Test your stomach acid

Many of us have low stomach acid, causing a host of digestive problems

Hydrochloric acid, (HCI) which is produced by parietal cells in the stomach, is necessary for the break down and digestion of many foods, in particular our proteins. Insufficient amounts of HCI can lead to indigestion and a host of other more serious gut problems, including clostridium difficile.

HCI levels can often decline with age, but we also have thousands and thousands of people taking acid suppressant medication that reduces acid in the stomach to zero. It’s interesting to note that people who have been taking acid-suppressing medication for many years, go on to develop irritable bowel syndrome, and gassy bloated, painful bellies. There is also a link between long-term acid-suppressing medication and Vitamin B12 deficiency (pernicious anaemia) and osteoporosis.

You can determine if you need more hydrochloric acid with this simple test using apple cider vinegar. If you have indigestion, take one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar or you can use lemon juice. If your indigestion goes away, then you need more stomach acid. Nottingham Health Shop would recommend that you take 1 BioCare’s HCI and Pepsin capsule before food:

https://www.nottmphysio-colonics.co.uk/shop/product.php/48/biocare-hci-and-pepsin-90-capsules

If, however, the apple cider vinegar or lemon juice makes your indigestion worse, then you have too much acid, and you should take care not to take any acid supplements. However, we would point out that a lack of hydrochloric acid is much more common, than having too much.

If there’s no change in the indigestion, then you are probably eating too much food in one sitting, eating it too fast or too late. It may be that you are drinking too much alcohol and too much caffeine too, or you have a lot of stress in your life, and these factors are irritating the stomach.