Accidentally had comments switched off when first uploaded. Apologies. For those asking which brand of Mastika I used it's this one www.amazon.co.uk/Mastika-250mg-Mastic-Gum-Capsules/dp/B002E2QNQ2 I don't know if the Mastic Gum works better. I did use it for a while but most of my symptoms had already been cleared up so wasn't a workable comparison. For those asking if they are safe to take mastika even if they don't have H Pylori - to my knowledge it's ok. I've found no science studies stating otherwise. It's also freely available over the counter without prescription and isn't just used for H Pylori.

Quick-notes -Mastika Gum -Salad rocket (also known as Arugula, Rucola, Roquette) -take all foods that cause flareups out of diet for 3 months -oily fish, baked potatoes -allow meals to cool for 5 minutes before eating -eat smaller meals -eat slower to reduce pressure on oesophagus

Good advice Rob. To anyone suffering from acid reflux should definitely avoid PPI's. It is a misconception that you have too much acid....you actually don't have enough. When there isn't enough acid in the stomach, the esophageal sphincter becomes loose and that is what causes the reflux. Using a PPI (Proton Pump Inhibitor) eliminates what acid you do have and thus stops you from absorbing vitamins and minerals. Instead, use apple cider vinegar half an hour before you eat. 1 tablespoon in full glass of water and drink using a straw otherwise it will take the enamel off you teeth. Trust me this works. I used to suffer with both acid reflux and chronic burping. Both gone using ACV. If you still have reflux, try lowering the dose of the ACV to half a teaspoon or dilute it more.

2 years later and still going strong thanks for the vid

Wheat, rice, banana, beer, crisps. All cause heartburn/reflux in me. Funny I was telling my wife in the car this morning that my heartburn was killing me. Haven't searched it in a long time, but your video popped up as a recommendation. They are definitely listening...

Used to have massive chest pain which i would go to hospital thinking i was having a heart attack, reflux stress does weird stuff to your body, I have barrett's oesophagus and regular gastroscopy's, also had nissin fundoplication surgery which i feel saved my life. I avoided the PPI medication, long term usage apparently is not good! If you suffer from reflux/GERD, Rob's advice is really good, diet can have a huge effect. Other things i thought were ok but were not, peppermint anything (tea etc) and anything citric ( lemon lime oranges etc) but kicking alcohol,chocolate etc can be tough, also losing weight can make difference for some people, which is a great side effect of the diet changes he talks about. Best of luck to those suffering!

in a nutshel, 1 capsule of mastica gum taken 4x a day , every 8 hours, for ca 6 weeks solved the stomach pain/heartburn problem, it worked better when powder was removed from the capsule and swallowed with some water, all of it combined with particular dietary/lifestyle changes resulted in getting rid of the acid reflux problem permanently. thank you for sharing your experience, will give it a try.

