Do acid blockers affect gut health?

Every time you feel heartburn or the slightest discomfort in your body between your trachea and stomach, you tend to label it as acidity and pop one of the easily available over-the-counter acid blockers. In fact, this becomes so common that people tend to self-diagnose themselves and end up stocking acid blockers for every issue. But, did you know that unrestrained consumption of acid blockers or unsupervised consumption of these products, can, in the long term, adversely affect gut health and reduce efficiency of body functions? And it’s not just our word, but scientific research says along the same lines.

How does an antacid affect gut health?

Before going to the crux of the situation, one needs to understand the methods in which antacids are usually consumed. It can be in the form of solid tablets or capsules or through proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). And just like too much of anything consumed by the body has its side effects, antacid or acid blockers too, in the long term, can adversely affect the body functions. Here’s what you need to be aware of.

Low mineral absorption: Excessive consumption of antacids may start showing direct effects on mineral absorption by the body. In fact, studies have shown that Vitamin B12, magnesium and Iron absorption is significantly reduced if one engages in prolonged consumption of antacid, leading to health issues like anemia. In several research studies available in ResearchGate, one can find conclusions like, “The concomitant use of oral iron preparations and antacids causes iron to form macromolecular polymer thereby reducing its absorption as a result of a pH elevation in the stomach”.

Increase in non-gut bacteria:  The gut is where most of the breakdown of the body nutrients take place and thus, there are good and bad bacteria present. While the bad bacteria can be controlled, the good ones help in the process of breaking down nutrients and are important for the process. If the acid lining gets weakened due to overconsumption of acid blockers, then these good bacteria start dwindling, their functions get affected and oral bacteria also starts seeping into the space, marking an increase in the presence of non-gut bacteria. This, in turn may lead to dysbiosis, meaning an imbalance in the bacterial presence.

High infection risk: In these situations, the good and the bad bacteria both pass through the gut organs increasing chances of infections. In fact, it is quite common that overuse of antacids can start leading to body infections like rash, slight fever, itching etc. These are all symptoms to show that antacid is doing its work but also draining the body immunity. Dr. Kunal Sood shares on his Instagram profile, “If fewer microbes are neutralized in the stomach, more can reach the gut alive. This aligns with observed associations between PPIs and enteric infections, particularly Clostridioides difficile. Randomized data show a signal for increased enteric infection risk with long-term use”.

Imbalance in normal body functions: Something as simple as passing stool becomes difficult as a result of over consumption of acid blockers. In fact, many people start suffering from constipation as well, especially if they have been taking oral antacids for a long time. According to a research publish on Research Gate it mentions, “Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and potassium-competitive acid blockers (PCABs) have been reported to alter the gut microbiota. The observed alterations in specific oral commensal bacteria and butylate-producing bacteria differed between the PCAB and PPI groups and may have contributed to the development of abnormal stool properties”.

Thus, there are more reasons than one to worry about the long term effects of consuming antacids. Next time you start labeling and self-diagnosing any slight discomfort as ‘gas’ or ‘ acidity’, here’s what can help you make the right choice and seek expert opinion instead.  

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