<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your
situation.>>

****

I looked through some of my health books to find additional
possibilities.

I am not going to take the time to list book title, author, etc.  Most
of this stuff is common knowledge and can be found online.

Bananas, A Bunch of Potassium:  Stomach Relief:  Though more research
needs to be done, bananas may replace antacids in your medicine cabinet
as an effective way to quell the inner flames of heartburn and
indigestion.  Although experts don't know why they work, bananas seem
to
act as a natural antacid.

In addition, bananas may be helpful for preventing and treating ulcers.
"There have been a few studies showing that bananas may have a
protective effect in ulcer treatment," says William Ruderman, MD, a
gastroenterologist in private practice in Orlando, Florida. "But we
need
more research before we can know for sure."

Scientists suspect that bananas may guard against stomach damage in two
ways.  First, a chemical in bananas called protease inhibitor appears
to
be able to kill off harmful, ulcer-causing bacteria before they do
their
dirty work.  Second, bananas seem to stimulate the production of
protective mucus, the layer that helps prevent harsh acids from coming
into contact with the tender stomach lining. -end of quote---

[I cannot tolerate bananas????]


For heartburn: take a 2 or 3 inch piece of fresh gingerroot, slice very
thin and simmer it in a quart of water, sip lukewarm tea, 2 or 3 times
a
day, for 3 to 4 days, or until stomach feels better.  Ginger seems to
absorb the acid and has a secondary effect of calming the nerves.-end
of
quote---

[I am allergic to ginger???]

For some people:  "One tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in some water
and heartburn is gone in seconds.  "It's true that too much acidity is
the problem in some cases of heartburn, but an equal number of cases
are
caused by inadequate acidity. Trademarks of low stomach acidity:  sour
stomach and a feeling of fullness.  People say they feel like food is
stuck in their craw.  What happens is this:  Food is improperly
digested
and remains in the stomach.  The esophageal sphincter (that circular
muscle we mentioned earlier) then relaxes and allows the food to
reflux,
or back up in the esophagus.  I see this in a number of patients, Dr.
Hoffman says.  They've taken all kinds of antacids, with no relief. We
perform a certain test which tells us that they have low stomach acid
rather than high, and we feel justified in using a trial of additional
stomach acid.  We use hydrochloric acid tablets, but an old-fashioned
way to do the same thing is vinegar.

Charcoal for gas, indigestion, irritable bowel and heartburn. One woman
said that tomatoes cause heartburn and one capsule of activated
charcoal
takes care of the problem.  Activated charcoal-charcoal that's been
steam-processed to make it extremely porous-is considered a universal
antidote,  It is used in emergency rooms around the country to treat
people who have been poisoned.  In fact, Helen used it once to treat
her
husband, who accidentally swallowed a vial of prescription pills,
thinking they were vitamins.  "I gave him the charcoal, and then called
the doctor," she says.  "The doctor said I done the right thing and to
simply watch my husband for a few hours to make sure he was alright.
Well, he was just fine."  Editor's note:  Activated charcoal absorbs
just about anything and will interfere with your body's ability to
absorb medicines you need.  So don't take it along with medicines.
Activated charcoal may also interfere with nutrient absorption, so you
won't want to take it with every meal, Dr. Hoffman says.  ---end of
quote---

[Military people know about charcoal; they are taught to eat charcoal
from a fire for dysentery.  Many a warrior could have lived if they had
known to eat charcoal.don't forget this one; you never know when you
will be in a survival situation.  BTW I can take 2 charcoal capsules at
bedtime and wake up feeling great.  I haven't taken any in a very long
time.  It absorbs the good bacteria along with the bad bacteria.
Charcoal capsules are good to have if traveling or fighting in a
foreign
country.]

Back to the books:  Take a stroll after eating a big meal.  Walking is
a
great digestive aid, Dr. Hoffman agrees.  But you'll want to avoid
vigorous exercise, such as running, which can cause heartburn after a
big meal.

Wear a bigger belt.  Think of your stomach as a tube of toothpaste.  If
you squeeze the tube in the middle, paste goes in two directions-out
the
top and to the bottom.  No tight belts, waistbands, etc. to prevent
heartburn.

Licorice.Licorice is an herbal aid for alleviating heartburn and
recovering from ulcers.  In fact, this herb may be as helpful as
standard medications for healing gastric and duodenal ulcers.  Licorice
stimulates the production of prostaglandins that promote healing to the
whole gastrointestinal tract, but especially the stomach.  The
deglycyrrhizinated form of the extract (DGL) prevents blood pressure
elevation.  Taking licorice 3 or 4 times a day can provide tremendous
relief.

Herbs that stimulate liver activity improve digestion as well, and
include agrimony, dandelion, barberry, wild yam, and milk thistle.
Hers
that soothe and coat the digestive tract include mallow, chickweed,
mullein, and plantain.  Other herbs to investigate include balmony,
barberry, cayenne, gentian root, ginseng, goldenseal (on a temporary
basis), coltsfoot, lobelia, wild cherry bark, skullcap, slippery elm,
wormwood, and angelica.  ---end of quote---

[I tried DGL, dandelion, barberry, milk thistle, marshmallow root, and.
slippery elm (produced a rash).  I could not tolerate any of them-they
were too strong/harsh for me.  Eating a few dandelion greens from the
produce section once in a while won't hurt.]

Heartburn:  Frequent, small meals are preferable to three big ones.
And
as is true for everyone, lying down after eating should be avoided, as
this causes stomach acids to wash back up into the throat.  A good herb
for heartburn is slippery elm [you can buy slippery elm throat
lozenges].  One teaspoon of the powder can be added to water or juice,
or lozenges can be taken throughout the day.  Papaya enzymes are
another
handy item to have available.  Also, two to three drops of diluted
peppermint oil, placed on the back of the tongue, may relieve this
problem.  ---end of quote-

[I strongly advise against ever touching anything peppermint.  I read
in
books by MD that coated peppermint capsules are good for IBS.  I took
one at bedtime.  That thing exploded in my small intestine in the
middle
of the night.  The pain was unbearable.  I drank a gallon of water
trying to soothe it.  I still get recurring pain in the same spot so I
know it still hasn't healed properly.  Still scares me.  Peppermint is
extremely acid producing like chocolate.  If you have a thick mucosal
barrier, you might be ok, but I wouldn't take a chance on peppermint.
Recently I have read some negative press on peppermint.

Most naturopaths sell supplements.  Consider calling their offices and
asking them which supplements they recommend to replace antacids and
ask
them if you can purchase the items from their office.  They may not
talk
to you without an appointment, but you might find someone who will help
you.  Usually their products are designed to be distributed only by
health care providers so their products should be better than Health
Food Store products.  However, they may be the same or no different.
Who knows?

I saw another ND recently who told me to use food combining for 3
weeks---at the end of 3 weeks my gut would be healed.  Do not eat fat,
proteins, or carbohydrates at the same meal.  Eat fruit alone.  If you
do a search on food combining, you will get lots of hits.

* Visit the Celiac Web Page at www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/index.html *