The Acid Reflux Paradox
Most GERD is caused by too little stomach acid, not too much. Low acid means food sits longer, ferments, creates gas, and pushes the sphincter open.
Root Causes of GERD
- Hypochlorhydria — chronic stress, aging, H. pylori, zinc deficiency
- H. pylori Infection — suppresses acid while causing inflammation
- SIBO — fermentation increases abdominal pressure
- Food Sensitivities — gluten, dairy, and other triggers
- Hiatal Hernia — structural sphincter compromise
Our GERD Resolution Protocol
- H. pylori and SIBO testing
- Stomach acid assessment — too much or too little?
- Digestive enzyme and HCl support (when appropriate)
- Food sensitivity identification
- Gut healing — repair esophageal and stomach lining. See our leaky gut healing protocol
- Stress management — vagus nerve controls acid production
- Gradual PPI tapering (if applicable, under supervision)
Also read: IBS root cause treatment | Gut-brain connection
Your Next Step
Heal Your Gut From the Root
Comprehensive gut health protocols using functional medicine diagnostics.
Explore Related Programs
Enjoying this article?
Get weekly health insights that cut through the noise. Join 9,000+ readers.
Related Articles
Leaky Gut Isn't Pseudoscience — It's Intestinal Permeability, and Here's How to Fix It
'Leaky gut' is a real, published phenomenon — zonulin, tight junctions, the works. Here's the protocol that actually closes it.
Histamine Intolerance: Symptoms, Root Causes, and a Protocol That Ends the Low-Histamine Diet
Histamine intolerance is a bucket-overflow problem, not a food allergy. Low-histamine eating buys relief — it does not fix the bucket. Here is what actually lowers the baseline.
IBS: Finding the Root Cause When Conventional Medicine Says 'It's Stress'
IBS is not a life sentence and it's not 'just stress.' Here's how integrative medicine identifies and treats what's actually driving your symptoms.
Related root-cause guides
GERD
Most reflux is low stomach acid, hiatal hernia or H. pylori — not "too much acid." We decode the real pattern before another PPI.
ExploreADHD
ADHD is real — and so are the biochemical drivers that make it worse: dopamine pathways, gut inflammation, blood sugar, sleep, and nutrient status.
ExploreChronic Bloating
Discover the chronic bloating root cause beyond generic diagnoses. Learn why abdominal distension happens and how functional testing identifies the trigger.
Explore