Healing Hypothesis

Health Begins in the Gut

Digestion and your esophagus 

After we chew our food (appropriately I might add), the next part of digestion involves your esophagus. 

Keep in mind there are basically countless things that can go awry with digestion in general, the ones I’ll mention are the more common ones I happen to see with my clients.

After we chew and swallow our food, it moves down the esophagus. The esophagus is a tube connecting the throat to the stomach. It’s muscular and contracts to move the food you swallow down, and into your stomach. There are valves at the top and bottom of the esophagus that open to let the food pass through, and then close to keep the food down.

These valves can become weakened, and when they do, contents from the stomach (acid, enzymes, gasses, and food) can come back up into the esophagus. This results in symptoms including reflux, heartburn and GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). GERD can cause severe damage to the esophagus over time, and even lead to ulcers, Barrett’s esophagus, and cancer.

Food sensitivities, neuropathies, gut bacterial and fungal infections, imbalances and overgrowths, eating too much/getting too full, drinking to much liquid with meals, alcohol, and anxiety are examples of things that can cause the lower esophageal sphincter (the valve between the esophagus and the stomach) to weaken and open, allowing gastric contents back up into the esophagus where they can wreak havoc and cause damage as mentioned.

There are a range of nutritional and lifestyle interventions you can implement to address reflux, heartburn and GERD, and you can click here to learn more about them. 

Neurological disorders like ALS, or stroke for example, adversely affect muscles throughout the body, including the esophagus, and impair its function. In cases like this, it is important to work with a nutritionist that can help you modify your diet to make sure you are getting appropriately nourished.

If you suffer with reflux, heartburn and/or GERD, you can schedule a free 15 minute consultation with me to learn more, click here to get on my calendar.

Remember that you can always contact me with any questions you have. It’s literally me on the other end of this technology, waiting to hear from you to learn what I can do to support you on your health journey.

P.S. If you know someone that might benefit from this information, please share the love (forward them this link) <3

Your partner in health,
Jennifer, MPH, MS, CNS
Functional and Clinical Nutritionist