappeared unless I get foolish and overeat a huge curry dinner within an hour of bedtime. If I stop eating 3 hours before bed, I'm good. No PPI for me.

References: Forbes, PLOS One , Ther Adv Drug Safety,

Pop Quiz

1. What do PPIs do?                     Answer: They stop the production of stomach acid perfectly.

2. Name one unintended consequence!                      Answer: Dramatic reduction in B12 absorption, for the most obvious and flagrant effect.

3. Name the peptide that can cure your GERD with no side effects.                  Answer: BPC-157

4. Bonus question. Where was BPC first recovered from?               Answer: The human stomach. What was found was actually a larger protein, but the action part is the smaller protein called BPC-157. You can make the argument that BPC-157 isn't exactly neutral.

5. What is the proper functioning pH of the human stomach? Answer: pH 2.0