6 Reasons Why Your Stomach Acid Is So Important
Many are not aware of this but your stomach acid is more important than you think. The level of your stomach acid is linked to heartburn, upset stomach and other digestive complaints. Let’s break it down for you.
What does stomach acid do?
Imagine having steak for lunch. You chew and break it down as much as you can with your teeth and saliva and swallow it. At this stage, your stomach is starting to release gastric acid to prepare to digest the food you are eating. Once the protein hits the stomach, it has already secreted majority of its gastric acid to make sure it gets digested and ready to be absorbed.
On average it takes around 3-4 hours for dense protein foods to be digested in the stomach. The denser the protein, the longer it will take, the greater the gastric juice needed.
Now, imagine without the stomach acid. You can guess it will more likely stay there for longer hours and eventually leading to a number of symptoms.
What are the roles of stomach acid?
Stomach acid is not the enemy. While many people would want to eliminate stomach acid to find relief, it is also important to note that the stomach is really intended to be highly acidic for many reasons. Making it less acidic can lead to many unpleasant digestive issues.
Neutralize harmful pathogens- No matter how much we try to clean and cook the food we are eating, there are still some chances that bacteria and other microorganisms will enter your body with the food. This can lead to imbalance of gut bacteria, food poisoning and other gut discomforts like bloating, gas and diarrhea. Stomach acid helps neutralize the bad invaders like bacteria and yeast.
Digests protein and activates pepsin- Stomach acid is needed to prompt the process in breaking down protein. It is like adding vinegar to marinade your meat but faster and more efficient way. Pepsin is a protein-digesting enzyme that gets activated by the stomach acid. This ensures that protein is effectively metabolized.
Activates intrinsic factor- Stomach acid helps liberate vitamin B12 from food and activates the intrinsic factor which is needed for B12 to be absorbed into the body. Common symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are weakness and fatigue. Others may experience pins and needles, memory loss, mouth ulcers and depression.
Ionizes minerals- Stomach acid promotes ionization of minerals like zinc, iron, calcium and magnesium. This ensures that they are effectively absorbed into the bloodstream.
Closes the lower esophageal sphincter- The lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is the muscle that opens and closes one way to let food go to the stomach. Once close, it prevents acid from going backwards. Stomach acid helps in closing this sphincter to reduce the acid flowing back to the esophagus.
Stimulates delivery of bile and enzymes- Stomach acids helps stimulate the secretion of bile from the liver and gallbladder to help digestion of fat. It also helps stimulates the secretion of digestive enzymes from the pancreas.
What happens when stomach acid is low?
As your stomach acid is reduced or eliminated it leads to a condition called “hypochlorhydria.” You will experience some symptoms that may be quite familiar.
Bloating
Gassy
Acid reflux/ heartburn
Indigestion
Undigested food in the stool
Chronic anemia
Symptoms of nutrient and mineral deficiencies such as fatigue, brittle fingernails, hair loss, etc.
If low stomach acid is left untreated, it’s possible that it will lead to much more serious conditions such as autoimmune disorders, allergies and asthma. This is because when production of stomach acid is hindered, aside from food not being digested properly, it leads to leaky gut which is a condition where tiny holes develop in the gut lining. This result to the immune system being confused leading to autoimmune disorders. Leaky gut also creates a dysbiosis, an imbalance between the good and bad bacteria in the gut.
How to test for stomach acid level?
The Baking Soda Test is a simple way that you can do at home to gauge your stomach acid status. Baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate which has hydroxide (OH-) ions. When added to an acid (HCl), the hydroxide (OH-) ion reduces acidity.
To do this test, simply mix ¼ teaspoon of baking soda with 4-6 ounces of water first thing in the morning when you wake up. Start a timer as soon as you drink the baking soda mixture. If you have enough levels of stomach acid, you will experience belching around 3 minutes after drinking. If you have not within 5 minutes, stop the timer. This may indicate that you have low stomach acid. To make sure, you can try on 3 consecutive mornings to confirm.
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How can I improve my stomach acid levels?
It is highly advisable to seek professional help to guide you along the way and discuss your treatment option. If you think that you have low stomach acid, there are also simple ways you can try at home to improve digestion and stomach acid levels.
Try Smoothies and Liquid Nutrition. To lessen the burden in your gut, make half of your meals in liquid form such as making a protein shake or green smoothie. This will make it very easy to digest and depend less on stomach acid production.
Abstain from Water or Liquid During Meal. Hold off drinking water or any liquid until at least 30 minutes after a meal. This will ensure optimal digestion by allowing stomach acid to work and not get diluted. If you really want and need to drink, only consume a small glass of water.
Drink Ginger Tea. Ginger has been used for centuries because of its health benefits. It is one of the best to improve digestive juices. You can drink 2-3 cups of ginger tea using the juice of a ½ inch fresh ginger root or ginger essential oil in water.
Reduce Processed Foods. Of course cleaning up your diet is the best way to improve your gut health. Eating more of fruits and vegetables instead will reduce inflammation in your stomach and rebalance stomach acid.
Take Your Time and Chew! Set your body in a relaxed state to prime it for digestion. Eating while on the go, sets your body in a fight or flight mode making digestion difficult. Chewing thoroughly while enjoying your meal allow enzymes and stomach acid to break down your food better. Stay mindful while eating.