OTC Heartburn and Indigestion Relief
The final post in the series on Heartburn & Indigestion. As previously mentioned, occasional heartburn and indigestion can sometimes be relieved with home remedies and even OTC (over the counter) products.
Unfortunately, most common OTC products are loaded with ingredients that may be surprising.
To keep this simple, the following are some of the worst offenders to avoid in the most popular products:
- Artificial colors – Blue 1, Red 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and many others may be contaminated with known carcinogens.
- Artificial and natural flavors – a cocktail of chemicals, solvents, and even hexane that can start from either nature or a lab to produce a flavor.
- Artificial sweeteners – Sucralose (Splenda) and Acesulfame K – both have been linked to cancer in some studies
- GMOs- citric acid, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup solids maltodextrin, corn starch, dextrose
- Potassium Sorbate – when combined with ascorbic acid, it may cause mutagenicity and DNA damage
- Talc – a very controversial ingredient that has been linked to multiple cancers, including lung and ovarian cancer, when used on the body. Ingesting talc has not been researched, but studies have found some talc to contain asbestos. Talc in supplements does not need to be tested for asbestos.
Look for products that:
- Contain ingredients you can pronounce
- Are free of artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners
- Are made with organic herbs and real ingredients
Reminder, if heartburn & indigestion is a frequent problems, please consult with a licensed doctor to identify the root cause of the problem.
What do you do or use for heartburn that has been effective for you?
References
https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetic-ingredients/talc
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/talcum-powder-and-cancer.html
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.asbestos.com/blog/2018/08/21/talc-dietary-supplements-asbestos/amp/
https://cspinet.org/new/201006291.html
