Description
Betaine HCL + Pepsin for protein digestion support. 120 capsules. Dosage 1 per high protein meal.
END STOMACH ACID PROBLEMS!
Our custom Betaine HCL supplement: HYDRO-ACTION TM is helpful whenever digestive complaints are caused by underproduction of stomach acid. Contrary to popular misconception, this is an extremely common condition exhibiting the same symptoms as acid overproduction and often goes misdiagnosed and improperly treated. Common symptoms of insufficient stomach acid production (hypochlorhydria) are: Burning, indigestion, reflux, gas, bloating and fatigue after eating.
This condition is often linked to Candida and needs to be addressed in order to make good progress with the treatment of yeast overgrowth. Betaine hydro-chloride promotes optimal gastric acidity for support of protein digestion and absorption of minerals and other nutrients.
Symptoms of indigestion are often mistaken for excessive gastric acid. This leads many to take acid blockers in attempt to lower stomach acid, when the true culprit is likely to be insufficient levels of HCl. The resulting reduction in stomach acidity can lead to impaired protein digestion and mineral breakdown over time, as well as changes in the gut flora and promotion of unwanted bacteria such as H.pylori. Maintaining adequate levels of HCl is fundamental to healthy protein digestion, nutrient availability and maintenance of beneficial gastric flora. Betaine HCl and pepsin are produced by the hormone gastrin. Gastrin signals the gastric glands and parietal cells to produce HCl, and stimulates chief cells to produce pepsin. Once the pH of the stomach reaches around 2.0, the gastrin mechanism slows and the negative feedback causes parietal cells to decrease production of HCl. Since pepsin is most active in low pH values, gastric juices must be acidic for the enzyme to function. Support of natural gastric secretions and acidity with Betaine & Pepsin supports normal digestion, absorption and optimal immune health. In addition, maintaining an acidic pH in the stomach helps support normal gastric and intestinal flora.
HYDRO-ACTION provides two essential components of healthy digestion: hydrochloric acid (HCl) and the digestive enzyme, pepsin (lactose free).
Hydrochloric acid is vital for the proper digestion of protein and the absorption of vitamins and minerals (especially vitamin B12, calcium, magnesium, copper and zinc). HCl also plays an important role in signaling the pancreas to release digestive enzymes. Pepsin is one of the first enzymes to initiate protein digestion and works in synergy with HCl to provide complete protein digestive support.
Stomach Acid
Individuals suffering with stomach and intestinal problems most frequently assume that heartburn, indigestion, gas, and reflux are caused by overproduction of stomach acid. This common misconception has been strongly re-enforced by our conventional medical profession, whose practitioners routinely prescribe stomach acid blocking medications at the slightest sign of stomach dysfunction, failing to properly diagnose the digestive problem by first monitoring the stomach’s acid producing function, using scientific methods and neglecting to provide patients with common sense dietary recommendations.
The Symptoms of Over and Under-Production Are The Same Strangely enough, the symptoms of stomach acid (hydrochloric acid, HCL) over-production and under production are virtually identical. It is therefore unwise to jump to conclusions regarding what’s occurring in the stomach without actual testing.
Medical Misdiagnosis Is Very Common
The pharmaceutical firms with their considerable influence on the medical profession have, through advertising, incentives to doctors and various other forms of indoctrination, made it an almost reflex reaction on the part of most physicians, even many gastro-enterologists, to jump to the conclusion that a majority of gastric problems can be easily treated by the use of acid blocking medications. Because the American public over-consumes unhealthy food at an alarming rate, the routine use of acid blockers is highly profitable for pharmaceutical firms, provides instant relief for many sufferers, but can bring about long-term health problems for many misdiagnosed users.
Functions of Hydrochloric Acid
Hydrochloric acid serves many functions, the three most important are:
1. It is the primary digestive juice responsible for breaking down proteins, preparing them for assimilation. 2. It acts as a protective barrier, killing many potentially harmful micro-organisms in our food.
3. It acts as a venting mechanism for the build-up of excessive concentrations of hydrogen ions in our blood and interstitial fluids. In other words, we consume acid forming foods and / or engage in acid forming activity, the production of stomach acid uses up considerable amounts of the acid forming material (hydrogen ions) thereby assisting in the elimination of excessive tissue acidity. The stomach acid once combined with food is eventually neutralized further down the alimentary canal by alkaline pancreatic secretions.
Underproduction Of Stomach Acid Is A Common Problem Based upon the testing of sample groups, it has been theorized that well over half of the U.S. population beyond the age of fifty years is under-producing hydrochloric acid on a constant basis, leading to a host of digestive and immune disturbances. One need not be of middle age to have this problem, nowadays it’s not uncommon in younger persons as well. The demineralized, devitalized diet that so many are consuming greatly contributes to this problem, which can be significantly compounded by many individuals’ preference for extremely low salt intake.
Directions For Use of Betaine HCL with Pepsin
When using Betaine HCL for the first few times, please be sure to follow the directions carefully. Always take Betaine HCL at the start of the meal! If taken without food, stomach burning may result.
In case you didn’t know, stomach acid is a key component of our immune system needed to kill off any potential pathogenic bugs in our food. If the acid levels aren’t strong enough, besides not properly sterilizing our food, the stomach could delay emptying which can cause a multitude of digestive problems.
