Hypochlorhydia (Low Stomach Acid)

 

 

Many people struggle with heartburn, acid reflux and indigestion making antacids a multi million dollar industry. What most of these people find is that the acid really never goes away and they wind up taking more and more antacids along the way. What is actually happening is called Hypochlorhydria or low stomach acid. 

People with symptoms such as acid reflux, heartburn, burping, gas, bloating, or nausea, after eating very likely have a low stomach acid issue.

People diagnosed with gastrointestinal issues, especially inflammatory bowel diseases, Celiac Disease or IBS are at a higher risk of having stomach acid problems. If you’ve made several diet and lifestyle changes and you are still not seeing the results you want, low stomach acid might be holding you back.

How hypochlorhydria hurts you:

Proper levels of stomach acid are needed to adequately absorb many nutrients including minerals (iron, copper, zinc and calcium), vitamin B12, folic acid and proteins.
Stomach acid is also a crucial part of the immune system. The acid barrier of the stomach during normal states of health easily and quickly kills bacteria and other bugs that enter the body. It also prevents bacteria from the intestines from migrating up and colonizing the stomach.

Appropriate stomach acid levels are crucial for our immune system and for adequate nutrient status both of which support total health.  Here are 3 signs that you might be suffering from Hypochlorhydia (low stomach acid) 1. You don’t feel good when you eat meat. You may feel sluggish, nauseated or bloated. this is due to not having enough stomach acid to break down the dense proteins. This is also an area that is more common in women than it is in men.

2. You experience frequent acid reflux after eating. It’s easy to assume that high stomach acid levels cause heartburn or GERD. But that is simply untrue.

3. You burp, fart, or get bloated after eating

These symptoms are good indications that your digestion is suffering. The likely situation is the food you ate is being fermented by bacteria and bacterial overgrowth is causing distress in both your stomach and intestinal tract. The acid levels aren’t high enough to begin dumping the food into the intestines.
Now here's the good news!

Alleviating low stomach acid is a relatively easy and inexpensive fix! Most people find that taking 1 tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar in an 8 oz glass of water 5 to 10 minutes before each meal is an almost miraculous remedy for this uncomfortable and unhealthy situation. Most will also find that taking raw apple cider vinegar when they do get heartburn or acid reflux will cause it to dissipate much more quickly than taking ant acids of any kind.

Need more information? Please feel free to contact me at 308-254-5373 to schedule your holistic health care appointment.




source: adapted from an article by Steve Wright


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