# Cause of low Stomach Acid..



## Beggiatoa

*Causes of low Stomach Acid..*

Deficient L-histidine.

Low Stomach HCL can lead to:

Osteoporosis
Candida
Malabsorption and subsequent deficiencies
bad breath
gas, belching, bloating after eating carbs..

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11781289

Ya man...I had a gut feeling about this

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ISW/is_2001_Nov/ai_79757242/pg_3?tag=artBody;col1


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## proximo20

i think this research is related to this

Are Anxiety and Depression Related to Gastrointestinal Symptoms in the General Population?

"Conclusions: In this population study there was a strong relationship between gastrointestinal symptoms, anxiety disorders and depression. These findings suggest that mental disorders in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms are not merely a consequence of selection bias in patient materials but connected to the symptoms themselves."

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/apl/sgas/2002/00000037/00000003/art00007?crawler=true


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## Beggiatoa

Thanks for the link. I know you discovered your problems were due to low HCL a while back. I tell ya. I"m slow to come around. But you were right. Did you post anything about this before? Could you re-link?

good info on this site

http://www.townsendletter.com/July2004/unseenepidemic0704.htm

"Possibly as a result of the overall over-consumption of food by the population, the lack of gastric acidity seems to have little effect on absorption of fat and carbohydrates"

which explains why people with low stomach acid tend to gain weight easily. However, there is a problem with the absorption of proteins...which explains why I have hypotonia and can't seem to build muscle at the gym...no matter how much protein I eat.


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## Beggiatoa

-from wiki

"Supplementation of Histidine has been shown to cause rapid zinc excretion in rats with an excretion rate 3 to 6 times normal. [2][3]Some people take histidine in an attempt to raise their histamine levels. Histamine is released under conditions of higher osmolality (dehydration\salt). Raising histamine may be more effective by adapting the body to a higher osmolality by eating sodium without greatly increasing water intake and taking supplements that help the body adapt to those conditions (zinc\taurine\B1\B12). Histidine supplementation likely tricks the body into believing it is producing less histamine and assumes it is well or overhydrated and is better off without the nutrients used to maintain cellular hydration in a hyperosmotic state. Histidine supplementation however is inadvisable because one of the hallmarks of today's chronic diseases (diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's) is zinc depletion."

"Histidine can convert to histamine, which is a major neurotransmitter in your brain & throughout parts of your nervous system. However, histidine intake does not always increase brain histamine, Low brain histamine levels are associated with hyperactivity, mania, paranoia, hallucinations, & abnormal thoughts. Many brain functions of histamine are poorly understood but it is thought to participate in the secretion of 2 hormones, (prolactin & antidiuretic). It is thought to aid temperature regulation & be involved in the control of automatic nerve response in the central nervous system.*

Vitamin E deficiency will cause the depletion of histidine from muscles. Histidine is involved with the regulation of zinc levels in your body. If zinc is excessive it will lower histidine; if histidine is excessive it will decrease zinc levels. But appropriate levels of histidine enhance zinc levels.* "

http://www.thewayup.com/products/0059.cfm

Salt is the raw material needed to manufacture stomach acid. Stomach acid is hydrochloric acid that is necessary to digest food, ensure absorption of minerals, activate pepsin (protein digestive enzyme produced by the stomach) and activate the "intrinsic factor" necessary to absorb vitamin B12.

Restricted salt intakes will make you heat intolerant and over the long term will result in digestive problems including belching, burping, intestinal gas and G.E.R.D. (gastro esophageal reflux disease).

Restricted salt diets with the resultant hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid) will increase risks of nutritional deficiency diseases including obesity (reduced absorption of minerals increases the munchies), diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, osteoporosis, kidney stones, cataracts, fibromyalgia, etc.


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## proximo20

ginger is increasing the stomach acid. On the other hand magnesium reduces stomach acid production. 

Also silica as it is related body ph and thiamin is related stomach acid. 

for every problem of mine I encounter silica or thiamin somewhere on the research. Could not find if those two are related yet.


