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.
Want to know what your body is actually telling you?
The $47 Health Decode is a guided assessment that maps root-cause patterns your doctor's 10-minute appointment will never catch — personalized Brief in 24 hours.
$47 credited toward program upgrade • No subscription
The INNSPO app · $19/month
Your report found the pattern. INNSPO makes you act on it.
Reading about the root cause changes nothing on its own — doing something about it daily does. INNSPO gives you the day's practice, tracks what you actually did, and shows you the pattern over weeks. Free for 14 days, then $19/month. Cancel in one click.
Included at no extra cost with Foundation, DNA Precision and Private Concierge memberships.
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.
ExploreWhere to go from here
Four ways in. Start at whichever rung is honest for you.
You don't have to commit to a full workup to make progress. Every rung below feeds the next one — nothing you do at the free end gets thrown away when you move up.
Free · 4 minutes
Your Integrative Life Compass
13 questions, no email required. Shows which systems are driving the rest, so you stop guessing which protocol to try next.
Find your root causeEntry
Root Cause Snapshot
A written read on your pattern from the intake you already filled out — what to investigate first, and what to stop paying for.
See the SnapshotMost chosen
DNA Precision
200+ biomarkers plus your DNA, translated into a 90-day protocol with named brands and doses. Includes the INNSPO practice app.
Start DNA PrecisionHands-on
Private Concierge
A standing clinical team on your case — reachable, proactive, and coordinating the whole family. For complex or multi-system cases.
See how it works
Still unsure which rung? Book a free 15-minute call with Dr. Nicole — they'll tell you if none of them fit.
Prefer to watch?
Search "Integrative You" on YouTube for the video version of this episode — plus our full library of root-cause walkthroughs, decoded supplements, and Black Sheep rants.
Subscribe to @integrativeyou