Excessive secretion of acid leads to hyperacidity. Inside the stomach, nutrients are broken into small units for the purpose of assimilation. The stomach can digest things similar to its own structure and composition—like a piece of meat. But, then how come the stomach does not digest itself? The process of digestion takes place because of many different gastric secretions, which are highly acidic. What prevent the stomach from digesting itself are the cells, which form its inner lining? These cells have a special permeability barrier, which does not let anything permeate. If this is challenged with certain foods like too much tea, coffee, alcohol or certain chemical drugs, especially some pain-relieving and anti-arthritic drugs, then this will be weakened or damaged.
As a result, the highly acidic medium, which prevails in the stomach, traverses the stomach wall, thus causing pain and discomfort. If the same thing is repeated again and again, it may give rise to acidity and gastritis thereby inflaming the lining of the stomach. Ayurveda calls this condition as ‘amla pitta’.
To understand the disease amla pitta, one has to understand the concept of ‘agni’. Ayurveda has described this agni as fire of life. It has been given a pivotal place in the delicate balance between health and disease. In other words, ‘agni’ is the fire that cooks or digests the food.
A normal ‘agni’ means a healthy person and conversely, an abnormal agni is a sure pointer to disease.
At times, this ‘agni’ may be impaired due to intellectual blasphemy (prajnaaparaadha), unwholesome conjunction of sense organs with their objects (asaatmyendriyaartha samyoga) and vagaries of weather and time (kaala or parinaama). This impaired ‘agni’ shows effect on ‘pitta’, the fiery energy of the body responsible for transformation. ‘Amla pitta’ is the by-product of this defective process.
“It is difficult to produce fire either without fire logs or with too many fire logs occupying the whole furnace.” The same is the case with digestive fire. This will be hampered either with low amounts (mandaagni) or with high amounts (teekshnaagni). Amla pitta is the resultant of teekshnaagni, says Ayurveda.
Self-Help Guidelines & Ayurvedic Remedies
As we know that acidity is due to improper regimen, it can be easily tackled by following simple methods:
• It is clear that amla pitta is mainly due to aggravation of pitta. Factors responsible for aggravation of this pitta dosha are excessive intake of pungent and sour food items, alcoholic preparations, salt, hot and sharp stuff which cause burning sensations. Anger, fear, excessive exposure to sun and fire, intake of dry vegetables and alkalis, irregularity in taking food, etc. should be avoided as far as possible.
• As a rule, all persons with acidity can take a milk diet excellently, although some, at first have trouble in absorbing milk. This is because the large amount of acid in the stomach forms hard curds combined with the proteins of the milk. Often these are vomited. Yet milk is excellent in the condition, especially when preceded by a fast, adjusted to your general condition.
• The milk diet should be adhered to several weeks if possible. Along with this, drink warm water freely. Ayurveda insists on this because, according to it, “hot destroys hot” (ushnam ushnena hanti). Moreover, it has been found by physiological experiments that cold water increases the amount of acid secreted in the stomach. When the stomach seems to be in better condition, the milk may be taken with an evening meal consisting of easily digestible and non-irritating foods.
• For a time, it is better to use foods requiring only moderate mastication, since mastication naturally increases the flow of gastric juice with its acid. Yet insufficient mastication of the food chosen will aggravate acidity problems by causing gastric irritation. So, mastication should always be moderate in this particular condition.
• It is important not to overeat, but to take small meals, three times a day. Avoid artificial stimulants, all of which raise pitta. Alcohol, in any form, is like throwing fuel on the pitta fire. The drawback of the caffeine in coffee and tea is that it increases acid production in stomach if consumed excessively.
• Even an excess intake of sweets can cause acidity as the sugar causes fermentation and produces acid in the stomach, particularly if wrongly combined with other food types.