Monday, October 02, 2006

Stomach Acid: Too Low or Too High?

Quick, answer this. When you have heartburn, or acid reflux, it is because your stomach acid is too high, right? That is why you take your favorite acid reducer, proton pump inhibitr or other acid blocker, right? Wrong. Almost every patient I meet with has compromised levels of stomach acid. Their stomach acid is too low!

I know what you're thinking. OK, so why do I feel better when I eat those antacid chews or the acid blocker? If your stomach acid is low, the food you eat will not digest properly. When this happens, the food, especially heavier meals, will begin to ferment, or may become described by another lovely word, putrefy! At this point, this lovely fermenting food begins to produce its own organic acids. This creates the burning sensation. Of course, reducing acid will make this feel better.

So, how do you know if your stomach acid has become depleted?

Take the following test:

Does food tend to sit in your stomach for a long time after a meal?
Do you tend to belch after a meal? Or have gas?
Do you have bowel movements that feel "incomplete" even with a good amount of fiber?
Do you have constipation?
Do you have bouts of diarrhea?
Is your stool hard, dry, or difficult to pass?
Do you use laxatives frequently?
Have you been through long periods of stress in your life?
Do you have difficulty losing weight?
Do you have deep ridges in your nails that run the length of the nail?
Do you have white marks that run across the nail?
Do you have halitosis (bad breath)?


Have you answered yes to 3 or more of these? Then, you most likely have low stomach acid.

If your stomach acid is already low, what do you think will be the implication of taking an acid reducer? It only makes the situation worse! You absolutely need stomach acid to absorb iron, calcium and other important minerals! You need stomach acid to efficiently break down proteins completely. And finally, you need stomach acid to help to destroy pathogens, or what I affectionately call "creepy crawly critters" that come in through the food supply. You would be amazed at how many positive tests I get back for giardia and amebiasis, parasites that live in your gastrointestinal system, that people did not even know that they had! It is because of this deficiency in stomach acid.

Would you like to improve your stomach acid? Go now to my website www.nwrejuvenate.com and order Dr. Ariel's Total Body Rejuvenation Cleanse. The cleanse is designed to dramatically improve your digestive health in just 2 weeks. Each part of the cleansing program will help to make your digestion and stomach acid get back to normal. Order it today, and get back that important, powerful, life-saving stomach acid!

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