| "When you look at the data, blaming GERD on too much stomach acid doesn’t make sense. Stomach acid actually tends to decline, not rise, with age, while GERD risk increases with age. (4) In fact, 40-year-olds, on average, generate about half as much as stomach acid as 20-year-olds do. And, according to one study, over 40 percent of people age 80 and up may be producing almost no stomach acid at all."[4] This condition is called https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achlorhydria , and one of known side-effects of that is gastroesophageal reflux disease. "The ideal pH for the stomach can approach 1 but should be below 3, where most pathogens cannot survive. When the pH rises above 5, several dangerous bacterial species are able to survive. Acid-blockers can increase the stomach’s pH ..."[4] For lower esophageal sphincter to properly work, you in fact need normal levels of acid and proper acidity.[0][1][2][3] If you have the oposite, the sphincter does not fully close and boom, there's your heart burn. The real mechanism of gerd is more complicated than "too much acid" or "acid too strong". I don't suggest you start drinking unwatered vinegar. I suggest you study the sources I've linked and only then decide for youself. > I've seen vinegar recommended for GERD online before, but was curious whether there's much medical know-how behind it (studies or at least a clear theory of why it would help me vs. PPIs). [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTzxfoL82n8 [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhUTAw6wcK8 [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkRrlJFDFdA [3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_UWDPrDR40 [4] https://chriskresser.com/how-to-cure-gerd-without-medication... [5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achlorhydria |