Thank you for taking the time to share these tips Rob

Rob You have done a magnificent job. Here there are few points to elucidate in physiology and anatomy of the esosophagus and stomach the abnormalities relevant to the discussiong around GERD. This is not a medical advice. Everybody should consult with their doctor. 1. Helicobacter Pylori is everywhere in our house hold it contaminate our dishes and utensils we eat with: solution use automatic dish washer on the steam mode would most likely kill helicobacters. This would reduce the chance of reinfection after being cured. 2. There could be a genetic factor of susceptibility in few families of us such as having wide and loose eosophegial sphincter with or without poor lining mucosa of the stomach (such as thin mucous lining of the stomach). 2. One question; why when we lay down, we get acid reflux for that some people tilt their bed high so they can sleep at night reduced acid reflex. For the same reason, you expressed eating smaller meals help reduce acid reflux. Answer: Perhaps, this would reduce the mechanical backward pressure on the esophageal sphincter from food build up in the stomach. There are few things to understand in the anatomy of the connection between the stomach and the esophagus. By design the sphincter muscle at the connection between the esophagus and stomach is a week sphincter. It is not a tight sphincter, if you compare it to the anal sphincter at the anus which is a very strong sphincter. For this reason, some people may benefit from surgeries that would be done to adjust the esophageal sphincter diameter. 3. There are few studies published the utility Mastica to ease stomach pain and suggestive of suppressing helecobacter in the stomach. You have noticed that during shewing Masitca gum, it is a little bitter ( meaning alkaline). There could other important active compounds in Mastica that need to be studied. 4. The use of Bicarbonate, Mastica, and alkaline vegetables help reduce acidity in the stomach and therefore less acid feedback to the esophagus and therefore more comfortable feeling. Contrary to this what happen if we eat tomato or pizza with tomato sauce. These acidic and accentuate GRD discomfort. 4. What about the concept of benefiting from using spices such as ginger, turmeric, and Curcumin, On the surface there could be an enhancement of the protective layer (the slimy lining of the stomach) of the stomach through a pathway yet to be identified. To my observation, folks from India start eating spices since childhood. So the question would be; do they have better and more resilient stomach. 5. Helicobacter strategy of survival in the lining of the stomach is to evade the aggressive and very acidic stomach juice ( which is about loaded with hydrochloric acid). It is a powerful killer of bacteria. So the helicobacter generate ammonia to make it more alkaline in the stomach lining so it would protect itself from being killed. This is the same natural mechanism the stomach lining protects itself with from self digestion by the acid present in the stomach. 6. Where is the caveat of using Clarithromycin, and metronidazole (both are antibiotics) together with a PPI such as omeprazole ( to protect from hyperacidity in the stomach and overflow to the esophagus). This is a very harsh treatment and it can be responsible for complete eradication of the beneficial bacteria in the guts. I am in doubt that probiotics would a reasonable compensatory normalization of the bacterial population in the gut. 7. So what is the solution? A. Should we invent a vaccine against helicobacter since half of the population of the world is infect with it. B. How we can the make the environment of the stomach hostile to helicobacter invasion of the lining of the stomach, and why helecobacter chooses the lining of the stomach to live in while living by hostile volcano of hydrochloric acid showering on it. Helecobacter do not invade other parts of the body. Why not?

Best KZfaq video title of all time.

Wonderful video. Thank you. Just found it in Feb 2024. Loved it. ♥️

Thank you. This is revelatory and incredibly well-timed… been having some issues recently and this has given me the impetus to get it sorted!

Thanks for taking the time to produce this vid - have the gum on order now.

From one Rob to another, Thank you.

Great video You didn't mention fasting ... The theory is that If your stomach is empty .. there is nothing for HP to live on and eventually it starves to death (and even intermittent fasting could help weaken the colony of HP in your stomach)

You are a star Rob for taking the trouble & time to share such valuable information for some of us. Very well thought out and communicated. Can’t thank you enough

This is the most sensible (and most HOPEFUL) approach I’ve come across for dealing with this problem. Thank you so much for sharing. ❤🙏

you make more sense than any doctor i have spoken to in regards to this issue

Yes , Mastic Gum really works. I had the same problem and I ordered the mastic gum from amazon. What I also did was used pro biotics to replaced the good and bad bacteria that was killed while getting rid of the hpylori bacteria. Changing your diet is very helpful.

Thanks so much, Rob. I'll do my best to follow your lead. Sweets are hard for me to give up entirely but I will try. You're kindness in sharing the secrets to your success is very much appreciated. Gigi

This is a great video. So many people suffer from this.

I suffer from this 20 years now .. It came suddenly .. Never went away .. Thanks for this Rob ..

50 years of eating like you described I now am paying for it, thought my Great Grandma was just being bossy telling me to slow down when I was a kid but now I know. Thank you for doing this video it was very helpful.❤ Saved me from medical bills that I would have accrued just to find out what you shared for free. Thank you again.

The absolute BEST video on KZfaq.. thank you for sharing!

Suffering from h pylori and stomach ulcers absolute nightmare

What a sincere and interesting cat. We need more you tubers like this.

The gulping and speed eating is terribly hard on digestion. Ingesting half eaten food is a killer. Glad you finally mentioned it, I think its probably the worst offender on your list. Thanks for sharing, you've probably saved me weeks of trial and error. Personally I don't have obvious reflux, but fatigue and brain fog are huge symptoms of H Pylori and unbalanced guts.

Glad it worked for you! It sounds like you put a lot of time and effort into trying to cure it.

