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:
- Heartburn.
- Trouble Digesting Meat.
- Gas and Bloating After Eating.
- Food Allergies and Intolerances.
- Nutritional Deficiencies.
- Skin Problems Such as Acne.
- Leaky Gut Syndrome.
- Undigested Food in Stool
- Hair loss in women
- Constipation or diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Leg and foot cramps
- Vertical ridging on the nails because of inability to absorb nutrients from food, Weak, peeling, and cracked fingernails
- Low bone mineral density and osteoporosis
- Poor cognitive function and the onset of dementia
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.
CAUSES OF LOW HCL:
- High-stress levels: Stress tends to reduce the production of stomach acid.
- Aging: The stomach produces less stomach acid as we grow older.
- Stomach surgery: Your stomach may start producing less acid after a stomach surgery.
- Medication: Taking antacids and other meds for digestive problems can lead to low stomach acid levels.
- High sugar intake: A diet that’s high in sugar can lower your stomach acid levels.
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.
What’s the connection between autoimmune disease and stomach acid?
Up to 50% of autoimmune patients also launch autoimmune attacks against the parietal cells in their stomach lining. This leads to inflammation of the cells responsible for acid secretion in a condition known as atrophic gastritis. Over time, this medical condition can impair your stomach’s ability to release digestive acids [15].
These autoimmune conditions have been associated with autoimmune gastritis and low stomach acid:
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Type 1 diabetes
- Celiac disease
- Crohn’s disease
- Autoimmune thyroid disease
- Sjögren’s syndrome
Treating H. pylori infections may help with stomach acidity. One clinical trial showed that eradicating an H. pylori infection can normalize the antibodies associated with stomach autoimmunity. However, not all studies agree. Two studies have shown that vitamin B12 injections can help to reduce stomach autoimmunity
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 A wheat free, animal free diet, 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.
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.
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)
– 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.
Never Do This With Betaine HCl
There’s a common recommendation for establishing the dosage of digestive acids that I do not recommend. This misguided approach suggests that you increase your dose until you feel a burning sensation and then decrease your dose slightly. For example, if you felt a burning sensation in your stomach after taking eight pills, your ideal dose is seven pills.
But if you feel burning in your stomach, you may be damaging your stomach lining.
This approach can lead to taking very high doses of betaine HCl. I’ve seen clients who had been taking as many as 15 capsules of digestive acid per meal. If you have a healthy stomach lining, you may never feel burning. A very high intake of stomach acid supplements may lead to an increased risk of peptic ulcers.
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 (like CELTIC SEA SALT)and is produced by traditional methods in use for many hundreds of years.
