How To Safely and Naturally RAISE Stomach Acid

Most CONVENTIONALLY trained doctors assume you have TOO MUCH stomach acid and prescribe ACID BLOCKERS to SUPPRESS or LOWER your stomach acid. They rarely, if ever, acknowledge the REAL problem, which is POOR DIGESTION, or TOO LOW STOMACH ACID, which results in similar symptoms. In contrast, FUNCTIONAL/FOUNDATIONAL medicine doctors can help you RAISE your STOMACH ACID by helping you understand and address the nutritional deficiencies and environmental toxicity that often lead to POOR DIGESTION. This article will discuss How To Safely and Naturally RAISE Stomach Acid.

DIGESTIVE STRESS is extremely common.

Acid reflux, bloating, gas, GERD, IBS, or even something more serious.

Typically, most doctors conclude that SYMPTOMS come from HIGH stomach acid.

Your real problem, however, may be LOW STOMACH ACID.

To get relief, you’ve got to know how to RAISE YOUR STOMACH ACID.

You must discover WHY your digestion system is struggling.

The good news is that the ROOT CAUSES OF POOR DIGESTION AND LOW STOMACH ACID can be uncovered and addressed, but ONLY if you understand the role that NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES, INFECTIONS, TOXICITY and other types of STRESS play in influencing your stomach and overall health.

 

Common Symptoms of LOW Stomach Acid

 

Most people with stomach acid symptoms ASSUME they have HIGH stomach acid, because they think what they are experiencing (the feeling in their stomach) is the overabundance of acid.

However, POOR DIGESTION, especially of carbohydrates and proteins often gives the same upset stomach. In other words, LOW stomach acid symptoms often look very similar to HIGH stomach acid symptoms.

Here are just a handful of the symptoms of LOW STOMACH ACID:

• Cramping
• Heartburn
• Nausea
• Acid Reflux (Feeling higher in the chest)

The vast majority of people and doctors would conclude you have TOO MUCH stomach acid if you reported these symptoms… They look virtually identical.

However,

The vast majority of people have too little stomach acid, NOT too much.

What you are experiencing is often the FERMENTATION of poorly digested CARBOHYDRATES and the PUTRIFICATION of poorly digested proteins!

What are ROOT CAUSES of low stomach acid?

 

6 Probable Causes of TOO LITTLE Stomach Acid:

 

• Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) of highly refined and processed foods, especially REFINED CARBOHYDRATES which are difficult to FULLY digest
• Mental/Emotional STRESS
• HIDDEN/STEALTH infections, including H. Pylori
• Mineral Deficiencies, most commonly ZINC
• Digestive distress, undigested proteins in stool
• Old Age

FAKE FOOD equals NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCY

Consuming a highly REFINED and PROCESSED FOOD (UNNATURAL) diet is, by definition, a NUTRITIONALLY DEFICIENT way to eat.

It is not REAL food you are consuming, merely COMMERCIALLY MANUFACTURED substances.

Since your ENTIRE body REQUIRES a massive amount of REAL nutrients, stomach acid, a vital fluid, is no exception.

 

Mental/Emotion STRESS

We are not talking about the normal, everyday challenges with family or work that your mind and body can handle. These temporary, or ACUTE instances of everyday challenges are ones to which your body can adapt. In fact, it may even become stronger because of them.

What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right?

However, CHRONIC overwhelming STRESS never allows us to recover.

We are in a constant ‘fight or flight’ state, as our nervous system is on heightened alert, as if we were being attacked or chased by a wild animal 24/7. Of course, it is not a REAL threat, but our nervous system perceives it that way, since it is constant and overwhelming.

This has MANY negative affects on whole body physiology.

One of the first, and most devastating effects on human biology is that under CHRONIC STRESS, healthy blood flow to all of your digestive organs is compromised. The blood flow is diverted from these organs into the muscles of the arms or legs, so that we can protect ourselves, run or fight.

 Unfortunately, less blood flow to the organs of digestion ALSO means less vital fluids, like STOMACH ACID, are produced.

 

1. Pylori INFECTION

If you’ve ever had an H. Pylori infection, you know how much of a pain it is.

Often this is the cause of ulcers, and in some cases, STOMACH CANCER.

The reason this is linked to low stomach acid is because stomach acid, obviously, is extremely acidic. This acidity creates an environment in which bacteria are unable to survive.

If there is inadequate stomach acid, there is an opportunity for bad bacteria to not only SURVIVE, but to THRIVE.

