[paul (OP)]

a physician at our hospital rails against mint flavored antacids, citing adverse effects of heartburn in a product to treat heartburn.  I feel the amount of flavoring is inconsequential but cannot find anything to support my side.  any help would be most appreciated to settle this since I can only get Maalox 30 ml unit dose as mint flavored.   thanks.

Paul

[NakedScientist]

Dear Paul

I'm not sure, being British, exactly what the agent you are using is, but regarding the more general points you make :

Peppermint water is actually prescribed as an indigestion remedy, particularly in people with ileus (obstruction).

There are a number of adverse effects of the various antacid remedies including rebound hyperacidity in the case of calcium carbonate containing preparations, high blood pressure in liquorice-based remedies, and gynaecomastia (breast enlargement) in some people using histamine-blocking agents. I've yet to hear about the flavouring itself causing a problem, however.

TNS

[Donnah]

Artificial mint flavoring could be the concern.  Real mint is effective for colic in babies (an old folk remedy).  Eliminating the heartburn would be more effective than treating the symptoms. You could try NOT ingesting spicy or fried foods, sugar, coffee, chocolate, citrus fruits or tomatoes.  You could also drink (pure) aloe vera juice and take ginger.  Ginger tea is nice if you add a few slices of the fresh root to boiling water.  It is said to be a blood purifier, cumulative painkiller (bonus!) and aid in digestion.  I would also try using Li Chung Yun Herbal Bulk Powder Formula #12 (available in most health food stores) for a while to clean out your intestinal tract.

[pat]

"I would also try using Li Chung Yun Herbal Bulk Powder Formula #12 (available in most health food stores) for a while to clean out your intestinal tract."

What the hell is this, domestos for bowels or something ? Makes it sound like descaling a kettle or something !

Would you recommend colonic irrigation ? I hear the French are really keen on that ?

Pat

[Donnah]

Don't know about colonic irrigation, I've never done it or researched it, but the French are generally a pretty healthy bunch are they not?  

Naturopathic medicine teaches that many health problems stem from "dirty" intestinal tracts.  Have you ever mixed white flour with water to make glue?  The white flour in our diet does roughly the same thing in our bodies.  The major component of a person is water, which is mainly absorbed through our intestines.  How can we absorb effectively if our innards are smeared with a layer of glue mixed with old fecal material?  And how clean is the water that we do absorb (lovely thought)?  Formula #12 contains herbs to cleanse, disinfect and heal.  It does taste similar to dirt though[xx(], and for that reason I mix it with a small amount of juice, knock it back and chase it with a full glass of water or juice as opposed to mixing it with a full glass of water as per the directions.

[chris]

I'm not sure I agree entirely with this. The hydrolytic enzymes in digestive juices ought to break down starch in the small intestine and hence there will be nothing left to form glue by the time the large bowel is reached, surely ?

Chris

[Donnah]

I'm not a doctor, so the information I share is either from research or experience and I usually say which my answer is derived from.  I am interested in learning more about how well our "glue" foods are digested.  Formula #12 gives me a "clean", hydrated feeling (some say dehydration is a culprit in many ailments) and increased energy.  I doubt that there could be any harm in trying it, other than the assault on your tastebuds.

[chris]

...and the assault on your wallet - these kind of things tend to be expensive aren't they ?

Chris

[Donnah]

They can be, but no more so than pharmaceuticals.  This one is about $15 CDN(I think that's about 12 cents U.S.).

[NakedScientist]

Rather ironically there is some evidence to suggest that organic foods may, paradoxically, be worse for your health than more "traditionally" produced (heavy on the pesticides etc) varieties. The argument goes that failing to spray crops with fungicides allows cancer-causing moulds to grow. A classic example is aflatoxin produced by a mould that grows on peanuts and is associated with liver cancer (hepatoma).

Realists tend to respond by pointing out that lettuce, black pepper and Early Grey Tea also contain carcinogens but are relatively benign to your wallet!

TNS

[Donnah]

Back to the original question about mint.  

"Other foods and beverages known to promote GERD, and heartburn in general, are peppermint, spearmint, chocolate, onions, garlic, alcohol, coffee and carbonated drinks."

From:  http://gerd.msn.com/gerd_causes.asp

[bezoar]

Can you have heartburn without GERD?

[crabbycdn]

GERD is usually a result of an injury to that little flappy thing from result of long-term untreated heartburn. (explained in more technical terms by my doc. of course).  For simple heartburn I often make myself a cup of home-brew of rose hips and peppermint from my garden (my old scottish gran's recipe).  Works to settle the tum and helps considerably with the heartburn.  My children don't care for it so much so I add a bit of honey for sweetening for them and my sucky husband.  All of my maternal relatives use this remedy.  I pooh-poohed most of the old country remedies for years and am the only one with GERD.  I believe it could have been prevented had I been smarter.