There was a discussion here on GERD last year.

Here is my own experience since that time.

GERD (Gastro-esophageal Reflux Disease) is also known as persistent
heartburn, acid reflux disease or reflux esophagitis. It is sometimes
inaccurately referred to as "hiatus hernia." GERD describes a backflow of
acid from the stomach into the swallowing tube or esophagus. Over time acid
reflux can erode or wear away the lining of the esophagus (erosive
esophagitis); in my case this erosion was of the vocal cords, causing
hoarseness and increasing my risk of esophageal cancer.

In most cases this is due to a transient relaxation of the “gate” or
sphincter that keeps the lower end of the esophagus closed when a person is
not swallowing food or liquids. This transient relaxa
tion happens a few
times each day in people without GERD. Why it happens more frequently in
GERD patients isn’t known. The esophagus is not able to cope with acid as
well as the stomach and is easily injured. It's the acid flowing back up
into the esophagus that produces the symptoms and potentially damages the
esophagus.

When I first contracted GERD, I had been 25 years a vegetarian/vegan and
was otherwise fit, strong and active.  A week of 24 hours a day coughing I
had was diagnosed as GERD and I was prescribed Ranitidine hydrochloride in
the GlaxoWellcome product Zantac.  It worked a dream.  But after 18 months,
it started becoming less effective.  It still worked, but not with the 100
per cent instant effectiveness it originally had.  In July 2001 I changed
from my traditional gym diet (training bars, but not the candy kind) to Rob
Faigin's Natural Hormonal Enhancement diet, following a my own paleo

version of the diet.  The NHE diet almost eliminated GERD as an issue for
me.  I also should say it was a fantastic diet in many other respects as
well - look into it if you have not already done so.  Then I stopped
aggravating my throat by drinking hot <herbal> tea, and the symptoms
disappeared even further.

Three weeks ago I returned to meat eating meat after 30 years, following
Loren Cordain's recommendations in his book The Paleo Diet.  I have not had
any GERD symptoms since then.

In all my diets (vegetarian, vegan, NHE, Cordain) I do not ever lapse.  To
me food is fuel, not comfort, not status marker so I don't have cravings
nor any *temptation* to diverge from my diet into *free meals*.

I maintain an evolutionary fitness physical activity regime and, as Art
suggests, I have no difficulty dead lifting twice my body weight at 53
years of age.

Hope this helps those w
ho have GERD or who know others with the symptoms.

Keith

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