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DEMany people are familiar with that burning sensation in the stomach, which often spreads up to the throat. This occurs when stomach acid rises into the esophagus, which - unlike the stomach - has no protection against the aggressive acid. This causes the painful sensation.
The triggers for heartburn are largely known to modern medicine. These include, for example, fatty foods, very spicy, acidic, or sweet foods, as well as alcohol and caffeine.
Modern Diets and Heartburn as a Natural Reaction
One of the main causes is poor diet. This isn't about the classic sweet or sour foods, but rather the general habits of our modern diet. Our Stone Age ancestors did not suffer from heartburn as we know it. This is because there were neither foods that affected the stomach's pH level as drastically as today's foods, nor questionable nutrient compositions, nor unnatural and unbalanced fat profiles.
Our bodies - and thus our stomachs - are not accustomed to modern foods, with their ingredients and high fat content, which have not been processed within the course of human evolution. Modern humans have thus been given the most difficult task in evolution. They must compensate for the technological advances of the modern age while evolution lags behind, until the body has finally adapted and their descendants can eventually enjoy this (still unhealthy) food without significant side effects.
The fact that the pressure of the lower esophageal sphincter increases with protein-rich foods and relaxes with fatty foods is no coincidence, but rather a biological adaptation to the diet of the Paleolithic era. The human stomach is not designed to digest large amounts of fat from plant-based (or even industrial) sources. However, since animal-based foods always contain a significant amount of protein, the stomach's response is optimized for this digestive process. This is why people today often experience heartburn when they consume foods that are purely fatty. Even French fries or sausage prepared in modern ways are “new” foods for the stomach and pose a challenge. In these cases, the source and quality of the fat differ significantly from what the body is accustomed to.
The stomach is accustomed to healthy omega-3 fats, which it needs to regenerate the mucous membranes and regulate inflammation. Instead, however, it mainly receives omega-6 fats these days. If we allowed grazing animals more freedom to roam - or even forced them to “exercise,” as is the case with wild animals - they would once again provide us with healthier fats. Even today, wild animals have better fat profiles. After fish, wild venison is currently the second-best source of meat. Not because it's a deer, but because it moves.
In addition to an unhealthy diet, our own lack of exercise and muscle activity is also a major cause. Like all organs in the body, the stomach depends on the strength of the spine. Otherwise, the weight of the vertebrae affects the organ directly opposite them. People who sit a lot and adopt an unhealthy sitting posture therefore often suffer from heartburn. The simplest remedy is to overcome your inner sloth, exercise, and start strength training, as this can prevent the sphincter muscle from weakening in the long term.
In a documented case of chronic heartburn suggested that the symptoms could be eliminated simply by switching to a natural diet - similar to that of our Stone Age ancestors - and by strengthening the back muscles. In this case, the stomach reacted very positively to common foods to which it is adapted and almost always exhibited severe heartburn when consuming modern foods. It was not just sugar and sweeteners that were the main factors; rather, unfamiliar fats proved to be the primary problem.
In this case, it was shown that fish alone, as a source of fat, significantly reduced heartburn due to its omega-3 content, while other types of meat had no effect on it or even made it worse. Taking omega-3 supplements has also proven to be less effective, as they caused side effects and weakened the lower esophageal sphincter. This is due to the form in which they are taken, to which the stomach is also unaccustomed. Pure, extracted fat without other components such as protein - as is typically found in natural foods - generally showed a high rate of side effects.
The switch to a natural, Stone Age-style diet led to a significant improvement and suggests that the body needs only what it is accustomed to. However, this observation requires validation through larger, controlled studies.
The Importance of Omega-3 Fats
The stomach relies heavily on omega-3 fats. While omega-6 fats - which make up the majority of our diet today - increase inflammation in the body and thus also stimulate the production of stomach acid, as the body switches to “fight mode,” omega-3 fats lower these levels and bring the body into a less inflammatory or aggressive state. This has a direct effect on stomach acid production and the regeneration of the mucous membrane.
Over the course of evolution, the stomach has adapted to a simple scenario: safe food and unsafe food.
Unsafe food triggers higher stomach acid production and an aggressive, inflammatory response from the body. The body does not switch modes arbitrarily; rather, foods serve as indicators. The problem here is that the body now recognizes certain foods and preparation methods as “unsafe” simply because it is not accustomed to them.
To better understand this mechanism, more detailed research into Paleolithic diets is needed. After all, it is crucial to know which foods were safe back then and are therefore considered gentle on the stomach today.