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## Beggiatoa

I know magnesium increases the stomach PH. That's why I switched to magnesium malate. Hopefully the malic acid content will help with this. I'm curious though, I've been taking magnesium lactate (lactic acid). Should the lactic acid help acidify my gut and stomach?

I found this online. Mag lactate is used as a buffer in food preparations. So in the stomach, it should act as a buffer and reduce the alkalinization brought on by the magnesium. In short, the combo. should not affect the pH of the stomach all too much.


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## proximo20

about silica

today i had this horsetail which provides some silica and as you said I am much more comfortable.

Today I shouted from the back of the bus to the driver how much we were going to wait and then I walked out of the bus because I was not tired as usual. 

Plus I feel like my gait has changed. i move easily, breath easy, no sleep after meals.

wonderful but i need to learn the supp you were using and where did you buy it.

I dont want to use horsetail as i dont know how it effects the estrogen level(phytoestrogen) or insulin level.

"Silica is an essential mineral for healthy hair, skin and teeth and to protect against baldness, infection, poor vision, mental fatigue and nervous exhaustion. It is vital in the formation of healthy red blood cells and blood circulation. Silica deficiency is often related to the formation of arthritic conditions."


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## Beggiatoa

Cayenne peppers also increase gastric juices, kill candida, increases circulation (this makes other supplements work better). I took 1 gram last night and I could feel the heat going all around my body. It was an interesting experience.

http://diabetes.webmd.com/news/20060714/chili-may-help-tame-insulin-spikes

cayenne peppers also help control insulin spikes in diabetes.

So, proximo, if you think you have hyperinsulinemia, then this is the supp for you

http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?c=1&pid=458&at=0


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## Beggiatoa

Found this at the curezone..

Niacin Deficiency as a source of hypochlorhydria. It can cure it in two weeks, apparently.

http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=839264

Suggested dose is 1-3 grams/day of niacin (in divided doses).

I already have niacinamide. It's worth a try before running out and buying more supplements for digestion. I do have Betaine HCL on the way though.

This provides more evidence for this matter
http://www.orthomolecular.org/library/jom/2001/articles/2001-v16n04-p225.shtml

"Individuals having a vitamin B3 dependency tend to have disturbances in mood (e.g., anxiety, depression and fatigue), and vague somatic complaints,....The primary somatic complaints of individuals with vitamin B3 dependency are be gastrointestinal disturbances with hypochlorhydria."

"...histamine release caused by the niacin might have influenced a greater release of HCl from the gastric parietal cells."

This is really good reading

"When an individual is stressed, their requirements for vitamin B3 will need to increase, due to increased amounts of adrenalin (epinephrine) being released from the adrenal medulla, creating more oxidized adrenalin.44 To convert the increased oxidized adrenalin back to original adrenalin, the reducing ability of NAD is necessary, and thus the need for more vitamin B3."

Since we are usually stressed and have high adrenaline, our B3 is depleted faster and that will further lower stomach HCL.

"Vitamin B3 is critical for the maintenance of optimal parietal cell function and is integral for the production of ATP that drives HCl secretion."


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## Beggiatoa

I want to add my experience tonight.

I made a heavy whole wheat pasta dinner with chicken hearts (yum!), mushrooms, tomatoes, apples, turmeric, coconut oil, celtic salt and walnut oil. After eating, I felt stuffed and bloating. I also started having burps and gas. After 20 minutes, I still had this heavy feeling in my stomach. I then took 1 gram of niacinamide and within 20 minutes or so, the gas was gone and the belching stopped. I also heard stomach grumbling sounds (a good sign!) which I hadn't heard in a long time. So it appears, this stuff really works!

To think, I almost threw away 2 bottles of niacinamide the other day. I was taking resveratrol for longevity reasons and niacinamide counters this effect. I'm glad I didn't...I'll just stop the resveratrol for now.


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## Beggiatoa

Grrrr.r.r.......Damn this world! Nothing is without consequence.