Increasing your stomach acid can help create an environment that is INHOSPITABLE for hidden infections, including, but not limited to H. Pylori.

 

Severe Mineral Deficiencies, especially ZINC

ZINC is an essential TRACE MINERAL, and considered a CO-FACTOR necessary to produce adequate stomach acid. In fact, zinc is the most essential mineral needed to produce stomach acid.

Therefore, if ZINC is unavailable in the correct quality or QUANTITY, because it is one of the RAW MATERIALS or BUILDING BLOCKS for stomach acid, then poor quality stomach acid may never get produced.

If you’re consuming a highly refined Standard American Diet, there is virtually no chance you are getting adequate zinc and minerals from your FAKE food.

 

Digestive Distress – UNDIGESTED FOOD IN STOOL

Your bowel movements may indicate poor or inefficient stomach acid.

If you’re chewing properly and breaking down food in the mouth, well, you should not have undigested food in your stool.

However, if you have low stomach acid, it is probable that you will end up with undigested food in your stool.

 

OLD AGE

Your body’s natural production of stomach acid usually decreases with age, unless special attention is given to how you nourish it.

Typically, MOST seniors, especially those over the age of 65, will experience symptoms of LOW stomach acid and will need to increase it for OPTIMAL digestion.

This is also a critical time as the elderly also REQUIRE MORE PROTEIN to keep their muscles from WASTING AWAY as a natural consequence of aging. Adding more protein without the ability to properly digest that protein will PREVENT those important protein molecules to be absorbed and assimilated into healthy MUSCLE TISSUE.

So, since HIGHER, more adequate STOMACH ACID is critical for OPTIMAL DIGESTION and HEALTH, the question naturally becomes…

 

How DO you increase stomach acid?

 

How to SAFELY and NATURALLY INCREASE STOMACH ACID

Nervous Mind Equals Nervous Stomach So Eat when You Are Calm

If you are EMOTIONALLY/PSYCHOLOGICALLY STRESSED… You’re not digesting your food properly.

This stressed, sympathetic state draws blood and resources away from the digestive system. Your body prioritizes dealing with stress (SURVIVAL) over digesting food.

However, if you eat in a calm, RELAXED state of mind, the body is prepared to digest. Saliva flows easily. The brain is able to send chemical signals to the rest of the digestive system to properly secrete digestive enzymes.

That’s why the parasympathetic state, or calm state, is often referred to as “rest and digest” state.

Here are a few tips to get into a RELAXED state of mind (and body) before eating:

First, take a few deep breaths.

Not only is it important to FOCUS on eating in a calm state, we also have to thoroughly chew our food.

 

Chew your Food

Chew 20 times, minimally and then swallow.

This can help STIMULATE your low stomach acid.

Also, eat smaller meals. If you’re eating very, very large meals, you’re not going to allow your body to heal.

 

Take Digestive Enzymes

One simple step you want to start taking to improve your stomach acid are non-synthetic DIGESTIVE ENZYMES.

Digestive enzymes will help you fully break down those nutrients you ingest.

Add HCL (HYDROCHLORIC ACID)

Now, hydrochloric acid is naturally created in your stomach. That is the main substance that creates a very acidic environment. But if you’re deficient in HCL, and stomach acid itself, that’s not going to allow you to break down things like protein.

 

Eat Clean

The SAD (Standard American Diet) high in refined carbohydrates and processed foods is not only nutrient-deficient, it is also INFLAMMATORY.

A NATURAL, WHOLE FOODS, ‘CLEAN’ diet can often improve symptoms of poor stomach acid all by itself.

 

FERMENTED FOODS, like sauerkraut, pickles and kimchi, also help to support digestion.

Fermented foods are high in beneficial probiotics.

There’s another benefit, however, lactic acid.

When you eat some sauerkraut before or with dinner, you give your stomach a little acid support.

 

ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar)

One of the easiest and most effective things you can do to start to balance this pH in your stomach is us APPLE CIDER VINEGAR (ACV) right before your meals. Apple cider vinegar is a great natural remedy because apple cider vinegar has a very low pH in balance with your stomach.

This is the most obvious way to do increase stomach acid.

You can take anywhere from a teaspoon to a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Taken right before meals, this will help bring the pH of your stomach down (that means a higher acid content) to more easily digest your food.

 

Stomach Health and TOXICITY in the Body

ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL TOXICITY (including HEAVY METALS and PESTICIDES) is a potentially hazardous condition from TOXINS IN OUR ENVIRONMENT.

