Burn Baby, Burn!
They say joy brings warmth to your heart. Does that mean too much joy brings you heartburn? – Unknown
In the last article, The What and Why of Heartburn, you learned that one of the most common causes for heart burn is actually very low stomach acid levels. This means, when you take antacids and acid blockers to temporarily remedy the discomfort, you may instead be creating a vicious cycle. Low stomach acid levels relax the opening to the esophagus allowing what little acid to bubble up and cause heartburn. You take antacids which lower acid levels even more, and later on, still get heartburn. Stop feeding the heartburn monster!
Stomach acid, when in its rightful place, is actually a very good thing! It consists of much more than hydrochloric acid. Stomach acid, also called gastric acid or gastric juice, contains water, electrolytes, enzymes, intrinsic factor (a component critical for vitamin B12 absorption), and a little mucus. The stomach, and its secretion of adequate gastric acid, is also a crucial starting point for many digestive processes.
Below are the important roles stomach acid plays in the body:
It ensures proper digestion speed. When there is adequate stomach acid levels, it triggers gastric emptying – moving contents from the stomach into the small intestine. Without adequate acid levels, food sits in the stomach longer allowing for putrefaction and fermentation of foods. This creates gas, bloating, heartburn, constipation, diarrhea and malabsorption.
It triggers the lower esophageal sphincter to close. Without adequate stomach acid levels, the doorway back into the esophagus remains open, allowing for heartburn.
It starts the process of digesting proteins. Stomach acid not only starts the breakdown of protein, it also stimulates the small intestine to release other digestive enzymes to further breakdown proteins. Without adequate stomach acid, proteins do not get broken down which leads to protein deficiency, enzyme insufficiency, putrefaction and many other symptoms.
It helps to alkalize other parts of the digestive tract. The upper part of the small intestine, called the duodenum, needs to be an alkaline environment in order to release its digestive enzymes. When stomach acid levels are too low, the body can’t attain the proper pH balance needed to complete digestion. This leads to malabsorption problems as well as other symptoms further along the digestive tract.
It is the body’s first line of defense. Stomach acid is the first assault on any foreign pathogens such as bacteria, fungus, parasites, viruses and allergens. When stomach acid levels are low it creates a more welcoming environment for these dangerous bugs and can create an imbalance with the good bacteria in the gut.
It assists with the absorption of many nutrients. Stomach acid is critical for the body’s ability to absorb vitamin B12, folic acid, magnesium, zinc, calcium, copper, chromium, selenium and manganese. Inadequate absorption of these nutrients leads to short term memory loss, permanent damage to the nervous system, depression, anxiety, confusion, increased risk of heart attack and stroke, insulin resistance and diabetes, osteoporosis, gallstones, asthma, muscle spasms, insulin resistance, cataracts, macular degeneration and thyroid problems.
Proper Thyroid function is dependent on it. The thyroid gland, our metabolic regulator, requires many vitamins and minerals to function properly. B-complex vitamins, magnesium, zinc, selenium, iodine, vitamin A, fatty acids and the amino acid tyrosine all depend on adequate stomach acid levels for absorption and are critical for thyroid function. Insufficient stomach acid, and improper thyroid function, lead to depression, fatigue, compromised immunity, dry skin, thinning hair and constipation.
It is critical for reducing depression. Stomach acid assists with the breakdown of proteins as well as the absorption of vitamin B12, both of which are required for the formation of neurotransmitters such as serotonin. Additionally, roughly 90-95% of serotonin receptors and serotonin production are in the gut. Low stomach acid levels indirectly affects serotonin production. Inadequate stomach acid also inhibits magnesium absorption and increases risk of candida overgrowth, both of which have been linked to depression.
As you can see, adequate stomach acid levels are critical for so many functions in the body. When you suppress natural production of stomach acid with antacids and acid blockers, you do your body and health a disservice. So what do you do if you have low stomach acid levels and want to use natural remedies to get back into balance?
Next up, we will talk about nutritional strategies you can take to help get back to adequate stomach acid levels and get rid of heartburn for good!
RESOURCES
Natural Alternatives to Nexium, Maalox, Tagamet, Prilosec & Other Acid Blockers, Martie Whittekin, CCN
http://nutritionreview.org/2013/04/gastric-balance-heartburn-caused-excess-acid/
http://robbwolf.com/2013/01/10/serotonin-gastrointestinal-disorders/