Many believe that too much stomach acid causes acid reflux and heartburn, but the reverse is more often the problem. Most of us do not have enough stomach acid, hydrochloric acid, which is pivotal to healthy digestion. Why? For one reason, our stomach does not produce enough hydrochloric acid to handle an overly acidic of processed foods, and two, our body does not produce as much stomach acid as we age. This is one of the reasons why I recommend a diet high in raw vegetables and fruits, which are rich in enzymes to support their digestion.
But we do need healthy stomach acid to digest the food we eat and to maintain a healthy digestive tract. Have you ever heard someone say I can’t eat this or that particular food because it is “too heavy?” This is often because they just can’t digest what they ate because of low stomach acid.
If our stomach acid is low, our body cannot digest even the healthiest foods we eat. Sadly, this means that we are not digesting our food properly, which no doubt means poor nutrient absorption. Poor nutrient absorption can lead to a whole host of health problems, including malnutrition, nutritional deficiencies, infections and an overgrowth of bacteria or yeast beginning in our small intestines.
Low stomach acid also leads to indigestion. Many take antacids to relieve the feelings of acid reflux (common after eating high protein or overly processed foods). We simply can’t digest what we’ve eaten. An antacid may temporarily relieve uncomfortable symptoms from acid reflux, heartburn and indigestion, but over time regular use of antacids make the problem worse.
6 Steps to take to reduce acid reflux and acid indigestion include, and 1 easy-peasy, every day morning remedy:
- Chew your food thoroughly. Digestion begins in the mouth.
- Reduce or eliminate heavy animal product intake which requires more stomach acid to digest than plant proteins.
- Reduce stress which exacerbates the digestive process.
- Eliminate processed foods and sugar
- Eat whole, live-foods, like vegetables and low-sugar fruits
- Take a probiotic in the morning with:
- MORNING LEMON WATER ELIXIR: 16 ounces warm or room temperature water, Juice from 1/2-1 lemon, 1 teaspoon Bragg’s raw apple cider vinegar, a couple drops of stevia or raw honey (optional)
