Is it dangerous to take fruit salts or antacids too often?

They can be your allies against heartburn, especially during national holidays, but you must be clear about how they work and not abuse their consumption. Here we explain how they work and what happens if they are taken frequently.

Those over 30 surely associate salt with fruit with this famous jingle from Enjoy , which almost all Chileans have learned by heart after having seen it repeated for so long. This advertisement capped several decades of a culture of consumption of fruit salts which, as the song indicates, were used cross-functionally to relieve stomach aches such as heartburn after eating and drinking in a manner excessive. Being effervescent, they sound as soon as they dissolve in water, whether in powder or tablet form.

Even though they no longer invade television advertising as before, they remain widely used, because they are affordable and do not require a medical prescription for their purchase. “They relieve some symptoms of gastric acidity and heartburn in adults,” explains Andrea Jiménez, gastroenterologist at Clínica Alemana. Marina Becerra, your colleague from Clínica Dávila, adds that they also help with poor digestion, “because they contain sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate and citric acid as an active ingredient.”

Baking soda, to some extent, would help neutralize stomach acid. It is an alkaline substance and when mixed with an acid it changes the pH. This is why it can quickly soothe an upset stomach or even mask bad breath. On the other hand, sodium carbonate, when dissolved in water, as explained on the site Pharmaceutical bank , forms carbonic acid and sodium hydroxide, a compound that neutralizes stomach acid. Citric acid, for its part, has properties similar to those mentioned previously: it neutralizes acid.

How do fruit salts work?

“When we eat too much or a lot of slowly digesting foods, such as meats and sausages, which are rich in fats and proteins, the digestive system secretes a greater amount of gastric juices with a very low pH to be able to digest them,” explains Jimenez. This excess acid production causes symptoms such as heartburn and regurgitation of acid into the esophagus, commonly called reflux.

“When taken dissolved in water, the fruit salts come into contact with this acid, neutralizing the gastric pH and thus achieving a relatively rapid improvement in symptoms,” emphasizes the specialist from Clínica Alemana.

Have you ever eaten fruit salts? If it doesn’t, or you don’t remember, what happens after you drink it is you feel a huge urge to burp. This is partly due to the CO2 released by this antacid reaction. So if this happens to you, as inappropriate as it may be, it is completely normal and part of the experience.

How much should you take?

These effervescent powders can be purchased without a prescription and the two professionals specify that they are only recommended on specific occasions, and not as a constant solution to deal with binge eating disorder. “It is used against symptoms such as heartburn, heartburn or heartburn,” says Jimenez. Ideally, it should be consumed 2 to 3 hours after the meal.

“You should not take more than two daily doses of fruit salt,” warns the gastroenterologist from Clínica Alemana. As always, it is best to read the product instructions before ingesting it and follow the detailed step-by-step instructions.

It is not recommended to extend its use for several days. If symptoms do not improve or even get worse, it is best to see a doctor, as there may be something else going on in your digestive system.

The problem with constantly consuming fruit salt, Jiménez explains, is that metabolic alkalosis and increased sodium in the blood can develop. “If this happens, symptoms such as trouble breathing, dry mouth, constipation, diarrhea, flatulence, weakness, dizziness, headache, mental confusion, bone pain, decreased blood pressure or tachycardia could be observed,” he comments.

Be careful not to mix it with other medications.

Another point that should not be overlooked is taking other medications simultaneously with fruit salts. “By changing stomach acid, it can interfere with the absorption of certain medications, so they need to be taken at different times,” says Jimenez.

Who should not take fruit salt

This is a very important point, because there is a group of people who are not compatible with effervescent fruit salts. “It should not be used in people who are allergic to any of the formula’s components: sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, and citric acid,” says Becerra.

“They should also not be consumed by people who must follow a low sodium diet, such as patients with high blood pressure, kidney, heart or liver diseases, because fruit salts have a high sodium content: approximately 852 milligrams per 5 grams of product.” It is also not recommended for boys or girls under 12 to consume it.

Are they effective or not?

To manage the symptoms of stomach acid or gastroesophageal reflux, Jiménez considers fruit salts to be a good option that people can resort to if they suffer from these unpleasant conditions. He warns, however, that “they should not be kept over time as this could hide the symptoms of a more complex disease, such as a gastric ulcer or even gastric cancer, in addition to the side effects already mentioned.” It is therefore not a cure but only relief.

If every time you go to a barbecue or eat something a little heavier these discomforts accompany you, instead of always resorting to fruit salt, what both professionals advise is to consult a doctor who can assess the need for additional studies. “It is advisable to consult a specialist if symptoms do not improve after 7 days or if they worsen,” says Becerra.

National Day Extras

Moderation to avoid problems

On these dates there is an obvious excess of food and alcohol. If our digestive system is fragile, the best path is moderation if we do not want to suffer or abuse fruit salt. “Dealing with food on these dates is always a time of great anxiety, where we add a lot of alcohol and fatty products, while subtracting foods rich in fiber, such as fruits and salads,” explains Paulina Mella, nutritionist Clínica Dávila Vespucio.

This is how dishes such as roast meats, sopaipillas, empanadas or choripán are repeated almost endlessly. “We almost always eat them quickly, without paying attention to the quantity, and exceeding the portions necessary for the body,” he emphasizes.

All of this is a red carpet for stomach problems to come into full force. “This eating disorder, even if it lasts only a few days, can cause stomach upset, heartburn, headache, abdominal cramps, vomiting or diarrhea,” warns Carola Pantoja, nutritionist at Clínica Biobío.

If you don’t want to go through this ordeal, the antidote is not fruit salts but moderation. “Both in terms of consumption, portions and frequency,” he says. It is not a question of not eating anything and isolating yourself from the party, but of regulating the quantity of high-calorie foods, rich in fats, sugars and alcohol, trying as much as possible to respect meal times.

Be careful not to eat anything

Food poisoning, which can sometimes manifest itself as stomach pain but at other times as a much more serious condition, is very common on these dates. How are they produced? When food is contaminated by a microorganism (virus, bacteria, parasite or toxin), following improper handling or because it is decomposed. If we eat something contaminated, it may be able to produce acute, usually sudden, symptoms such as stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting or fever. To avoid this problem, Katherin Falck, director of quality and risk management at Help, suggests:

  • Buying food from formal establishments
  • Transport raw food in a cooler or with thermal insulation until cooling
  • Thaw in the refrigerator, not at room temperature
  • Wash your hands with soap and water before and after cooking, as well as cleaning surfaces
  • Do not reuse utensils that were used to cut raw foods, especially meats, in which they are already cooked.

Source: Latercera

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