Environmental Toxins are synthetic chemicals that disrupt our biology. They often mimic our hormones, our ENDOCRINE SYSTEM, acting as endocrine disruptors.

While they can certainly alter the delicate balance of STOMACH ACID, they are more problematic that just that alone.

They have been linked to cancer and the development of other CHRONIC diseases.

This includes the increased prevalence of Autism, Alzheimer’s and other extremely debilitating neurological disorders.

Even though they have NEVER been fully evaluated for long-term safety, they have the potential to wreak havoc on the body.

Some types are more destructive than others, but all do some degree of harm.

The REAL problem is…

We live in a sea of toxicity.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS ARE EVERYWHERE!

 

They saturate the soil, water, air, household products, cosmetics AND our food chain. MANY of the products that fill the shelves of your local grocery store and FULL of all kinds of environmental TOXINS.

They have been called ‘FOREVER CHEMICALS’, because they can persist in the environment for years without breaking down.

 

Advanced Testing for TOXICITY in the Body

In many cases, TOXICITY can be DIRECTLY addressed. (See OPTIMIZING DETOXIFICATION PROTOCOL information below)

However, without ADVANCED TESTING it is difficult to know with certainty that your body has accumulated these poisons. It’s also difficult to diagnose since conventional medicine does not prioritize the FACT that they are a problem.

Fortunately, while most doctors IGNORE the role of these TOXIC METALS, Functional Medicine providers do consider ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS that affect health and have ADVANCED TESTING that can uncover these HIDDEN factors of poor health.

 

If you would like to KNOW if you have ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS and/or HEAVY METAL TOXICITY, an advanced yet simple test is a Urine Test. Excreting an elevated level of these HEAVY METALS is a sure sign of toxicity, and may be one important factor in ANY and ALL DIGESTIVE problems.

The best, most advanced lab that offers HEAVY METAL testing is Vibrant America.

 

Ultimate KEY to REMOVING ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS, PESTICIDES AND HEAVY METALS –

Optimize DETOXIFICATION

Normally, your immune system defends against the daily assault of all ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS, including PESTICIDES and HEAVY METAL TOXICITY, but ONLY WHEN it is working correctly and NOT being OVERWHELMED by the extremely high TOXIC BURDEN all around us.

Failure of your body’s natural ability to detoxify itself from toxins results in health issues, including POOR DIGESTION and altered STOMACH ACID.

Supporting the body’s ability to bind to and eliminate toxins is a key part of healing from this TOXIC exposure.

So, you MUST support your body’s natural detoxification and drainage systems.

New, emerging technology, designed to help remove TOXINS and SUPPORTING DRAINAGE systems (your body’s NATURAL ability to eliminate poisons from itself) are necessary to successfully recover from this kind of toxicity.

Let’s examine this more closely…

 

How do I get rid of these toxins in my body?

Special agents that BIND toxins in the gut and in other tissues so they can be more easily excreted are required for this.

An excellent, natural REMEDY for BINDING environmental toxins is called CARBON TECHNOLOGY

Made of specially-selected and precisely-formulated extracts of fulvic and humic acids, Carbon Technology uses these natural substances to tightly BIND toxins to help remove them from your body via stools.

The fulvic and humic acids in Carbon Technology have advantages to binders like activated charcoal and bentonite clay, two common binders.

One big advantage is that Carbon Technology can travel beyond the gut.

Also, fulvic and humic acid extracts are a good source of nutrition, including amino acids, phytochemicals and minerals.  This is good since cells damaged by pesticides and environmental chemicals NEED TO SELF-REPAIR.

 

Clear out OTHER PATHOGENS

Because ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS, including PESTICIDES and HEAVY METALS can damage and destroy your GUT, OTHER CHRONIC INFECTIONS — such as PARASITES AND VIRUSES — may more easily take hold in your body.

It becomes a vicious cycle because then these PARASITES make the body more vulnerable to CHEMICAL toxicity.

Either way, removing unwanted PARASITES from the body helps reduce the STRESS on the GUT as well as the WHOLE BODY.

 

There Is Hope

Insufficient STOMACH ACID can appear to be an unsolvable problem but it is a stubborn puzzle that CAN be solved.

You CAN raise your stomach acid, naturally.

It starts by addressing ROOT CAUSES.

Changing up your DIET (to solve NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES), taking WHOLE FOOD (not SYNTHETIC) supplements, checking for things like bacterial or viral INFECTIONS and OPTIMIZING your body’s own DETOXIFICATION systems are the best way to help you look and feel your best.