From Linus Pauling website

"Nicotinamide

Nicotinamide is generally better tolerated than nicotinic acid. It does not generally cause flushing. However, nausea, vomiting, and signs of liver toxicity (elevated liver enzymes, jaundice) have been observed at doses of 3 grams/day (33). Nicotinamide has resulted in decreased insulin sensitivity at doses of 2 grams/day in adults at high risk for insulin-dependent diabetes (20). "

So at the doses they recommend to treat low stomach acid, it can cause liver toxicity, jaundice and decreased insulin resistance (which could lead to hyperinsulinemia)

GRrrrrreat!


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## Noca

I have too much, I have to take proton pump inhibitors to stop acid reflux.


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## Beggiatoa

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/...nel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

This study says these side effects are confined to sustained released formulas of niacin and are largely exaggerated.


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## Beggiatoa

Noca said:


> I have too much, I have to take proton pump inhibitors to stop acid reflux.


You're only making it worse. You think you have too much because ir refluxes up the esophagus and causes burning, right? This is caused by a whole other mechanism. It is usually caused by LOW stomach acid. My mom has this and it keeps her up at night. I gave her ONE tablespoon L-glutamine in water....she slept like a baby. Glutamine actually helps tighten the sphincter to prevent reflux.


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## Beggiatoa

Ahhhhhh for get it! Large doses niacin can cause homocysteinuria, blurred vision, liver damage, diabetes problems...

Too bad..this seemed to good to be true. NEXT!


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## proximo20

In this context ginger,garlic can be also considered. I don't think it is a coincidense that these things also work against candida.


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## Beggiatoa

I bought a ginger extract. I will start to use it. On the other hand, I started using a cayenne extract I bought, man..this is powerful stuff.


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## Beggiatoa

Found another supplement that's supposed to increase dopamine and norepinephrine naturally

http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?c=1&pid=711&at=0

NAD is a coenzyme needed all over the body. Actually, my previous idea of using high dose Niacin was really about NAD. Niacin gets converted in the body into niacinamide and then into NAD. So, maybe supplementing with NAD will also increase HCL???

"Both forms of vitamin B3 are precursors to NAD+, which is then converted to the energy-rich reduced coenzyme, NADH, that plays a critical role in complex I of the mitochondrial respiratory chain.54 Half the parietal cell volume is occupied by mitochondria,55 making the parietal cells the largest storehouse of mitochondria among all eukaryotic cells.56 Basic biochemistry has revealed to us that the free energy produced by oxidative phosphorylation within the mitochondria is used to produce ATP. A report by Spenney,55 elucidating the mechanisms of HCl secretion, has shown it to be an ATP-dependent process. The ATP synthesized from mitochondrial energy, once stimulated to breakdown, mediates HCl secretion, and provides the necessary fuel that facilitates the exchange of K+ for H+ occurring within the canalicular membrane of the parietal cell.55 Chloride ions are also actively transported into the lumen of the parietal cell where they combine with hydrogen ions to form HCl.5"


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## proximo20

Women veterans have high prevalence of IBS and dyspepsia symptoms, both of which are highly associated with presence of depression, anxiety and PTSD.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18785989

Many patients with nonulcer dyspepsia have multiple somatic complaints, as well as symptoms of anxiety and depression.

http://www.aafp.org/afp/20040701/107.html

Well I think this is vice versa when we are stressed it is harder to digest.

But I believe that the main cause of anxiety is poor digestion. I mean how can I interact with people if my whole energy is used for digestion.

After poor digestion comes the deficiencies. I don't know why a digestive system works slow. It may change from person to person just like our brains. Maybe genetic.

But having acid reflux does not mean you are digesting properly it is the opposite actually.


