The occurrence of Gastroesophageal Reflux （Gastro Reflux） is often connected to one's eating habits. The main cause of Gastro Reflux is when a muscle that separates your stomach from your chest has become relaxed （loose）. In normal cases, this muscle helps keep acid in our stomach but when during the occurrence of Gastro Reflux, the acid in our stomach moves into the Esophagus, causing a change in Esophageal Mucosa.
 
Why does is the stomach acid safe in our stomach, but does cause damages to Esophageal Mucosa when moved to the Esophagus?

To understand the cause of this effect, it is necessary to discuss the structure of our stomach and Esophagus from the study of cell biology.
 

Stomach

There are four main layers in the structure of our stomach. In the order of outer to inner are: Serosa, Muscularis, Submucosa and Mucosa.

The Muscularis is the thickest layer and can be further split into three more layers consisting of the outer layer: Longitudinal Muscle Layer and inner layer: Circular Muscle Layer. The Longitudinal Muscle relaxes in the direction of food intake, making room to store food whilst the Circular Muscle tenses at the rear end pushing along the food intake. The middle layer Oblique Muscle is designed to stir food.
 
The inner layer Mucosa forms wrinkles called Rugae and crisscrossed pits on the surface dividing the Mucosa into numerous gastric areas of size around 1 to 6 millimetres. Each gastric area consists of many gastric pits when seen using a microscope with each gastric pit showing several gastric gland openings. The Mucosa consists of several gastric glands with the purpose to release digestive enzymes, hydrochloric acid and hormones.


Digestive Enzymes in the stomach requires a highly acidic environment to be effective, therefore the parietal cells in the stomach （also referred to as oxyntic cells） main purpose is to release Hydrochloric acids to maintain an acidic environment for the protease in the stomach. As a consequence, the gastric juice is highly acidic at PH 1.5 – 3.5. However, the Mucosa is still protected under such highly acidic environment. This is due to Surface Mucous Cell and Cucous Neck Cells, both residing on the surface of the Mucosa releasing HCO3 （high bicarbonate） and Alkaline Mucin to neutralise the acidic environment preventing any digestive attack by the gastric juice.
 

Esophagus

Next we look into the structure of the Esophagus, which consists of three basic layers from the most out Next we look into the structure of the Esophagus, which consists of three basic layers from the most outer to inner layers are: Muscularis Externa, Submucosa and Mucosa. The most outer muscle group locat er to inner layers are: Muscularis Externa, Submucosa and Mucosa. The most outer muscle group located in the upper Esophagus is referred to as Skeletal Muscle, which has a high ability to contract in assisting swallowing of food. The muscle group located in the lower section of Esophagus is referred to as Smooth Muscle, with the middle section consists of both Skeletal Muscle filled with Smooth Muscle.

Common treatment for Gastro Reflux refers to drug medication, with a main goal to reduce the acidity in the stomach. Common medication but often ineffective includes Antacid to reduce the stimulation to the Mucosa. Gastrointestinal Stimulants increases the pressure of sphincter residing in the lower Esophagus, which helps with intestinal movements and accelerates emptying of the stomach; Type II Histamine Antagonist and Proton Pump Inhibitors helps with the inhibition of acidic gastro juice. But all of these medications carry side effects with treatment focused on treating symptoms not the root cause.
 
Long term extreme and excessive eating habits places great stress to the stomach, together with normal ageing causing the relaxation of the sphincter and finally resulting in Gastro Reflux.

As long as our eating habits change and avoid any excessive and extreme food consumption, whilst providing our body a chance to rest and rejuvenate, it can slowly return to a normal state. But if medication is taken with no change in eating habits, our stomach is still under constant stress and in the long term will create other follow-on health concerns.

The Musosa gland also releases mucus, but is secondary compared to the stomach in its ability to neutralise an acidic attack. As a consequence, any long-term exposure to acidic gastric juice damages the Mucosa causing a discomfort whilst swallowing food, burping, chest pain, continuous night coughs and asthma.


Common treatment for Gastro Reflux refers to drug medication, with a main goal to reduce the acidity in the stomach. Common medication but often ineffective includes Antacid to reduce the stimulation to the Mucosa. Gastrointestinal Stimulants increases the pressure of sphincter residing in the lower Esophagus, which helps with intestinal movements and accelerates emptying of the stomach; Type II Histamine Antagonist and Proton Pump Inhibitors helps with the inhibition of acidic gastro juice. But all of these medications carry side effects with treatment focused on treating symptoms not the root cause.
 

Eating principle during the adjustmenperiod

1. Speed:Eating slowly to avoid excessive consumption.
2. Volume:Small amount each meal compensated with increase number of meals each day to avoid excessive consumption or prolonged hunger.​Avoid drinking large volume of water in one go after waking in the morning, but instead drinking small mouthfuls of water.
3. Nature of suitable food

• Avoid any highly extreme food such as excessively cold, hot, sour, sweet or spicy.
• ​Avoid any hot soup, soup noodles, congee. Any large amount of liquid dilutes gastric juice causing indigestion.
• Avoid cold drinks after meals as it reduces our stomach’s ability to digest food.

In simple terms, to treat Gastro Reflux requireds a slow and balanced approach whilst avoiding any extreme, excessive food consumption to improve and allow our body to return to the normal state it once was.