Thanks for providing these practical tips. I'll definitely give some of them a shot.

Thank You, thank you, thank you. I suffer terrible reflux and 2 of my children are now suffering it... I will certainly put these practices into place for our family. Thank You.

I really appreciate this Rob. I have chronic stomach trouble and I thought it was caused by my fibromyalgia but I do a lot of the things you mentioned and I can change them and get tested for this bacteria. Thank you for posting this.

Such an amazing vid, thanks Rob

Possibly life changing. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this. Acid reflux has dogged me around for over 30 years. I’ll be following this from tomorrow. Thanks again.

Thank you so much! The most honest and informative video, without any monetary intentions, to help so many of us suffering. You Gave a few key suggestions that I think might help me. I’ll definitely check back with results. Thank you!

Wow thanks man. Been fighting with the reflux for almost a year now. The Mastika gum regiment is working. 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

I've suffered on and off with acid reflux for years, so I'm going to try out some of your techniques. Cheers Rob.

Hello from Greece. mastiha comes from the island of Hios and it is the resin of the tree. Here it is sold everywhere ,in the supermarkets , in kiosks on the street. I tried both gum and pills. It does help definitely ..But to me the most it helped is the carnivore diet. I am on it since 3 weeks ,and the acid reflux is over, but still have flair ups. The advice to keep for few months the diet and not hurry going back to previous eating habits is great. I don’t want to stay on carnivore diet alll my life, but it is a great diet! You lose wait as well and you are really never hungry!!! Thank you

Thanks for talking about your experience!

This needs way more views, in my experience and it seems to be a staple of reflux/h.pylori, Alcohol and Non-Skimmed Dairy products are the worst in most cases. Thanks Rob for vlogging your experience, cheers.

What a great video, thanks for all the details 👍

I’ve always struggled with acid reflux and stomach ulcers, even when I was a teenager, and I have always eaten very quickly. It does make sense that lowering portions will reduce acid reflux, and I have had success with calorie restriction and some fasting. If you think about the entrance to the stomach as any other sphincter, then you realize that by eating huge portions you’re just stretching it out allowing stomach acid and gas to escape.

Thank you so much for sharing. Love that you shared a real life story in such a well noted way.

Def worth repeating!

Pretty amazing. Stomach acid, even if you vomit enough, chemically burns/irritates the tissue it comes in contact as it's rising up. My acid reflux mysteriously went away (for now), but I remember the first time I was awakened by it in the middle of the night--it was this intense burning trying, as if I'd swallowed battery acid, and it was coming up almost pressurized. I'm going to remember the mastika if it comes back. What surprised me wasn't just the burning, it was how forceful it was pushing up.

Greatest video ever!!! Thank you sir

Awesome video! Helping so many people

Very articulate. Great translation of information

Update: Mastika in its gum form has proven the most effective for me yet. The chewing benefits dental hygiene as well. Then you can swallow the gum (make it into a small ball first and wash down with water to avoid choking). It continues its action in the stomach and (hypothesis) might physically patch ulcers for some hours before the acid eats it. The fight goes on, but there has been tremendous progress.

I've been enjoying your videos for some time now, and was happy to find this one on your channel. My story is that I've been free of PPI reflux meds for 6 weeks now. I was prescribed Omeprazole (Prilosec) about 11 years ago for GERD symptoms, and finally weaned myself off gradually--cutting my daily capsules in half; then into thirds; then finally stopped (Learned about 5 years back that I have both Barrett's Esophagus and a Hiatal Hernia, so was nervous in doing so). Started cutting back on carbs and meal portions a couple of years back, and with the help of stationary cycling and walking, lost about 30 pounds. Just chewing each bite of food thoroughly has helped me greatly...eating smaller portions and not laying down too soon are also key in avoiding painful episodes. Not allowing myself to become ravenously hungry, it's easier to slow down and chew longer (which is great because the flavor of food is more noticeable the longer it lingers on my pallet, and eating is thus now more enjoyable). *When symptoms still occur they usually come at night , almost always while laying in bed--and usually after I've eaten poor food choices during the relatively inactive evening hours. I was urged against using typical ant-acids for treatment because they have aluminum. A 1/2 teaspoon of Baking Soda in 8oz of warm water, mixed thoroughly, was recommended instead. When occasional symptoms do flare up, I use this, and it produces effective relief of painful pressure by encouraging brief but deep burping; allows me to then sleep on pain-free. Thanks for sharing your testimony!

