Medication taken by millions of people to relieve heartburn and acid reflux can have a harmful impact on digestion in the long term, a pharmacist has warned. Deborah Grayson, dubbed the ‘Godmother of Pharmacology’, took to TikTok to discuss how omeprazole - a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) - can affect gut health.

Mrs Grayson said that while the drugs may offer sufferers momentary relief, they could also cause problems - leading to bloating and nausea, weight gain and vitamin deficiencies. PPIs are one of the UK’s most prescribed medications in the UK, with 73 million NHS prescriptions dispensed in England in 2022-23, at a cost of £190m.

She explained: “Omeprazole stops heartburn and reflux, but how does it really work? It’s a PPI, and that interferes with the cells of the stomach re

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