r. Those over 50 years old are at high risk for low stomach acid. It is estimated that about 75% of those over 60 have low stomach acid.
Those with allergies, asthma, and gallstones are also at increased risk for low stomach acid. Most chronic illnesses result in low stomach acid. In fact, in a recent study, the hydrochloric acid levels of “healthy” college students’ were measured, before and after getting the flu and periodically thereafter. The study showed that it took an average of 2 months for their HCL levels to return to their pre-flu levels.
How is low stomach acid diagnosed or identified?
The gold standard for determining low stomach acid is the Heidelberg test. This test has the patient swallow a tiny capsule, that contains a microtransmitter that measures the baseline pH (acid/alkaline level) of the stomach. The lower the pH, the more acidic. Next, the patient drinks a baking soda solution, and the transmitter measures the drop in acidity. The pH is recorded long enough to see how soon the stomach acid recovers to high acid levels.
There are comparison studies that compared symptoms of low stomach acid and blood tests with Heidelberg test measurements. The findings showed that symptoms of low stomach acid were often more important than Heidlelberg measurements in determining the need for HCL. The symptoms are:
- loss of appetite for high protein foods
- “acid stomach” relieved by eating
- bad breath and body odor
- gas shortly after eating
- indigestion 30 minutes to an hour after eating that lasts up to 4 hours,
- frequent visible undigested food in the stools
- difficulty digesting fruits or vegetables
- acid and spicy foods cause stomach upset
Jonathan Wright, MD, a pioneer in natural health care, has tested thousands of patients with the Heidelberg test. He has noted the following additional symptoms:
- slow hair growth
- chipping or cracking fingernails
- leg cramping
- nutrient deficiencies of folic acid, B6, B12, magnesium, calcium, iron and zinc
The stomach mixes food with HCL to break up large food paticles into smaller ones. HCL also breaks up food into its components for safe delivery to the small intestine. This helps prevent food allergies and is associated with decreased allergy responses.Stomach acid is needed to cordinate signals to the nervous system for opening and closing the lower esophageal sphincter (the muscular-valve from the esophagus to the stomach). HCL is also necessary to effectively coordinate the stomach’s exit valve, the pyloric sphincter, for opening and closing for passage of food into the beginning of the small intestine. Proper coordination of these valves prevents acid reflux, and GERD.Just about all foods we eat have a small amount of foreign bacteria. Unless the bacteria are enough to cause symptoms, we often don’t even notice it because the HCL kills the foreign bacteria. Some foreign bacteria are more harmful than others. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is one of those more harmful. It is the causative agent of stomach ulcers. If H. Pylori remains in the stomach for long enough, it is directly implicated as causing stomach cancer. H. Pylori also lowers stomach acid. Low stomach acid predisposes to H. Pylori infection and other GI bacterial, yeast and parasitic infections 1. Stomach HCL also prevents pathogens from getting down farther into the small and large intestines.According to Dr. Wright, “it’s been my clinical observation that calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, chromium, selenium, manganese, vanadium, molybdenum, cobalt, and many other “micro-trace” elements are not nearly as well-absorbed in those with poor stomach acid as it is in those whose acid levels are normal.”What are the indirect functions of HCL?
The stomach also produces digestive enzymes to help break down proteins into amino acids. Pepsinogen is released in coordination with HCL, which helps change pepsinogen into the enzyme pepsin. Pepsin is the gastric digestive enzyme.
Special cells in the stomach working properly are also necessary for vitamin B12 absorption. These special cells require HCL