Thanks for this super chill presentation! I have been suffering with the acid reflux for a while and also I tend to be a worry wart. I've watched quite a few videos about this topic and they just stress me out. They either promise quick fixes, scare the hell out of me, or give me vertigo with all the freaking editing. I feel like you a nice neighbor or cousin just telling me some great advice. I feel so comforted! I'd love to know how you are doing now and if you still live free of acid reflux for the most part. Oh and that last part - holy merde I always drink my drinks super hot and eat food before it has cooled! I have been chewing more and eating more slowly lately but now I will be more mindful of those hot drinks (only tea these days while I heal) and also COLD is a problem! I notice a huge difference when I try to use cold water to take a pill - it literally doesn't work and the pill gets stuck - especially since my esophagus is inflamed and the peristalsis is all out of whack. Oh - and I am remembering times when I had pain in my esophagus from eating too fast, and a HUGE lump of food trying to go down, to where I actually felt it hurting my spine. Oh lord. Thanks so much!

Thanks Rob, very good advice. Thank you for sharing your experience, much appreciated.

I'm loving these one offs - especially the dealing with your boss episode, ill be using those tips forever.

I've been receiving treatment for a very similar issue for almost a year. No sleep, as when I lie down all I do is cough. Currently only thing that has remedied this is an anti inflammatory inhaler, but as soon as I came off it, back to square one, so doc put me immediately back on it. This is some interesting info Rob, which I'm gonna investigate more, (with advice from medical professionals, as suggested 😀)thank you for sharing your experience good sir.

GREAT ADVISE ROB

Thank you so much for this amazing video. I hope you are doing well and have longevity 😊

I’m 24 and I’ve started to have just this problem I’ve been struggling for years as well as watching your collective learning content I scrolled down and found this channel and I seriously can’t thank you enough thank you so much

Spicy food indeed helps the immune system! I'm from New Mexico, and am one of many people who swears by green chile (though plenty of others swear by red chile--it's a matter of preference sometimes). When my mum first got her nurse practitioner's license, she had an elderly woman with multiple allergies to medicines come to her with a sinus infection so her prescription was to "go home and eat some of the spiciest green chile stew you can find." It worked! I don't have acid reflux, though my partner does. Apparently his isn't nearly as bad as yours was, though he recognized most of the things you talked about and has already tried some of your suggestions. I think I'm about to start keeping pistachios in the kitchen along with walnuts, raisins, apples, and other healthy snacks, and I'll be gently reminding him more often to really enjoy his meals. Thanks for nudging us in the right direction!

Thank you so much for this video it's very informative. I'm suffering from this right now going to start from tomorrow. I hope that I get cured from this pylori and acid reflux.

My reflux was so bad years ago I had the Acid Reflux Repair, known as Nissen Flundipication...it worked well but took me months and months to get over the operation, I had strained muscles and pain...I cannot live without the PPIs now, I have a shot of Gaviscon every night before bed, 30 years on. I avoid alcohol otherwise it all kicks off. Had HPylori 3 times!!! My history was I had my Gall bladder removed in 1988, then developed IBS, had histerectomy in 1992, terrible reaction to anaesthetic, lots n lots of acid had the NF op in 1994. always suffered with my guts since ...wow is me. Thanks Rob, very interesting clip. And lovely to hear a fellow Scousers voice...I've subscribed. 👍

THANK YOU SO MUCH, JUST IN TIME. FROM GEORGIA USA 🇺🇸❤♥😊😊😊

Great video Rob! I recently was diagnosed with H. pylori and learned that it creates low stomach acid which then can cause acid reflux. I’m getting ready to grow my own broccoli sprouts as I understand those are very powerful against H. pylori. Also I found it incredibly helpful to stop drinking anything a half an hour before to a half an hour after meals (and not during). That way the stomach acid doesn’t get diluted. It’s helped a lot!

