Acid Medication reflux and Iron Deficiency.

By Raymond Harper

Acid medication reflux long term problems

One problem that many people may not be aware of when taking acid reflux medication is that it can cause iron deficiency. By taking acid medication reflux symptoms may drop dramatically, and in the short term this is a great way to heal any damage to the esophagus caused by the hydrochloric acid (hcl) burning the esophageal lining. By stopping the production of hcl the body is able to repair the damage caused by acid reflux. However in the long term taking drugs like Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI, s) may do more harm than good.

It is know through studies that taking acid reflux medicine for long periods can deplete the body of important vitamins and minerals like vitamin b12, calcium, zinc, folic acid, vitamin d and iron.

Research has shown that due to low stomach acid when taking heartburn drugs, iron cannot be absorbed properly and can lead to anaemia. The stomach automatically produces acid in order to digest food and absorb all the goodness your body requires. With acid medication reflux treatment is designed to lower or even stop the production of stomach acid and can be detrimental to your overall health in the long term.

About Iron

Iron is absorbed into the body in a liquid form and is a trace element which is needed for the formation of blood. The iron is in the form of haemoglobin, the component of red blood cells, and is used to carry oxygen to the body’s tissues.

There are two types of iron heme iron, which comes from animal products (meat), and non-heme iron which is found in most other foods and iron supplements. Non-heme iron accounts for about 85% of the iron in our diet however less than 20% of this is absorbed by our body. The absorption into our body of heme iron is not a problem however this is not so with non-heme iron which requires a high stomach acid content to be absorbed properly. The stomach needs a low ph level (high acid content) in order to separate and absorb the non-heme iron.

So taking acid medication reflux is less because it has lowered the amount of stomach acid, this means the non-heme iron is not absorbed properly and that is when we can become anaemic.

Check if you feel tired and lethargic

If you are always tired and lethargic and have taken acid reflux medication for a long period of time there is a good chance you are anaemic. Drugs should be monitored by your doctor and not taken over too long a period. If you still require acid reflux treatment you should start looking at more natural remedies for your heartburn symptoms. Switching to herbal remedies for acid reflux should help you to maintain a more natural ph level in your stomach and allow you to absorb the iron your body requires.

If you need to take supplements they are absorbed better on an empty stomach either 30 minutes before or 2 hours after a meal. Taking vitamin C also aids in the absorption of iron.

Best sauces for iron

Some of the best sauces of heme iron include liver, seafood, fish lean meat and poultry.

For non- heme iron the best sauces include cooked spinach, beans, eggs, nuts, fortified breads, cereals, and flours and enriched pastas and breads.

Recommended daily dose of iron

The daily recommended amount of iron in milligrams per day according to the UK department of health is as follows:-

• Infants from 0 to 3 months            1.7mg/day
• Up to 12 months old                      7.8mg/day
• Children                                       6.1 to 8.6mg/day
• Teenagers                                    11.3to 14.8mg/day
• Men                                             8.7mg/day
• Women                                        14.8mg/day

 If you use acid medication reflux is lowered substantually but so is your iron levels so you should ask you doctor to test your iron levels with a simple blood test.