Do you constantly suffer from “heartburn”?

Did you know that if you suffer from heartburn, it’s not always due to an excess of stomach acid — it could also be caused by a deficiency of it?
Below, we explain how you can tell whether what you’re experiencing is truly excess or deficiency of stomach acid.

The Digestive Process

During digestion, after food intake and chewing, food enters the stomach mixed with digestive enzymes from certain foods and saliva. Only after this period of “pre-digestion” are hydrochloric acid and pepsin released.
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The acid inactivates food enzymes and begins its own function — breaking down what remains of the food, in combination with the enzyme pepsin. This nutrient-rich mixture then moves into the small intestine, where the acid is neutralized, and enzymes from the pancreas are released to complete the process. Once digestion is complete, nutrients pass through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream to perform their functions.

Unfortunately, most of us today don’t eat as we did in the past, nor do we eat foods that our bodies were truly designed to digest. Processing and cooking destroy enzymes in food (at sustained heat levels around 350–400°C). This means that the majority of food entering our stomachs is severely enzyme-deficient.

This forces the body to produce large amounts of stomach acid to compensate. Not only does this attempt fail (most food still enters the small intestine largely undigested), but it also leads to an unintended consequence: an initial excess of stomach acid that eventually results in acid deficiency.

Excess Stomach Acid

When the stomach tries to compensate for the lack of food enzymes, it produces an excess amount of acid, leading to acid indigestion. Taking antacids does not solve the problem — it only eliminates one of the symptoms.

As a result, undigested food reaches the intestines, causing gas, bloating, poor digestion, and chronic digestive disorders. The pancreas then tries to compensate by producing excessive digestive enzymes for the small intestine.
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This entire situation is worsened by foods poorly tolerated by the body — such as gluten, alcohol, high-sugar foods, and stimulants like caffeine, which can double stomach acid production.

Solution for Excess Stomach Acid

The simplest solution for most people with excess acid is to take digestive enzyme supplements, which can digest up to 70% of food during the pre-acid phase, eliminating the need for large amounts of stomach acid and reducing stress on the digestive system.

Dietary changes and enzyme supplements can produce significant improvements without causing downstream problems in the digestive tract.

But if you force your body for years to produce excessive acid to make up for missing enzymes — what do you think will happen in the long term to your stomach’s ability to produce acid? A stomach acid deficiency. Bingo!

Over time, your body’s ability to produce acid diminishes, reducing its ability to properly digest food — with profound consequences for your health.

By age 40, 40% of people are affected; by age 60, 50%. An adult over 40 visiting a doctor has about a 90% chance of having low stomach acid.

Consequences of Low Stomach Acid

• Poor digestion: Not enough acid to properly digest food or activate pepsin (requires a pH around 2.0). This leads to partial digestion, gas, bloating, burping, diarrhea/constipation, autoimmune disorders, skin diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, and intestinal diseases such as Crohn’s.
• Food allergies: About 80% of people with food allergies suffer from some degree of low stomach acid.
• Vitamin and mineral deficiencies: Many nutrients, like calcium, iron, folate, and especially vitamin B12, require adequate acid levels for absorption. A lack of acid can lead to severe deficiencies.
• Bacterial overgrowth: With low acidity and undigested food, harmful bacteria are more likely to colonize the stomach. Normal acid levels help keep the digestive system free from harmful bacteria and parasites.

Symptoms of Low Stomach Acid

• Bloating, burping, and gas immediately after meals
• Indigestion, diarrhea, or constipation
• Heartburn

Sounds similar to excess acid symptoms, right?
Indeed — up to 95% of people who think they have excess stomach acid actually suffer from the opposite condition.

Using antacids only worsens the underlying issue while temporarily masking symptoms.

How to Treat Low or Excess Stomach Acid

• Digestive enzyme supplements support digestion, reduce the stomach’s workload, and help restore normal function.
• Apple cider vinegar: Mix one teaspoon with water and drink with meals. Gradually increase to 3–4 tablespoons per glass if necessary.
• Betaine HCl supplements: May help under professional supervision only, to avoid damaging the stomach lining.
• Marine plasma (sea water plasma): Can aid digestion and mineral balance.

Book a NutriWhite Consultation with our experts in gastritis and gastrointestinal disorders.
If you want to know whether you produce enough stomach acid, click here to find out.

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Reference:

Miranda Moles Zulma, Mulet Pérez Agustín M, Gámez Escalona Martha M, Escobar Bernal Alfredo, Rodríguez Diéguez Margarita, López Almaguer Gustavo. Gastritis crónica antral por Helicobacter pylori en pacientes con y sin consumo de antiinflamatorios no esteroideos. ccm  [Internet]. 2015  Mar [citado  2016  Dic  14] ;  19( 1 ): 63-75. Disponible en: http://scielo.sld.cu/scielo.php?=sci_arttext&pid=S1560-43812015000100007&lng=es.