Good food and wine are integral components of Tom Meyer’s life.
Yet for most of Meyer’s adult life, food and drink have been a
source of chronic pain. “As far back as I can remember, I’ve
been plagued with heartburn, and at times almost anything,
including water, will set it off,” says the 55-year-old wine
distributor and gourmet chef. The pain got so bad about five
years ago that Meyer finally went to see his doctor, who
prescribed Prevacid, an acid-reflux medication. Since then,
Meyer has taken several different prescription and over-the-
counter drugs to ward off the pain. Although he has not
experienced adverse side effects from taking these medications,
Meyer would like to be able to manage his acid reflux naturally.
“As a chef and wine lover, I would be particularly happy if I
could do this without drastically changing my lifestyle or
eating habits,” he says. Q. Tom Meyer: I have never been able to
pinpoint what exactly is triggering my heartburn. What are the
most common causes? A. Mona Morstein, ND: Se