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## proximo20

the whole abstract

Studies of dyspepsia show a 1% to 2% prevalence in adults, and 25% to 40% of these patients do not have a physical reason for their symptoms. These findings prompted us to do a retrospective follow-up study of 390 patients having motility studies for chest pain and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms; 278 (71%) responded. Patients were asked to complete a self-rating symptom questionnaire regarding current GI symptoms and current symptoms of anxiety, panic, and depression; they were also asked to complete the Brief Symptom Inventory. Two groups were compared--those with known heart disease and those without heart disease. Substantial numbers of patients in both groups satisfied criteria for generalized anxiety disorders (> 70%), panic disorder (> 30%), and major depression (> 35%). GI symptoms compatible with nonulcer dyspepsia were strongly associated with a psychiatric diagnosis. Our data suggest that anxiety and depressive states are strongly associated with dyspepsia and other GI symptoms not caused by ulcer disease.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8506484


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## c-kat

Beggiatoa said:


> Deficient L-histidine.
> 
> Low Stomach HCL can lead to:
> 
> Osteoporosis
> Candida
> Malabsorption and subsequent deficiencies
> bad breath
> gas, belching, bloating after eating carbs..
> 
> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11781289
> 
> Ya man...I had a gut feeling about this
> 
> http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ISW/is_2001_Nov/ai_79757242/pg_3?tag=artBody;col1


Hi. Have you tried the HCL yet and how did you feel? I have horrible acid reflux, 24/7 indigestion and anxiety and was positive I needed HCL - but when I tried it it felt like my stomach was burning...so I haven't taken any since. I would love to here what your experience was with it. Did it burn when you took it? How long did it take to work, etc.

Thanks


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## proximo20

c-kat said:


> Hi. Have you tried the HCL yet and how did you feel? I have horrible acid reflux, 24/7 indigestion and anxiety and was positive I needed HCL - but when I tried it it felt like my stomach was burning...so I haven't taken any since. I would love to here what your experience was with it. Did it burn when you took it? How long did it take to work, etc.
> 
> Thanks


I have similar experiences with betaine hcl.

You can try digestive enzyme formulas they have less hcl.

Turmeric is also good for proper digestion.


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## Beggiatoa

I've been using it with good results. At first, I felt a burning sensation in my stomach as well. Think about it, your stomach was accustomed to less acid for a while and introducing more was something unexected. Maybe it started producing less mucus or something. I don't know. Keep using the minimum dose. If one pill still makes you burn after a few tries, then I would discontinue it. Anyways, I played around with the doses and now I can even take it on an empty stomach without feeling anything.

You know, proximo was the first to suggest the idea of low stomach acid. If it weren't for him, I would have never thought of this.

I'm also planning to buy this http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?c=1&pid=6199&at=0 whenever they get it back in stock.

Before using digestive enzymes, high protein meals felt heavy and I had this feeling that the food just sat there. I felt full for a long time. With carbs, I would get a lot of gas and bloating. The HCL and enzymes took care of both those problems. It's just a pain having to use it everytime I eat anything. I ran out of the HCL and have to order some. Anytime I eat any fat (cashews, fish oil) I get that heaviness again.

I've also been using L-histidine but I can't say if it's helping or not. I have to dedicate more time to researching the best way to use it.

The last post I made about boosting the immune system. I talked about Diamond V XPC. I forgot the mention this but one of the benefits everyone seemed to have with this product was better digestion. Some even reported no needing digestive enzymes any longer. I"ve read low stomach acid can be caused by H. pylori and a type of virus that resides in the stomach (parvovirus?). Maybe there's something to that supplement.

http://www.socialanxietysupport.com/forum/f11/found-something-to-help-the-immune-system-54645/


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## proximo20

I think regular food does not trigger my stomach to secrete acid. So I am taking turmeric or other spices to increase it. It is not just indigestion it is the lack of production.


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## Beggiatoa

proximo20 said:


> I think regular food does not trigger my stomach to secrete acid. So I am taking turmeric or other spices to increase it. It is not just indigestion it is the lack of production.


I read that taking one cayenne pills before you eat preps your stomach for food intake.


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## c-kat

Beggiatoa said:


> I've been using it with good results. At first, I felt a burning sensation in my stomach as well. Think about it, your stomach was accustomed to less acid for a while and introducing more was something unexected. Maybe it started producing less mucus or something. I don't know. Keep using the minimum dose. If one pill still makes you burn after a few tries, then I would discontinue it. Anyways, I played around with the doses and now I can even take it on an empty stomach without feeling anything.
> 
> http://www.socialanxietysupport.com/forum/f11/found-something-to-help-the-immune-system-54645/


Thank you for mentioning this. When I first got the burning i thought that maybe the acid reflux was caused by too much acid but all of my symptoms seem to fit the low acid condition. However, I also wondered if the HCL caused the burning because I was not used to it and am glad you mentiond that as well. It gives me hope that you found it burned a little at first too but then it worked. I am going to start it again this weekend.


