Too little stomach acid

Heartburn? Indigestion? Even though commercials might want you to think you have too much acid – you might actually have too little acid for the stomach but too much for the esophagus. Why is this important – right? Just take a pill, pain’s gone and you can go on eating whatever you want.

Too little stomach acid creates the symptoms of heart burn. The body is designed to control the flow of acid through a feedback mechanism of the pH level. This is the level that indicates whether something is acid (lower numbers) or if it is alkaline (higher number). The valve that controls flow of acid is controlled by the acid pH – when the pH is too high (not acid enough for the stomach) the valve opens. Acid pH should be low – too high means the stomach acid is actually diluted however it is still able to burn the sensitive tissues of the esophagus. This means the stomach acid you need to break down protein and other foods is ineffective. This causes problems all along the GI tract. Heartburn could be your body’s way of warning you that there is a problem in your gut. Listen to your body. Turning off the signal is not making the problem go away.

When food is not digested in the stomach it passes through the colon partially digested and ends up sitting in your lower bowel. Too little stomach acid is also a risk factor for overgrowth of yeast. The term hypochlorhydria, means too little stomach acid. Over time as digestion continues to fail, you may end up feeling older than you really are even when you think you are doing the right things.

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Enzymes are great natural ways to improve digestion