In more severe cases of excess stomach acid, other medications are used to reduce the amount of HCL produced in the first place. She has covered health and lifestyle for various print and online publishers since She holds a Master of Science degree in nutrition. Related Articles. What Are Acid-Forming Foods? What Are the Benefits of L Tryptophan?
Pepsinogen is secreted by chief cells in the gastric glands of the body and antrum of the stomach. Proteins are reduced to fragments of various sizes, called peptides, or amino acids, by pepsin so they can eventually be absorbed in the small intestine. This increase in peptides and amino acids, along with distention from food, further increases HCl secretion. Without adequate HCl secretion, larger fragments of proteins enter the small intestine and may compromise the efficacy of digestive processes.
With good gut health being at the forefront of medicine, would it be realistic to think of adding even more microorganisms to the gastrointestinal tract? The basic premise of an elemental diet is providing nutrition in an easily absorbable form, including all macronutrients: carbohydrates, fats, and protein.
The use of zinc-carnosine has been clinically studied for over 20 years, within its origin dating back to Japan. However, there is little scientific evidence to prove that this can prevent an overgrowth of yeast fungi in the gut.
Mastication is the technical term for chewing food, and it is the first step in the digestive process. Chewing breaks down food into smaller pieces. These pieces then mix with saliva, which leads to the next step of the digestive process. People who experience symptoms of low stomach acid may want to consider taking smaller bites and chewing their food thoroughly. This may allow for adequate digestion.
Hypochlorhydria is a condition that occurs when a person has low levels of HCL in their stomach. It can lead to symptoms such as:. Although anyone can have low stomach acid, hypochlorhydria is most common in adults aged 60 years and over.
Although occasional bloating and stomach pain can lead to discomfort, these symptoms tend to resolve on their own with time. Hypochlorhydria is a relatively common condition that can lead to bloating, indigestion, and changes in bowel habits. Low stomach acid is not a life threatening condition. People can manage symptoms of hypochlorhydria and increase their levels of stomach acid by making certain dietary and lifestyle changes.
Older adults may benefit from taking HCL supplements that contain pepsin, which is an essential digestive enzyme. People who experience indigestion that lasts longer than 2 weeks may wish to consider speaking with a healthcare professional. There are a few things that people can try to naturally increase their levels of stomach acid.
However, there is not much evidence supporting these methods. People should speak with a doctor before taking any new supplements or making any significant dietary changes. However, it is not for every patient. Whilst the vast majority of patients with stomach symptoms are candidates for HCl acid supplementation, not all can tolerate HCl, and it can elicit unpleasant heart burn symptoms, or even worse.
This is rare, but it is definitely worth avoiding. Start patients on a single supplement in the middle of their lunch, not dinner lest there is a problem that keeps them up all night, and have them gradually increase their dose to the desired level over a number of days. I also recommend that you ask patients to complete on a 2 weekly basis the symptom questionnaire shown above that relate to the low stomach acid, so that some form of monitoring can be in place.
The use of HCl supplements is also a good example of why patients should NOT follow any supplement programme for more than a month or two without the specific recommendation of the practitioner. The production of HCl acid is a very energetic one, and therefore anyone with any degree of fatigue is also a candidate for low HCl levels or a higher pH than ideal. At the other end of the spectrum, I have had a number of patients who can tolerate high doses mg of HCl per caps — with each meal up to 5 at a time!
These patients would all have started on a lower dose and gradually titrated the dose upwards. Stomach acid is essential to detoxification. An absence of stomach acid inhibits the liver from releasing bile, which compromises bile flow, which in turn may adversely affect the entire liver and lymphatic system from releasing stored toxins.
IMS Health reports U. IMS Health. Effect of proton pump inhibitors on vitamins and iron. Iatrogenic gastric acid suppression and the risk of nosocomial Clostridium difficile infection. Arch Intern Med ; — View Abstract. Increased incidence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth during proton pump inhibitor therapy.
Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol ; — Long-term proton pump inhibitor therapy and risk of hip fracture. JAMA ; — View Full Paper.
Psychosocial-spiritual factors in patients with functional dyspepsia: a comparative study with normal individuals having the same endoscopic features. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol.
International journal of antimicrobial agents 33 5 : —, Journal of digestive diseases 9 3 : —39, Inflammation and foveolar hyperplasia are reduced by supplemental dietary glutamine during Helicobacter pylori infection in mice. J Nutr. Epub Mar 4. Antibacterial Effects of Grape Extracts on Helicobacter pylori. Applied and Environmental Microbiology , ; 75 3 : View Abstract. Impaired gastric acidification negatively affects calcium homeostasis and bone mass.
Nature Medicine 15, — , published online: 17 May Sign into your account to have access to your paid resources. Alexis St Martin. Helicobacter Pylori. We use cookies and similar tools across our websites to improve their performance and enhance your user experience.
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