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## c-kat

proximo20 said:


> I have similar experiences with betaine hcl.
> 
> You can try digestive enzyme formulas they have less hcl.
> 
> Turmeric is also good for proper digestion.


Did your body adjust to the HCL in time? I have tried tumeric and found it helpful, but only if I eat it as a spice not in capsule form and its hard to cook with all of the time.

I like the idea of HCL as a friend of mine said that after six months she was able to go off of it and has had no digestive problems since - her body now produces the acid on its own. However, her symtoms were different than mine.

I didn't find digestive enzymes helpful. I think I may just need the acid.

I don't want to make the reflux worse as I don't want to cause any more damage.


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## proximo20

c-kat said:


> Did your body adjust to the HCL in time? I have tried tumeric and found it helpful, but only if I eat it as a spice not in capsule form and its hard to cook with all of the time.
> 
> I like the idea of HCL as a friend of mine said that after six months she was able to go off of it and has had no digestive problems since - her body now produces the acid on its own. However, her symtoms were different than mine.
> 
> I didn't find digestive enzymes helpful. I think I may just need the acid.
> 
> I don't want to make the reflux worse as I don't want to cause any more damage.


This is a serious subject, if the stomach is already too acidic the person may be hospitalized because of stomach bleeding.

If you are feeling more comfortable by eating spicy food I think you probably have low stomach acid. But you may want to consult a doctor about this.

Besides turmeric, red pepper, basil, black pepper are the other spices that 
I use. Mustard also helped with my digestion.

Nope, my stomach is not producing its own acid yet.

Also sugar and dairy have the opposite effect of these spices.


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## striker

- I suffer from the same thing (food allergies, not hungry, used to have acid reflux etc)
add social anxiety to the list. 
Used to suffer from excessive sweating & acid reflux. I changed my diet and now this is
fixed.

For rekindling hunger, ginger is awesome. Use fresh ginger. 
A simple ayurvedic thing you could do is: Use some ghee, spoonful of ginger and fry along with a bit of coconut. a drops of fresh lemon juice on it
Coconut Chutney 
4 tablespoons roasted desiccated coconut,
juice of ½ fresh lime,
1 inch of fresh ginger,
a pinch of rock salt:

Eat it a couple of spoons 30 mins before eating. (eating a slice of fresh ginger alone before eating would be helpful too, but its strong)

I would be careful eating any spicy stuff (especially peppers) as this increases the heat in the body and makes turns your digestion (ie., its a strong stimulant)

I do a yogic thing called Nauli. Its on Youtube. Increases your Hunger. 





I used to have acid reflux, 
- basically acid coming towards the throat around bed time
- burning sensation close to the heart region.
I fixed this by taking diluted buttermilk (very alkaline) ie., 3 spoons of yogurt mixed with glass of water and little salt.
Also avoid acidic things/hot in diet like chillies, onions, Tomatoes and go easy on any kind of Meat/eggs as this heats up the body.

Also If you guys suffer from sweating then it due to too much heat in the body.


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## proximo20

Thanks Striker,

Are you not the poster that mentioned about candida and sent the test link to the sulfur thread? You should post more they are always striking lol

You might be right some of the spices work like stimulant like cayenne it might be increasing my heart beat. I don't take capsules I add them to the food.

Btw the real delicious cousines do not cook the food like in the US. They add spices and other stuff to add some taste improve digestion. 

But here we eat steak, of course I don't have the stomach of a Caveman. I mean I am not hunter. I eat and go to the library to do research. Then people have to drink coke or something but it is not for us either because of the caffeine.


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## c-kat

So, I just tried taking one HCL at dinner tonight. I put it off due to anxiety over whether I needed it or not. 

