Heal Your Stomach, Stomach Acid and Digestion

The importance of stomach acid, and how to rid the symptoms and heal the cause of GERD

References

Common GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) symptoms, sentiments and discomforts:

I have _________________.

Acid Reflux Heartburn

A weak stomach, it just doesn’t digest protein

Too much stomach acid

These common complaints draw

us toward a conclusion that

stomach acid is too high.

But, to the contrary, Jonathan

Wright, MD of the Tahoma Clinic in

Washington state, found that with

people with GERD symptoms,

stomach acid is too low.

“When we carefully test people over age forty who’re having heartburn,

indigestion and gas, over 90 percent of the time we find inadequate acid

production by the stomach.”1

The lower esophageal sphincter (LES) opens and clos-

es as foods and liquids enter the stomach.

The symptom of acid reflux or burning, can be a result

of a malfunctioning LES.

Inner abdominal pressure (IAP) is the pressure or

bloat felt when chyme is being pushed up, toward

the LES.

If chyme is undigested due to the lack of stomach

acid, the food may sit in the stomach and cause IAP.

One big job of stomach acid is to kill bacteria.

When stomach acid is insufficient and pH rises, bacte-

ria like H. pylori, can thrive and overgrow.

Stomach acid supports digestion and absorption of

carbohydrates by stimulating the release of cholecys-

tokinin and secretin (pancreatic enzymes in the small

intestine).

If there’s insufficient stomach acid and undigested

proteins, pancreatic enzymes will not be secreted.

The fermentation of carbohydrates can produce gas,

leading to IAP and malfunctioning LES. 2

We know the symptoms. But what’s causing low stomach acid?

Milk

Legumes

Wheat

Eggs

Soy

Nuts

Processed foods

Remove

common allergen foods to reduce in-flammation in the digestive tract

Replace

with stomach acid, enzymes and herbs

Repair

with beneficial bacteria to heal the gut

Add HCl tablet(s) at meals (don’t supplement

with HCl if you’re using NSAIDS, anti-inflammatory

medications, or have ulcers)

Add bitters to your diet3

Chamomile

Dandelion

Milk thistle

Yellow Dock

Ginger

Available as a tincture at health food

stores, liquid eye-dropper bottle

Drink 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar or lemon

juice in a glass of water before or after

eating

Probiotics

Sauerkraut

Kefir

Bone broth

Fermented yogurt, if tolerated