The stomach and its acid...

Stomach acid is one of the most misunderstood aspects of all human physiology. The medical profession has absurdly mismanaged this system to the point many doctors have no idea how the stomach works, let alone how to optimize and correct. Acid reflux, excessive burping, improper food digestion, upper belly bloating, excessive cough and clearing of the throat, etc. are all symptoms of stomach acid dysfunction. Osteoporosis, anemia, protein aversion and even cancer are also related to this issue. In fact, almost all health issues can be tied back to the stomach in some way. This article is going to educate you all on the proper function of the stomach and how to fix it.

What is Acid Reflux?

Acid Reflux is not the result of the stomach producing too much acid, which is by far the most common belief. Acid Reflux is the result of too much acid in the esophagus. The esophagus or throat, is not a place any acid should be, which is why it burns and begins to create damage over time. Stomach cells are much different than esophageal cells. Before we get to the explanation of why acid would be in the throat we must address stomach acid production.

Stomach acid is produced in parietal cells in the stomach. Hydrochloric acid is the acid produced and is highly acid with a pH of 0.8-1.3, when optimal. For example, apple cider vinegar is a pH of around 2-3. Imagine drinking a glass of straight apple cider vinegar. It burns pretty bad. The stomach has a specialized mucus layer as well as the cells being highly specialized to handle this level of acid, which is why your stomach doesn’t burn, and also the reason why your throat does.

The Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) is the muscular valve which separates the stomach from the esophagus. It sits at the level where the esophagus pierces through the diaphragm. This next sentence is the most important bit of information in this whole article. THE LES IS ACID DEPENDENT, meaning the more acidic the stomach acid, the tighter it squeezes shut. I want you to really ponder this now. This means the more acidic the stomach acid (the lower the pH), the tighter the barrier is between the esophagus and the stomach. This means when your stomach and LES are working properly, it is a near impossibility for acid reflux.

Acid reflux is NOT a problem of an overproduction of acid. An overproduction of acid, as you learned above, wouldn’t result in your throat being burned. The LES would be thoroughly shut, thus preventing any acid from entering the esophagus. So, where does acid reflux come from? It is in fact, low stomach acid (higher pH acid) and a dysfunctional stomach that creates the circumstance of acid reflux. I have created a little flow chart below to follow.

HIGH STRESS > requires lots of energy, which the body begins to pull from other systems > PARIETAL CELLS GET LESS ENERGY, THUS CREATE LESS STOMACH ACID > pH OF HCL IN THE STOMACH IS NOW 4-6 vs THE IDEAL 0.8-1.3 > weak acids will still burn the esophagus > WEAK ACID WILL NOT STIMULATE THE LES, THUS LEADING TO IT NOT CLOSING ALL THE WAY > WEAK STOMACH ACID NOW IS BURNING THE ESOPHAGUS > ACID REFLUX

Seem complex? It is a bit. The good thing is once you understand it, it makes so much more sense why fixing the acid production issue, and ultimately the stress issue, will not only fix the stomach but will also lead to healthy digestion and extraction of nutrients from foods. If you take the time to look up the syndromes and conditions that pop up with prolonged PPI or acid blocker use you will find they all are components of deficiency of nutrients.

Fixing the stomach.

The stomach is fairly easy to fix in terms of digestion and acid reflux. The stress and energy transfer component is the hardest part to fix, as stress is highly multifactorial. Genetics also do play a role in some people for acid production, which typically can be remedied by adjusting the diet to better suit your individual needs.

H. pylori. This is one of the few bacteria which survives and thrives in an acidic environment. In fact, H. pylori, is intimately linked with ulcers. The good news is this little bacteria is very easy to treat. A compound called Zinc Carnosine works wonders and helps kill off H. pylori, along with improving the the gastric lining. Basically it helps heal the stomach lining and prevents it from further damage. Carnosine is one of the amino acids exclusively found in meat and is one of the top deficiencies in vegans and vegetarians.

Zinlori 75 is one of the best supplements to take to support this. The main difference with this form of zinc than other chelates is it must be taken on an empty stomach for the best results. I recommend up to 3 per day depending on how damaged your stomach is.

Hydrochloric Acid. Betaine HCl is the supplemental form. I, personally, have found this to be one of the most effective supplements in terms of total digestion and overall betterment of the body. HCl have even been found to improve Alzheimer’s symptoms, which makes sense in that when you can digest and absorb nutrients your brain will work better. The caveat is you CANNOT bet taking PPIs or Acid Blockers if you want to use this. You can’t be adding acid and blocking it at the same time.

Spectrazyme Metagest is by far the best HCl supplement I have ever used, and I have been using this for over a decade. I will include a dosing guide in an upcoming article, as this can get complex with a test week and a standardized dosing.

Essential Amino Acids. The main reason for taking EAAs would be because when the stomach doesn’t create enough acid, you will be missing amino acid digestion. The stomach is designed to break down meat for the amino acids. The main amino acid one needs specifically for stomach acid production is L-Histidine. Any quality EAA blend will have L-Histidine. This specific amino acid is part of the structure of carnosine, along with beta-alanine.

Summary.

The stomach is by far one of the most misunderstood physiologic processes in the whole body. Once we begin to look at how the stomach works, which gives insight into how to fix it, it all begins to make sense. The one MAJOR issue that complicates this further is the stress component. If the multifactorial stress process can’t be remedied, the stomach may require supplementation for what can be years. Even with this being the case, it is still a better choice than PPIs and acid blockers, as they lead to a whole multitude of diseases and disease processes.

NOTE: If you are taking PPIs and acid blockers, you must work with a physician to titrate off and work in conjunction with nutrients to fix. Always discuss with your prescribing doctor, and if you are taking without prescription, find a knowledgeable practitioner to help you work through this process.

Check out my next article on how to begin titrating your HCl supplement.

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