It did not burn so that is a good thing...but I did get heartburn/reflux...but I get that after every meal and I don't think I can expect it to work this fast. Also, I ate an omlette and usually don't eat fried food or eggs but we needed groceries and we are having a snow storm so my options are limited. I will try another with a protein meal tomorrow.

I had anxiety all day and noticed that when I took the HCL my anxiety decreased, so this is a good thing. I know low HCL can be linked to anxiety so it makes sense.

Many of you mention always being full? Is that a symtom of low HCL? I am the oposite -- always hungry but have all the other symtoms of low HCL, so I still think I have it. Apparently adult acne and tingling limbs plus burping reflux, bloating, food sitting in stomach etc. can all be low HCL and I do have all of those symptoms.

I friend of mine took it for 6 months and now doesn't need it. Her candida, acne, digestive problems and fatigue all vanished after taking it. Sounds promising.

It is not easy trying to figure all of this out.


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## striker

"I had anxiety all day and noticed that when I took the HCL my anxiety decreased, so this is a good thing. I know low HCL can be linked to anxiety so it makes sense."

any reference this online or links for the same??


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## Noca

Beggiatoa said:


> You're only making it worse. You think you have too much because ir refluxes up the esophagus and causes burning, right? This is caused by a whole other mechanism. It is usually caused by LOW stomach acid. My mom has this and it keeps her up at night. I gave her ONE tablespoon L-glutamine in water....she slept like a baby. Glutamine actually helps tighten the sphincter to prevent reflux.


I didnt choose to be on Nexium alone, my doctor put me on it for heartburn and I can say that it stops my heartburn. Apparently it also heals the esophagus. I may very well have Low stomach acid. Ill find out next June when I get to finally see a gastroentologist.


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## Beggiatoa

When I ran out of HCL and enzymes last month I didn't buy it again. Not sure why. Since then, I've gained a few pounds. Just interesting.


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## mookoo_

I have been taking roughly 3 hcl capsules with each meal for the past week. Has anyone read the expected timeframe for the user to see change? If I am low on stomach acid and have suffered from poor digestion etc should I see instant results?

Thanks


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## Beggiatoa

Mook,

First thing you should notice if you had these problems is less gas and a diminished feeling of fulness after eating. Everything else will take time.


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## mookoo_

Thanks for the prompt reply Beggiatoa. 

What I have noticed is I can take 3-4 capsules with a meal and not feel uncomfortable. Is this a sufficient way of identifying whether low stomach acid is the cause of my anxiety, depression and other concerns? 

I am thinking of getting the Heidelberg test done to confirm this. Has anyone had this test done and come away with better understanding of what is causing stomach issues, etc?


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## Beggiatoa

Mook,

If you can get tested for something and confirm a diagnosis, do it. It's always better to know for sure than to shoot blanks in the dark 

You also made a good point. What is the order of things? Does the indigestion cause the anxiety or vice versa? But what causes the low HCL? You'll have to figure that out. That's why it's good to list all your symptoms and medical problems to try and figure out a timeline. This will help you get to root cause of everything and treating that will resolve all other problems. I did this myself and found that chronic infection is probably to blame. I think I have Lyme disease but I need to get tested to confirm this.


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## mookoo_

Beggiatoa: It is hard for me to tell whether indigestion causes anxiety or vice versa. I believe I have suffered from both as far back as I can remember. Since I have attempted to treat anxiety with mixed success I figure I might as well try the other path.

Striker: You stated you fixed acid reflux and excessive sweating by changing your diet. Can you please be more specific as to the changes you made?


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## Lauralight

*Low Stomach Acid I think here too*

I've just gotten completely on HCL, I'm glad to have found this chat about it online. I lost weight, and had multiple symptoms of low acid and didn't do well on acid reducers really either. If anyone wants to chat more, please respond or email me privately at [email protected]


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## proximo20

Lauralight said:


> I've just gotten completely on HCL, I'm glad to have found this chat about it online. I lost weight, and had multiple symptoms of low acid and didn't do well on acid reducers really either. If anyone wants to chat more, please respond or email me privately at


Is that a spam? Why does she give her e-mail for private chat? Why not share her experiences here like we all do?


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