“All Disease Begins in the Gut.” ~Hippocrates
You may have heard, “You are what you eat.” Actually, you are what you absorb and assimilate. Your second brain is through the gut. Over two-thirds of neurotransmitters are made in the gut. The majority of serotonin, 95%, is made in the gut, not the brain. If your gut is inflamed or not functioning optimally, production of serotonin will be impaired and the end result is depression. Consider this: an inflamed gut = an inflamed brain = depression and dementia. With one in four American women on prescription drugs for stress, anxiety and depression, addressing gut dysfunction should be of priority and cannot be overlooked.
Many people with low stomach acid (hypochlorhydria) or no stomach acid (achlorhydria) often complain of bloating, belching, a feeling of heaviness in the stomach after eating, or feeling full after eating only a small amount of food. Many people with low stomach acid are constipated, but others have diarrhea. And then, there are those with low or no stomach acid who experience no symptoms at all. More often than not, people with gut dysfunction have low levels of essential amino acids and low levels of nearly all minerals. The two main causes of poor digestion and HCL deficiency are aging and stressful lifestyles. The older we get, the probability of hypochlorhydria or achlorhydria are more common than not.
Insufficient HCL cause carbohydrates to ferment and protein to putrefy in your body. HCL deficiency inhibits your body to breakdown and use food or your supplements to be absorbed at the cellular level creating an environment of malnourishment. In addition, if you’re not digesting food properly, your risk for Candida and other health conditions increase.
Advertising suggests that heartburn and indigestion are caused by too much stomach acid. This is hardly ever the case --- actually, it’s just the opposite, not enough stomach acid. It’s unfortunate that many doctors fail to recognize how serious a health problem hypochlorhydria and achlorhydria are.
Conditions and Symptoms associated with Poor Gut Health and HCL Deficiency:
| Asthma, allergies or food sensitivities | Anemia | Alcoholism |
| Osteo and Rheumatoid Arthritis | Celiac Disease | Candida; Parasites |
| Gallbladder dysfunction | Depression | Leaky Gut Syndrome |
| Gas, Bloating and Belching | Diabetes | Depression |
| Chronic Hives, Dermatitis, Eczema,Psoriasis and/or Rosacea | Hair Loss | Heartburn; Acid Reflux |
| Hormone Imbalances (Thyroid Dysfunction, elevated cortisol; chronic stress; adrenal fatigue) | Osteoporosis | Lupus and other Auto-immune conditions |
Do You Experience Any of the Following?
| Bad breath, body odor and foul smelling stools | Hives |
| Chronic headaches | Indigestion, constipation or diarrhea |
| Feel like skipping breakfast | Loss of taste for meat |
| Food Sensitivities/intolerances | Stomach upset by taking vitamins |
| Gas and/or bloating shortly after eating | Undigested food in your stool |
| Heartburn, Acid reflux or excessive fullness after meals | Vegan diet (no meat, fish or eggs) |
A simple remedy for hypochlohydria is to supplement with a quality HCL digestive enzyme (Digestzymes), not OTC antacids or Rx drugs such as “the purple pill.” When you take supplemental betaine hydrochloride with pepsin you can expect improved digestion and assimilation of protein and amino acids, minerals and other important nutrients. Your energy, strength, endurance and sleep will also improve.
Antacids and Rx drugs neutralize stomach acid and reduce or block stomach acid production – exactly what you don’t want. Many commercial antacids contain toxic ingredients such as aluminum, artificial colors and sweeteners. Jonathan Wright, M.D. says “These chemicals disrupt digestion and alter the structure and function of stomach lining cells and cause side effects like headache, diarrhea and abdominal pain.”
Tips for a Healthy Gut and to Optimize Digestion:
- Avoid carbonated beverages.
- Avoid eating while stressed out. Turn off the news or chaotic music while eating. Even stressful conversations during meal time can disrupt digestion.
- Drink a cup of water with the juice of half a lemon before meals.
- Drink plenty of water away from meals. Drinking water during meal time dilutes HCL and weakens digestion.
- Eliminate foods you’re sensitive to and that wreak havoc on your GI system, specifically gluten, processed foods and dairy.
- Go for a walk after eating.
- Maintain a healthy weight (extra weight puts pressure on your abdomen and can encourage acid reflux).
- Refrain from lying down for 2-3 hours after eating.
- Slow down, enjoy and taste your food. Chew your food until it is liquefied before swallowing.
- Taking probiotics at the end of your meal (not at the same time as the digestive enzyme) can help reduce inflammation, improve digestion and ensure healthy gut flora.
- Take Digestzymes or Hydrozyme in the middle of the meal. Drink only enough water to wash them down.
Instructions for the HCL Test – Determine Your Personal Dose
Start with 2 Digestzymes caps – Must be IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MEAL and all meals must include animal protein.
If you do not feel a warming sensation in your stomach, your next meal, take 3 caps. If you do not feel a warming sensation in your stomach, your next meal, take 4 caps. If you do not feel a warming sensation in your stomach, your next meal, take 5 caps.
Keep increasing by one per meal until you feel a warming sensation. Once you feel a warming sensation, back off by one and this will be your personal dose per meal.
For instance, if you feel a warming sensation at 5 caps, your dose is 4 per meal.
Proper digestion and absorption are fundamental requirements for optimal health.
“When organs get older, they usually don’t work as well as they did when they were younger.....we don’t run as fast at age 47 as we did at 27.....WHY WOULD OUR STOMACHS BE ANY DIFFERENT?” ~Jonathan Wright, MD
Read more about the importance of hydrochloric acid and digestion in my book, The Power of 4.
Copyright © 2011 Paula Owens