Acid reflux most likely means low stomach acid. H-pylori lowers or alkaline acid in your stomach to survived. Apple Cider Vinegar mix with water, Betaine HCL, enzymes will help. Besides you need a clean diet, herbs and supplements for h-pylori

Thank you so much for this. I have suffered of acid reflux each time wore for last 6 years and it has modified my life. I cannot wait to begin this diet. Thank you!

Lots of good, sensible advice. For my acid reflux, I also sleep propped up to counteract the effect of gravity on the acid. Not easy for this lifelong tummy sleeper, but it works.

Thank you for sharing this I need to get off the omeprazole, I do not like taking any of this stuff. I am reminded of the one Iron Man movie when the very thing that was saving his life was slowly killing him in the process. The military gave me the bad habit of eating fast, very hard to break. One thing to mention as well, make sure your last meal is 3 hours before you go to bed, do not go to bed with a full stomach, especially if you have acid re-flux. Cabbage/sauerkraut is very good for digestive tract and stomach.

Your GP will never give you the go ahead!

Very helpful vid...I wish I had discovered it two years ago. Mastica was just ordered for a try. Now I just cured the problem recently by identifying the triggers as you did. Indeed top of the list was pizza and pastry crusts. Time of the last meal was also a factor so I started a routine of eating my last meal before 5 pm with 50/50 results. Alcohol was another suspect so here is what I did. I went on the 16 hour fast routine for two months. Making your first and last meals between the hours of 7 am and 3 pm. Dropped alcohol completely. The results were several. The weight loss was significant and the overall feeling of well being grew as the days past. The stomach issues and re flux also disappeared. Now as long as I stayed with that program I experienced no issues. I loved the routine however not all family members enjoyed it so I fell back into the same rut and bingo the re flux returned. So now I will heed your information here and give this a try. Thank you so much for your research.

nice advice Rob, thanks for the special video

Thank you Rob, my mother suffers from mild acid reflux, I’ll definitely be taking some advice from your video!

So glad I stumbled across this video when I am in the middle of my GERD crisis. I sooo needed this. Thank you for such practical information 👏🏽 🙏🏾. I am going to try your advice and am now following you lol

EXCELLENT VIDEO The eating hot food and drinking boiling hot drinks is something I do, I always wondered if it was burning the lining of my throat and stomach... While watching this video I immediately put down my plate of food and i'm leaving it to cool for a bit and I added cold water to my hot beverage. I absolutely love Salad Rocket, thanks for the inspiration and excellent advice, I wish GP's were more relaxed and explanatory like you are.

Great video, thank you im suffering about 4 years with this. Had a recent flare up and am going back on antibiotics tomorrow. Will take alot of what you said in board. Thwnk you again.

Opened up my mastic gum capsules and drank in water; straightaway stopped coughing in the night! No more heartburn, this is really good advice ❤also good for iral health, thank you🎉

Hi Rob, thanks for this. I've recently been put on Omeprizol (the one you tried to remember at the start of the vid) and my mate's been on it for about 6 years now. We're both only young. I don't think they tested me for Helicobactor but the tests they did for various others came back negative. A useful (and unusual for you, as you said!) video. So thanks v much, will pass on to my pal and we'll see what we can achieve. And yeah, whisky! That was the real killer of drinks to kick it off!

Thank you so much Rob for taking time to tell us about this, I've never heard of this before, but I followed your advice. My GERD was gone after two weeks of taking mastica, my mother cured hers in a week. She had a stomach endoscopy as part of her check up recently, the doctor couldn't believe her eyes - stomach lining erosion was completely gone. Truly magical effects.

Thanks for telling us about this. I joined for the film analysis. But if you're moving into health that's cool too.

That was very interesting? Very, very interesting! Wow, I've been in hospital 3 times with my stomach. I just stumbled across your video. Brilliant! Thanks!

Great vid. Doctors always prescribe meds for excessive stomach acid, but they never seem to test properly for what the stomach is actually doing. It's really hard to tell if you have excess stomach acid, too little, SIBO, or the H-Pylori.

love this video! had horrible issues with acid and GI issues so i tried out a plant based diet and it helped tremendously. 6 years strong this september. glad you were able to get this figured out. it was a nightmare for me.

