Why to take Betaine Hydrochloride
Gastric acid is a digestive fluid secreted in the stomach from special acid pumps. Your healthy stomach pH is between 1.35 to 2 without food, and 3.5 with food. Stomach acid is comprised of hydrochloric acid (HCl) (around 0.5%, or 5000 parts per million), and large quantities of potassium chloride (KCl) and sodium chloride (NaCl) fueling the acid pumps.
The diagnosis of hypochlorhydria is an extremely important if you are suffering from GERD, vitamin or mineral deficiencies.
Most Medical doctors believe the hype of marketing companies which promote the notion that an acidic stomach is something that needs to be managed with pharmaceutical medicines. This creates a condition known as achlorhydria and goes complete opposite to their training in biochemistry.
The purpose of supplementing with Betaine Hydrochloride is to reverse your body’s deficiency in hydrochloric acid. When one has hypochlorhydria/ low stomach pH, the following can be expected:
- Candida
- Intestinal parasites
- Mineral deficiencies
- B-Vitamin deficiencies
- Poor protein digestion
- Poor overall digestion
The effectiveness of drugs which suppress stomach acid is creating an epidemic of malabsorption of nutrients, increasing the need to use vitamin and mineral supplements, and encouraging the use of antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial drugs. This epidemic can be stopped by allowing the body’s pH to be corrected through proper supplementation.
The Roles of Proper Stomach pH
Potentially harmful micro-organisms present on food are sterilized by our stomach’s pH. Thus reducing our risk of being colonized by harmful micro-organism we all ingest daily.
Proper pH in the stomach helps leach minerals from the food we ingest, such examples being calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc.
Stomach acid lowers the pH, allowing the enzyme pepsin to start breaking down protein molecules and also activates that same enzyme (pepsin) which is required for protein digestion.
Stomach acid plays an important role in the digestion and absorption of vitamins, e.g., B-complex vitamins, including folic acid.
The rhythmical contraction of the intestines, that crush and move food through the GI track, called peristalsis, is triggered by the stomach acid.
The closing pyloric sphincter—the valve which holds stomach contents until they are ready to flow down to the intestines—is initiated by the stomach acid. The pyloric sphincter works in exactly the opposite way as the Lower esophageal sphincter. This is nature’s way of ensuring that food is properly digested before it flows through the rest of the gastrointestinal system.
(When the pH of your stomach is accurate, food transited time should be about 2 hours. If the transit time is greater than 2 hours, then in all likelihood your pH is insufficient and you cannot digest your food properly. )
Deficiencies Stomach pH
Some people actually have a condition known as achlorhydria, in which a person produces low or no stomach acid. Low stomach acid levels can be genetic or acquired. Food components that should be digested and absorbed in the upper intestines, when not processed properly; pass through into the lower intestines providing fuel for harmful micro-organisms, therefore increasing the numbers. Low stomach acid causes gastrointestinal overgrowth of pathogens, malabsorption of minerals, vitamins and amino acids, and food sensitivities. Most alternative practitioners believe that this condition is relatively common, particularly in people who demonstrate:
- Acid Indigestion
- Acne Rosacea
- Addison’s Disease
- Arthritis (Both Rheumatoid Arthritis And Osteoarthritis)
- Asthma
- Bloating
- Brittle Hair
- Brittle Nails
- Celiac Disease
- Diabetes
- Eczema
- Fingernails Crack Easily
- Food Allergies
- Frequent belching, feeling full and feeling like the food just isn’t moving along after eating
- Frequently Taking Antacid Drugs
- Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease (Gerd)
- Gum Inflammation And Receding Gums (Periodontitis)
- H. Pylori Infection
- Increased Risk Of Heart Attack
- Indigestion
- Intolerance To Certain Foods (Get Gassy When Eating Certain Foods)
- Lupus Erythematosus
- Pernicious Anemia
(Too Little Vitamin B12)
- Thyroid Disease
- Tic Douloureux,
- Tiredness
- Vitiligo (a disorder that causes depigmentation of patches of skin)
How Does The Acid Get Into The Stomach?
Hydrochloric acid is secreted by special cells in the stomach wall. There is always some amount of acid being produced, but acid pumps really produce when food enters the stomach. Hydrochloric acid prepares food for digestion, especially proteins.
Hydrochloric acid activates pepsinogen into the enzyme pepsin. Normally proteins exist in a tightly coiled globular structure; acids denature dietary protein which then results in the protein unraveling into a more linear structure. This then allows enzymes access to the peptide bonds so the protein can be broken down later after the food is in the small intestine.
The resulting highly acidic environment in the stomach lumen causes proteins from food to lose their characteristic folded structure (or denature). This exposes the protein's peptide bonds. The chief cells of the stomach secrete enzymes for protein breakdown (inactive pepsinogen and rennin). Hydrochloric acid activates pepsinogen into the enzyme pepsin, which then helps digestion by breaking the bonds linking amino acids, a process known as proteolysis. In addition, many microorganisms have their growth inhibited by such an acidic environment, which is helpful to prevent infection.
Hydrochloric acid prepares pepsin and bile activity. Above pH of 4.0, stomach enzymes and bile acids are inactive. Once stomach acid lowers pH to less than 4.0, pepsin and bile acids becomes active. This is why those on acid reflux medications often get sicker over time. In the beginning, symptoms of reflux lessen but their overall health and digestion becomes less than optimal, and some patients will start to exhibit a disease state.
In The Small Intestine
The pH is increased above 4 this allows the pancreatic enzymes e.g Trypsin and chymotrypsin to continue to digest the protein structure, breaking down the nutrients into absorbed matter.
Conclusion
Our bodies are designed to have an acidic stomach. When our stomachs are neutral or alkaline this begins a disease state. A non-acidic stomach causes everything from diarrhea to osteoporosis in the human body. If you are trying to correct your health, the first thing you should consider is the pH of your stomach. One of the simple facts is that the body is based upon good nutrition. A person can eat the very best food in the world but unless the nutrients are digested all they have achieved is expensive stool water. Nutrients must be absorbed in order to provide benefit.
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