Bile reflux, but not acid reflux, causes injury

Contrary to the common belief that heartburn is caused only by acid reflux, doctors discovered that it could also be caused by bile reflux, which is also known as duodenogastric bile reflux.

There are two critical situations where we need to start thinking seriously about bile reflux. The first case is when the person has chronic heartburn and heartburn medications do not work. Second, it is the condition when one experiences pain, heartburn, and indigestion after gallbladder removal.

Bile reflux is not something new; Surgeons have found bile in stomach ulcers during surgery for over a hundred years. Bile is a common finding by gastroscopy in people with gastritis, ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). There is a strong possibility that bile reflux, not acid reflux, is causing injury.

Thanks to technology, doctors began detecting bile in the esophagus in 70% of persistent cases of chronic heartburn and Barrett’s esophagus. About 10% to 15% of people with chronic GERD symptoms have Barrett’s esophagus. That is a serious precancerous complication of gastroesophageal reflux disease. There are many articles and books that discuss possible injuries to the stomach and esophagus that could be caused by bile due to bile reflux.

What can cause bile reflux?

To be more specific, bile reflux is also pancreatic reflux. It means that the mixture of bile and pancreatic juice can cause harm. Many people know that the liver makes bile and the pancreas makes pancreatic juice full of digestive enzymes. However, not many people know that bile and pancreatic juice are highly alkaline solutions. The alkalinity of these solutions means healthy digestion, conversely, acidic changes lead to poor digestion. My articles and my book medically support this idea.

Bile is an alkaline solution with a mild balance of water, minerals, bicarbonates, cholesterol, lecithin, and bile acids and bile salts. If the bile is acidic, there are more bile acids precipitated in it. Bile acids are extremely “harsh” chemicals, which make acid bile so irritable. Acidic bile irritates surrounding tissues, mucous membranes, and sphincters and leads to bile reflux.

In a healthy person, the mixture of alkaline bile and pancreatic juice descends to the beginning of the small intestine – the duodenum. The alkaline environment in the duodenum is a decisive factor for good digestion and the correct transfer of digested food to the lower part of the small intestine. Acidification makes bile particularly “aggressive”. The acidity of the whole body leads to acidic changes in the bile with precipitation of bile acids, which irritate the walls of the duodenum, causing sharp contractions and spasms. This flushes the contents of the small intestine with an aggressive mix of bile acids and pancreatic enzymes into the stomach.

Acidic bile irritates the valves, ducts and wall of the duodenum, causing “backflow” – reflux of bile/pancreas into the stomach or even the esophagus.
Almost 40-50% of all adults in the US report having some symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which is usually called acid reflux.

Commonly, the treatment for acid reflux is medications that suppress heartburn. In many situations with persistent and chronic heartburn, patients respond poorly to acid-suppressing medications because acid reflux is only part of the problem. The main culprit is bile/pancreatic reflux.

Another situation where bile reflux can be seen is often in people with sphincter of Oddi dysfunction after gallbladder removal. Normally, when the sphincter of Oddi is closed, bile from the liver passes into the gallbladder. The absence of the gallbladder’s buffering capacity can increase pressure within the bile ducts and pancreatic duct. Acidic and offensive bile promotes further spasm of the sphincter of Oddi. It can cause reflux of bile into the pancreas and possible pancreatitis.

Under normal conditions, the gallbladder contracts and expels concentrated bile into the duodenum when food arrives there for digestion. After removal of the gallbladder, bile from the liver leaks into the duodenum even though there is no food in the intestine. Acidic bile corrodes the empty wall of the duodenum and causes bile to reflux into the stomach.

It is becoming alkaline clear that restoring the mild normal environment throughout the body and particularly the liver and pancreas can reduce the reflux of bile/pancreas into the stomach and esophagus. In turn, this can decrease bile reflux and chronic heartburn.

Controlling the acidity of the whole body can be done in three ways:
1. Eat natural alkaline-forming foods
2. Drink healing mineral water from Karlovy Vary
3. Take mineral supplements such as cellular magnesium-potassium
I concentrate on these three forms in my book, in details.

Although most people are familiar with the alkaline diet and mineral supplements, Karlovy Vary Healing Mineral Water is almost unknown to Americans. The use of healing mineral waters has spread medical practice in Europe. Karlovy Vary, in the Czech Republic, is a famous mineral health spa in central Europe.

Millions of people with digestive symptoms, such as heartburn, stomach fullness, nausea, cramps, and chronic abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, get relief from drinking this healing mineral water. For people who couldn’t go there, the geyser water was vaporized to make mineral salt.

Drinking mineral water prepared with genuine Karlovy Vary salt was for a hundred years a remedy for heartburn. According to European doctors, the minerals and bicarbonate in this water can do double duty. First, it can normalize the acidity in the stomach. Second, Karlovy Vary Healing Mineral Water alkalizes the body and body fluids, such as bile and pancreatic juice.

Speaking of bile/pancreatic reflux, you should also focus on Candida yeast overgrowth and Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) after taking antibiotics, some medications, drinking alcohol, eating a lot of sugars or drinking soda, etc. This will cause constant fermentation in the intestines and produce a lot of gas. On its way out, the gas can open the valve between the esophagus and the stomach; move stomach contents up with severe heartburn.

This special valve is known as the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). The LES is so strong that even when healthy yoga-experienced people do a headstand, the sphincter retains the contents of the stomach and protects the esophagus.

The LES relaxes at inappropriate times if the pressure within the stomach is high. The valve cannot withstand the increased pressure in the stomach, so it becomes unblocked. Eating large dinners or going to bed after large meals and wearing tight clothing can increase the pressure inside the stomach. Improper food combinations of proteins, starches, and sugars can also cause a lot of gas and heartburn.

If you suffer from long-term heartburn and can’t get help from heartburn-suppressing medications, there’s a good chance you have bile reflux. Bile reflux is not easy to treat. In this drug-free situation, the natural approach can be beneficial. The goal is to find a knowledgeable licensed healthcare professional.

Misdiagnosis or failure to control bile reflux can lead to serious problems such as inflammation of the stomach and duodenum, ulcers, and Barrett’s esophagus; a possible precursor to esophageal cancer.

The information in this article is presented for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for diagnosis, treatment and advice from a qualified licensed professional.