Now, you may not know them by that technical name, but I bet you’ve heard their brand names: Prilosec, Nexium, Protonix, Prevacid. These are the purple pills and little capsules that so many people take for acid reflux, indigestion, ulcers, or heartburn. Some of them are available by prescription, and many are available over the counter.

They are powerful. They are effective. They can be life-saving in certain situations. But here’s the nasty rub: we now have decades of research that tells us that long-term use of these drugs may come with some very real risks. And yet, millions of Americans take them day in and day out, often for years, sometimes even decades, with no reevaluation.