For people with acid reflux, the worst damage is often done while they sleep. An estimated 15 million Americans experience heartburn -- a common symptom of acid reflux -- daily. Sixty percent of them have symptoms during the night, when their bodies are least prepared to deal with them, says lead researcher William C. Orr, a professor of physiology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

Acid reflux, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), is the return of the stomach's contents -- including acidic stomach juices -- back up into the esophagus, which carries foods and liquids from the throat to the stomach.

If not treated, GERD can lead to serious health problems, including esophagitis that may cause bleeding or ulcers in the esophagus. Some people also develop a condition called Barrett's esophagus, which is severe damage to the lining of the esophagus. Doctors believe this condition may be a precursor to esophageal cancer, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Acid reflux sufferers are particularly vulnerable at night, Orr says, because lying flat during sleep lets stomach acid collect in the esophagus. Patients in the study with heartburn had much more trouble sleeping, and felt drained during the day, Orr says "If you have acid reflux during sleep, you have double trouble," he says. "Not only do you wake up at night and have trouble sleeping, but it's also much more risky. "We know now that if they're refluxing at nighttime, the chances go up for them getting cancer," says Dr. Patricia Raymond, an associate professor of clinical internal medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School.

Source: American College of Gastroenterology's anunual meeting in Seattle, WA, October 22, 2002.

If you have GERD, Dr. Hansen says "don't do drugs." The drugs for heartburn or acid reflux all block stomach acid, which the body must have in order to digest and extract the vitamins and minerals you need to thrive. Heartburn and Ulcer drugs won't kill you but they don't fix the problem and the do cause significant side-effects, including nausea, constipation, and diarrhea, liver damage, allergic reactions, headaches, breast enlargement (not good if you're a man), hair loss, osteoporosis, dizziness, depression, insomnia, and impotence.

The natural treatment that Dr. Hansen recommends actually works by repairing the damaged stomach and intestinal lining that allows the stomach acid to cause the pain. Dr. Hansen recommends a simple, yet powerful combination of Licorice root, Aloe vera, and the bioflavonoid Quercitin. This simple combination stops the pain of heartburn or ulcers by fixing the damage. Patients love it because it works so fast and doesn't cause any side-effects whatsoever.