After switching a diet to grain free (wheat free), you might still find yourself burping a lot after meals, having a decent amount of gas and feeling bloated a lot of the time. Supplementing with Betaine HCL improved all of the digestive problems overnight.
Before Supplementing With Betaine HCL Read This
It’s important to understand the risks of Betaine HCL supplementation. It’s generally safe for most people. However, in the book “Why Stomach Acid is Good For You,” Dr. Wright recommends doing so under the guidance of a physician. No, seriously… it’s a good idea to find someone qualified to watch over your health and decisions. Your health isn’t a game, so get the right help.
People that are “high risk” shouldn’t take Betaine HCL without supervision. You’re high risk if you’re consuming any anti- inflammatory medicines. Examples of those are: corticosteroids, aspirin, Indocin, ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) or other NSAIDs. These drugs can damage the GI lining and supplementing with HCL could aggravate it, increasing the risks of bleeding or ulcer.
Okay red tape and warnings aside – you can do this safely and it will help your health tremendously when you correct low stomach acid levels.
Did you know your stomach wall is about 5mm thick? And did you know the stomach is built with ridges on the inside that act like a rock crusher as it pulverizes your food?
I tell you this because I want you to know that your stomach isn’t some mamby pamby organ, it’s a beast that can easily handle extreme acid levels. The amazing part is, if this acid got out of the stomach it could burn right through every other cell in the body. Our stomachs were built to create and contain acid and making short work of what we eat. Supplementing with Betaine HCL will help it work like it was designed, because every meal you eat with low acid it has to work harder than it should.
How to Figure Out Your Betaine HCL Dose
Each person will have a specific supplementary HCL dosage. Unfortunately, there isn’t a special formula I can give you to figure it out. This is a case of trial and error until you get to the correct dosage. Failing to get to your correct dosage can remove the benefits of supplementing.
You must find the right dosage for you situation. If you fail to do the trial and error you’re wasting your time and money.
Remember, the stomach is purposely built to handle extreme acid environments. If your correct dosage is 2400mg and you’re only taking 1200mg, you’re not really doing your stomach any favors. You must follow the process below to figure out the right dosage to get the maximum benefit.
Eat a meal that contains at least 15-20grams of protein (about 4-6ounces of meat). Start by taking 1 pill (650mg) of Betaine HCL during the beginning of the meal.
Finish the meal as normal and observe your body for any changes in feeling associated with the stomach and belly button area. Things to look for: heaviness, hotness, burning, or other GI distress.
Stay at this dosage of 1 pill for another day of meals with protein and if you don’t notice anything on the 3rd day, try 2 pills.
Stay there for another day and then try 3 pills.
Keep increasing the number of pills taken with each meal until you notice some GI discomfort described in step #3.
When this happens, you will know your ideal Betaine HCL dosage is 1 pill less. For example, if you felt the discomfort going from 5 pills to 6 pills, then 5 pills is your proper dosage for a normal meal.
A Couple Points to Clarify:
– If you eat a snack or a meal without much protein, you won’t need as much Betaine HCL (for a small snack like a piece of fruit you won’t need any at all)
– When you experience the GI discomfort finding your correct dosage, you can mix 1⁄2 teaspoon of baking soda in 8oz of water and drink it to help lessen the pain.
– Dr. Wright notes in his book that “paradoxically adverse symptoms are most likely to occur in individuals with the lowest levels of stomach acid. This is because these people are most likely to have atrophic gastritis (a thinned-out stomach lining), which makes them much more sensitive to even small quantities of HCL than a normal, thicker stomach lining.” This makes sense because a super inflamed stomach lining won’t have its normal protective barrier intact to contain the strong acids.
– If you have low stomach acid and you can’t supplement with Betaine HCL, there’s a few natural methods to help with symptoms. Start by taking a shot of lemon juice or vinegar before a meal to help the symptoms of indigestion. But know that these don’t actually help the digestion of food only the symptoms.
I Need to Take How Many Betaine HCL Pills?
It’s very common for people to stop short of their needed Betaine HCL dosage. I have seen clients need up to 6 pills per meal. I now that seems like a lot but there is nothing to worry about. Dr. Wright reports that the common Betaine HCL dosage range in his clinical practice is 3,250-4,550mg per meal. That means there are also plenty of people who need above 5,000mg for an effective dosage.
Remember, a normal functioning stomach is capable of producing and handling extreme acid ranges. If your dosage starts getting extremely high without any GI distress (step #3), you must use your GI symptoms as a guide instead. These include burping, bloating, farting, and stool consistency. Keep everything else the same in your diet as you wait for these indicators to change for the better. Just because you can take 20 pills, doesn’t mean you should. It could be that at 11 pills all of your problems disappear.
Salt Consumption And HCL Production
Unfortunately, much misinformation regarding the use of salt in the diet has been circulating for the last three decades or so. The body needs salt (NaCl) and cannot function adequately without it. Low salt diets can make it very difficult if not impossible for stomach to produce adequate amounts of hydrochloric acid. The problem is not salt per se, but the quality of the salt. Using unrefined, highly mineralized sea salt is perfectly safe and healthful to the system.
This type of salt is grayish in color and is produced by traditional methods in use for many hundreds of years. Available in our office or online in our SHOP look for CELTIC SEA SALT!
