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The
Heartland Naturopathic Clinic Email Newsletter - June 2004 The following are our email newsletters with helpful information on staying well and our practices. They include articles on home care, natural healing, cured cases, commentary on current issues in the field of health care and medicine and other interesting and useful information. If you are interested in receiving this newsletter simply send your email address, name and a request asking to be added to our email address list to: Staff@HeartlandNaturopathic.com. CONTENTS ANOTHER REASON NOT TO DRINK POP…. Besides all the other reasons that make soda pop is a very poor beverage choice, there is now a new one to add to the list. Recently researchers announced that pop has been identified as a cause of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), commonly called heartburn. The common symptoms of this are burning in the chest and throat, but more subtle symptoms can include a gnawing or full feeling, clearing the throat, and/or a chronic cough. Besides leading to a lot of discomfort, antacids and other medications, gastric reflux is a significant risk factor for esophageal cancer. The research shows that it is the pop’s carbonation that causes the gastric reflux. Carbonation is what makes soda and other beverages fizzy and bubbly. In other words, if you drink carbonated drinks like soda pop and have the symptoms of reflux (i.e. heartburn, etc.), then the pop maybe the cause. Try stopping it along with all other carbonated and bubbly drinks, and you may find your reflux gets much better. So what should you drink instead? The best is still clean plain water. If you must have something with flavor, green or herbal teas - iced or hot - are the next best things. Be alert for the new beverages like "Clearly Canadian" that appear to be flavored water, they are just pop in "sheep’s clothing." While fruit juice is a better alternative then pop, it is still very high in sugars. If you need to drink fruit juice, make sure it is 100% juice and not fruit "drink" or "nectar" with added corn syrup or sugar. Even with pure juice it is best to dilute it with filtered or mineral water to reduce the sugar content. |