Naturopathic Treatments For Non Erosive Reflux Disease (NERD)

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition that causes stomach acid to rise and continuously leak back into your esophagus.

It’s a common disorder which affects approximately 15% of the North American population.

In fact, you likely know someone living with GERD.

But did you know that GERD comes in many forms?

For instance, non erosive reflux disease, or NERD for short, is a form of GERD which doesn’t cause esophageal damage or injury.

However, it’s symptoms can be just as challenging.

We’ve talked before about naturopathic solutions for GERD, and non erosive reflux disease (NERD) is a similar digestive disorder – just without the erosive part

Today, let’s talk about NERD.

What it is, what causes it, and how a Toronto naturopathic doctor like myself can help with it.

What Is NERD?

In most types of GERD, stomach acid continuously leaks into your esophagus, a tube that carries food from your mouth to your stomach.

This is due to a faulty lower esophageal sphincter.

When your lower esophageal sphincter can’t properly close, the contents of your stomach begin to leak back out.

This can lead to a variety of issues, including ulcers as well as erosion and inflammation of your esophagus (esophagitis).

Fortunately, NERD doesn’t cause these symptoms.

However, the symptoms of non erosive reflux disease can significantly affect your digestive health and your everyday life.

This is particularly true when left untreated.

NERD may have the potential to turn into the erosive form over time.

That is why early detection and treatment is so important.

How Do You Know If You Have NERD?

The primary symptom of NERD is chest pain which is commonly described as a more severe form of heartburn.

In addition, the symptoms of NERD closely resemble those of GERD, but without esophageal damage.

Symptoms include:

• Chest pain
• Heartburn, most commonly at night or after a meal
• A feeling of having a lump in your throat
• Difficulty swallowing
• Burping up your food or stomach acid
• Nausea
• Dental erosions
• Asthma
• Laryngitis
• Chronic nighttime coughing
• Insomnia

RELATED: Naturopathic Sleep Doctor In Toronto

What Causes NERD?

There are multiple risk factors for developing NERD.

For instance, there appears to be a genetic component to the disease.

Research suggests that you may be more likely to develop NERD if you have a parent with the condition.

Additionally, certain conditions may contribute to the development of NERD, such as hiatal hernias or connective tissue disorders, such as scleroderma.

Pregnancy may also increase your risk.

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Finally, certain lifestyle habits may increase your risk of developing NERD.

These include:

• Drinking a lot of alcohol or caffeine
• Eating large amounts of food at once
• Eating too late at night
• Eating fried or fatty foods excessively
• Being overweight or obese
• Smoking

Naturopathic Solutions For NERD

Fortunately, there are many different options for the treatment of all types of gastroesophageal reflux diseases, including NERD.

In fact, the sheer number of choices may even seem overwhelming.

But have you considered naturopathy?

Naturopathic medicine is designed to treat the underlying cause using the least invasive methods.

In terms of gastroesophageal reflux disease, naturopathic medicine can help to:

• Pinpoint and manage the initial causes
• Strengthen your lower esophageal sphincter
• Correct acid imbalances
• Repairing any damage to your mucosal membrane tissue

Next, we’ll take a look at some of the ways naturopathy accomplishes this.

1. Eat An Anti Inflammatory Diet

NERD often causes inflammation in your body, which can significantly worsen depending on the types of food you eat.

For instance, sugary and processed foods tend to cause or worsen inflammation whereas fresh, whole foods may help to lessen it.

Therefore, I frequently recommend an anti-inflammatory healthy detoxification diet to my patients.

It requires you to avoid foods and drinks known to worsen inflammation, including:

• Processed foods, such as frozen dinners or pizzas
• Foods and drinks with added sugars or salt
• Certain oils, such as canola and sunflower oil
• White breads, pastas, and bake goods
• Processed snack foods, such as chips
• Premade desserts, such as cookies
• Excess alcohol

Instead, I recommend that my patients load up on foods rich in nutrients, antioxidants, and healthy fats.

These include:

• Oily fish, such as skipjack tuna or salmon
• Fruits, such as berries and cherries
• Vegetables, such as spinach and broccoli
• Beans, nuts, and seeds
• Olives and olive oil
• Foods full of fibre, such as whole grains
• Legumes, such as lentils
• Green tea

This helps you reduce inflammation, and also gives you the nutrients your body needs to stay healthy and repair the damage to your digestive tract.

2. In Particular, Eat More Turmeric

Turmeric is a spice that’s frequently used in Indian and east Asian cooking.

You might know it as the spice that gives curry its bright colour, and its pungent flavour.

Its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties make it particularly useful for traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine.

Curcumin, the most active ingredient in turmeric, provides a variety of great health benefits.

It has antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, and even anti-cancer properties.

This makes it a wonderful spice for a variety of conditions.

In the past we’ve talked about its use as a natural way to prevent colorectal cancer, as a natural treatment for gallstones, for alcohol related liver disease, and even for managing menstrual pain – it’s great for NERD as well.

However, since your body doesn’t store curcumin for long, you might have to eat a lot of turmeric to make it effective.

And since food made with turmeric tends to be on the spicier side, which may trigger your NERD symptoms, you may want to consider taking curcumin in pill form instead.

3. Try Slippery Elm Extract

Slippery elm, also known as Ulmus rubra, or red elm, is a tree indigenous to certain parts of the US and Canada.

Indigenous communities have historically utilized the tree’s inner bark for a variety of medicinal purposes, such as for fevers, wounds, and sore throats.

The bark can be mixed in water to make a sticky paste called mucilage.

During the American revolution, soldiers used it to mend gunshot wounds.

But how does it help NERD?

When taken orally, the mucilage will coat your esophagus and help to both prevent and manage NERD symptoms.

You can find it in a variety of forms, including:

• Lozenges
• Tablets
• Fine powder for teas and extracts
• Coarse powder for a poultice, or paste

4. Take A Probiotic

Probiotics are useful in helping the good bacteria in your gut grow.

These bacteria are essential for preventing illnesses and maintaining your overall health.

Probiotics are therefore useful for the prevention and treatment of a variety of conditions, including:

• Celiac disease
• Intestinal infections
• Stomach ulcers
• Vaginal yeast infections
• Urinary tract infections
• Colds and flus
• Constipation
• Seasonal allergies

Probiotics can also help manage the symptoms of NERD.

You can find the in a variety of dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt, and fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi.

You can also take probiotics in supplement form.

RELATED: What Are Probiotics?

5. Lifestyle Changes

Since a variety of lifestyle factor have been known to cause or worsen NERD, it makes sense that making healthier lifestyle changes can significantly improve your symptoms.

Some of the lifestyle changes that you can make to improve your symptoms of NERD, as well as reduce your risk of developing it in the first place, include:

• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Sleeping with your head elevated
• Quitting smoking and drinking alcohol
• Eating an anti-inflammatory diet

Questions? Ask Dr. JJ!

Are you ready to transform your health?

Do you want to hear more about how naturopathy can help to improve your symptoms of NERD?

My name is Dr. JJ, and at my clinic, we have a special interest in using natural remedies to treat a variety of issues, including gastroesophageal disorders.

Don’t hesitate to reach out should you have any questions or of you’d like to book an appointment with me.

Book your appointment with me, Dr. JJ, today and find out how naturopathy can change your life.