Low Stomach Acid:
The Risks, the Symptoms, and the Solutions
Did you know that your indigestion may be a result of TOO LITTLE stomach
acid? Find out why - BEFORE you reach for popular over the counter indigestion
or acid relief remedies!
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The multi-billion dollar antacid industry has you believing that stomach
acid is bad for you.
While you may use antacids for heartburn relief or indigestion, they are
not a cure for what causes these problems in the first place.
Contrary to popular belief, indigestion is usually caused by low stomach
acid - also called hypochlorhydria- and it affects up to half of
our population. 1
Treatment that further neutralizes stomach acid can make your digestion worse.
Why Stomach Acid is Good For You
Stomach acid or hydrochloric acid (HCl), is a very powerful digestive agent,
and much more important than you realize.
HCl's important functions include:
- Breaking down proteins into the essential amino acids and nutrients
your body needs in order to stay healthy.
- Stimulating your pancreas and small intestines to produce the digestive
enzymes and bile necessary to further breakdown the carbohydrates, proteins
and fats you eat.
- Preventing disease by killing pathogenic bacteria and yeast normally
present in food.
As you age, your stomach acid tends to decrease anyway. Add a poor diet of
processed foods and you may find that you have both digestive and immune problems.
Low Stomach Acid: A Vicious Cycle
There are two main consequences of low stomach acid:
- You become protein malnourished. When your stomach acid is low,
you are not able to digest protein.
- Improper
digestion of protein creates toxins in your intestines that can
set the stage for illness and disease.
- Improper digestion of protein also creates acidic blood, since protein
is by nature acidic.
- You become mineral deficient. As your blood becomes more acidic,
it will look for minerals from anywhere in your body, in order to get your
blood to its more ideal alkaline state. Acidic blood robs your body of minerals,
even taking minerals from your bones (which is important to know if you
want to prevent osteoporosis).
Low stomach acid eventually creates a vicious cycle: low stomach acid = low
minerals = acidic blood. This cycle continues because acidic blood further
creates low minerals and low stomach acid.
Once this vicious cycle has started, there is a cascade of consequences:
- You could eat plenty of protein and still be protein malnourished. This
raises cortisol
levels (stress or death hormone), thereby raising your blood glucose (blood
sugar levels). Elevated cortisol adversely affects your behavior and temperment.
- Eventually, your adrenals become depleted (adrenal
fatigue) and DHEA,
the youth hormone, is suppressed, leading to premature aging.
Low DHEA and high cortisol affect your brain and behavior, but that's not
all. The vicious cycle of low stomach acid affects your inner ecosystem too.
Low stomach acid can lead to more bad guys (pathogenic bacteria, candida and
viruses) than good guys (healthy microflora), thus lowering your immunity.
Symptoms of Low Stomach Acid
Here are some of the common symptoms and disorders caused by low stomach
acid1,3:
- Bloating, belching, and flatulence immediately after meals
- Heartburn (often thought to be caused by too much stomach acid)
- Indigestion, diarrhea, or constipation
- Undigested food in stools
- Acne
- Rectal itching
- Chronic candida
- Hair loss in women
- Multiple food allergies
- Iron deficiency
- Weak, peeling, or cracked fingernails
- Chronic fatigue
- Adrenal
fatigue
- Dry skin
- Various autoimmune diseases
Increase Your Stomach Acid, Heal Your Digestion
Here are the 3 KEY ways to increase your stomach acid:
- Reduce or eliminate sugar. Replace mineral-depleting sugar
and sweeteners with Stevia
- Add fermented foods and drinks to your diet. Fermented
foods and drinks keep you looking and feeling healthy from the inside
out. Some of our favorite fermented foods and drinks are:
- Cultured vegetables
- a delicious, vitamin, mineral and probiotic-rich, raw, fermented food.
- Young Coconut
Kefir - full of minerals and probiotics, this is a fermented
drink you can easily make at home.
- Liquid
Spirulina- thought of as one of the "world's healthiest
foods," spirulina is a perfect protein and an almost immediate
energizer anyone suffering with adrenal fatigue.
- Eliminate processed foods. Follow the 7
healthy eating principles of the Body Ecology Program
As you eat a healthy Body Ecology diet, you will find your digestion improving.
You may notice that you experience heartburn relief, less indigestion and
improved energy. Or perhaps, if you have had long-standing digestive problems,
your journey to health may take a bit longer. Be patient as you go step by
step towards true health.
Whatever the reason for low stomach acid, we have another solution for
you: Assist Dairy and Protein Digestive Enzymes.
Assist
Dairy and Protein supports your digestion with plenty of HCL, which
your stomach desperately needs in order to properly break down foods
and assimilate nutrients.
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Assist Dairy
and Protein is a potent blend of digestive enzymes and HCl designed specifically
to help you digest proteins from all animal and vegetable sources.
There is no reason to suffer the vicious cycle of low stomach acid. So start
by healing the root cause and watch your energy and vitality improve,
naturally!
Sources:
Stomach Acid Imbalance: Overview, Symptoms, Causes, Natural Treatments and
Medicine
http://www.jigsawhealth.com/articles/stomach_acid_reflux.html
2 Adrenocortical function in experimental protein. PubMed 1979. malnutrition.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=109732&dopt=AbstractPlus
3 Kennedy M.D., Ron, Hypochlorhydria. Doctor's Medical Library
http://www.med-library.net/content/view/177/41/
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