INSIGHTS | 24. Reversing Reflux-Related Ulcers
INSIGHTS | 24. Reversing Reflux-Related Ulcers
Many suffer from heartburn and other reflux symptoms. Some have it so bad, their esophagus is eroding. Unfortunately, modern medicine has failed these people.
Article: Regression of an esophageal ulcer using a dietary supplement containing melatonin
Context
As you may have noticed, I’ve been on a research binge concerning reflux and promising alternative treatment options.
One reason is that the vast majority of people in my private life, over the age of 30, suffer from heartburn to the degree that their doctor has prescribed them a proton-pump inhibitor.
I started this process by first outlining the many and varied mechanisms by which reflux and heartburn can manifest
As you will see from the article above, there is far more to reflux than simply
”sphincter dysfunction” and “high stomach acid.”
In the article that followed, we explored the molecular pathways by which refluxed stomach content initiates protective mechanisms within your body and esophagus - with focus on the role of melatonin in providing protection against damage to the esophagus.
Melatonin is one of the most ubiquitous compounds in all animals, so to discuss all the ways in which it imparts an effect on the health of your body would be incredibly time-consuming.
What seems to be a more important question, is just how effective is melatonin?
The feared complication of chronic heartburn & reflux is damage to the esophagus. This damage, if poorly managed (e.g. with PPIs), will lead to dysplasia and eventual cancer.
In the prior INSIGHTS article, we explored how melatonin may prevent the progression of damage to cancer.
The question now remains, can melatonin reverse the ulcers of the esophagus?