Lemon Water with Barrett's Esophagus
My Mother could benefit greatly from lemon juice in water, but will not take it for fear of inflaming her ailment.
Is there a potential negative effect of the citric acid on her oesophagus or will it actually benefit her in reducing alkalinity as in the digestive system?
I assume if convinced, she would err on the side of caution and take a small amount of juice diluted in a glass of warm water.
Barrett's oesophagus effects between 1.5 and 3.5 percent of the population.
For the benefit of our readers, Barrett’s esophagus is a condition that affects the lining of the esophagus and is caused by injury to the esophagus from chronic backwash of stomach acid that occurs with acid reflux.
According to TreatBarretts.com,“In some people, the damage and inflammation associated with acid reflux can cause genetic changes that cause the normal esophagus tissue to change into intestinal tissue. When that happens, it is called Barrett’s esophagus. It is estimated that 13 percent of the people who have chronic acid reflux also have Barrett’s esophagus.”
To answer your question about whether drinking lemon water would be beneficial for someone with Barrett’s esophagus, I would have to say I don’t know. This is a question for a medical doctor.
However, I believe that improving body alkalinity would definitely help with this condition and overall health. We know that drinking lemon water does help to alkalize the body, but lemon juice alkalizes only after it is metabolized in the body.
Since the esophagus transports food and liquids from the mouth to the stomach, the lemon water (containing citric acid) would still be acidic while it passes through the esophagus.
Since the esophagus is damaged and often inflamed with Barrett's esophagus, the citric acid may not be beneficial. In fact, it could cause pain or further damage. For the same reason, we do not recommend drinking lemon water with stomach ulcers.
For people who cannot drink lemon water, there are other ways to alkalize the body, such as eating more alkalizing food.
However, the easiest and most effective way to alkalize the body in my experience is drinking alkaline ionized water.
I drink this water and have experienced significant health benefits, as have many of my nutrition clients.
NOTE: High quality water ionizers range in price from $1,000 and up and are designed to last 15 to 20 years. Payment plans are also available.
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