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From the desk of Dr Nandita Shah
If you suffer from recurrent acidity, you may have been tempted to follow your grandmother's advice of drinking cold milk to subdue it. Although the remedy provides temporary relief, cold milk ends up increasing the state of acidity in the system and, therefore, can never really cure the condition.
Whenever we want to get rid of a problem, we need to understand and remove its cause first. Our stomach secretes hydrochloric acid in order to digest proteins. It follows that a high protein diet requires the stomach to secrete more acid. When we consume high proteins, especially animal proteins, we intuitively desire acid as a way of assisting the stomach to digest it. For example, you're most likely to order a glass of cola with a burger. Cola is pure acid and aids in the digestion of the burger (but either of these and the combination can result in symptoms of acidity). When you order a steak, you're likely to ask for wine as well. Again, an acidic combo!
Alternatively, if we eat foods that are designed for our species, namely fruits and vegetables, we are less likely to be attracted to acid yielding foods such as tea, coffee, colas and alcohol, and consequently suffer less from acidic refluxes. So, to get rid of acidity, try a whole plant-based diet for just a few days and see the difference.
Bottom line, most of our ailments today are man-made. And, making simple lifestyle changes is all it requires to eliminate any if not all of our internal imbalances.
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