Soothe a stomachache, stifle your brain cells
The next time you consider asking your doctor for a prescription medication to mop up stomach acid or ease heartburn, rethink your request.
A new study has come out in support of older research suggesting that the use of acid- suppressing drugs could be a potentially cognition-damaging decision.
Histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H2As) are the drugs that are being linked to cognitive impairment, particularly in the elderly. (H2As are marketed as Zantac and Pepcid.) In the recent study, researchers screened 1,558 patients to measure their level of cognitive impairment. All of the patients were over the age of 65, and they had normal cognitive abilities at the beginning of the study.
After five years, the researchers followed up by giving the same participants another cognition screening test. After controlling for age, a baseline cognitive score, education, and medical history (especially of diabetes mellitus or depression), the team found that 17.7 percent of the participants showed impairment of their cognitive ability.
The one link that they all had in common was the continuous use of H2As. In fact, using those stomach-acid suppressors actually doubled their risk of developing cognitive problems.
Further research has been recommended to try to pin down what the connection is between these drugs and the possible cognition-impairment problems they create.
But in the meantime, you don't want the discomfort of heartburn or a churning stomach full of acid. Something that my patients use and that I recommend is an herb called marshmallow root. And before you ask—no, I'm not referring to one of those puffy white confections. Nature's Way offers a product that works well. Use 3 to 5 grams of it, two to three times per day.