Excellent Rob… thanks soo much .. really great information 👍🙏🏻

Hi Rob Came across ur video today, Friday, 23rd Feb 24. What a great sensible approach to my nemesis. I've watched countless vids on acid reflux gerd h pylori, but yours is by far the most comprehensive advice that I have come across. I'm putting ur advice into practice today. Thank you so much. I have ongoing problems, which are turning into Barrets...I hope I have not left it too late. Thanks again. ❤

I had nasty reflux a few years back with chest pain. I’d be vomiting stomach acid in the middle of the night. It would be set off especially by hard alcohol, white flour products, oranges, and tomato paste. I got rid of it mainly by cutting out any refined grains, sugars, most processed foods, as well as losing 30 pounds. I find whole flour is fine. I believe part of having a healthy gut is eating high fibre foods generally, which can include whole grains. Fibre acts as a “prebiotic”, meaning that it provides food for your healthy gut bacteria to eat, which helps ward off bad bacteria. My 2 cents anyway.

Great video. You should do more off topic videos like this

Thank you for this info I 've been going to doctors for this pain that is constant with no improvement

Thank you very much for sharing this with us. Really very informative and useful. You did a great job with your health. Hope you stay healthy. Again thank you.

You are so right! People need to always look at alternatives to medications. A pill is often not the best answer. I am currently being tested for HP, but already trying other things!! Initially raw honey calmed things a bit. Turmeric and ginger also made a big difference. Also, I had to cut way back on sugar and dairy! Ty you have helped so many here.

Good news! Glad to hear that you have some resolution to your health issues and are feeling better. While it may seem counter-intuitive, capsaicin (chili peppers) are used in Latin America and Southeast Asia for ulcers and reflux. They have a strongly antibiotic and antimicrobial action.

Thank you for making this video

Thank you so much for this video.

Thank you very much Rob on behalf of many sufferer people! This is simply wonderful! The way you have presented your story and your humanity. That's why good doctors always learn from their patients. Of course, those thinkers out of the box, that hear them in order to learn, so they can help more and more people. Thank you indeed!

Thank you for sharing your information very helpful

Thanks Rob for this Iam constantly looking for advice about this condition 😊

You, from your sofa in your living room, talking way more sense than a professor on the subject. I didn't know about the rocket, and thanks for the mastika coz the gum sucks. Manuka honey and porridge ( organic) helps. Porridge draws out the infection. Thanks all the best.

This was a great insight to a subject close to my stomach. Will definitely try out some of this.

Thank you so much for this video 💚 I badly injured my foot during lockdown and was taking large amounts of ibrufen, I ended up with 2 stomach ulcers! I was tested for H pylori but at that time they were waiting to test in bulk so by the time they got around to testing mine the test came back as inconclusive. I was prescribed PPI but the side affects are horrific! Please read up on side affects !!! I treated my stomach ulcers with L. glutamine, cabbage water and organic liquorice root. I still have flair ups and I'm convinced I have H. pylori so I'm definitely going to buy Mastik gum. 🙏🏻

Been suffering for a month and have been doing research, by far the best summary and will follow it if I am diagnosed…working with GP of course.

The key to all of this is the significant dietary changes you made. What you described is basically the well-known Specific Carb Diet.

I was diagnosed with H. PYLORI a few months ago. I was prescribed 2 types of strong antibiotics and also Omeprazole, all to be taken for 2 weeks. Really hard going, but it did get rid of the H. PYLORI. Good to know about the mastic gum you mentioned, in case it flares up again. Great video, thanks. 👌

Mastika η μαστιχα grows only in chios Island in Greece. Check the label

Hi Rob, I came across your video by pure chance and am going to give this a go. I've had gastritis for sometime now, confirmed by endoscopy years ago. The H. Pylori test done at the time of the endoscopy proved negative, but I'm not convinced it was accurate. I tried PPIs, but they didn't really help, so just rely on Gaviscon when it gets really bad. I bought two packets of salad rocket this morning and will get some Mastika too (many thanks for the link.) I also find that certain foods are worse than others, so I try to avoid them where possible. Thank you so much for your in-depth advice. Very helpful indeed.