It’s kind of the like the story of Goldilocks and the 3 Bears where she finds one porridge too hot, one too cold, and one juuuuust right. In order to be helpful, the level of stomach acid needs to be just right. Unfortunately, many of us are suffering from a stomach acid imbalance and pop antacids like they’re candy without truly understanding what’s going on. First of all, let’s back up and let me make the case for why the stomach secretes hydrochloric acid and why this stomach acid is awesome:
Stomach acid helps you digest protein.
It helps protect your gut against infection and food poisoning.
It facilitates the absorption of vitamin B12 (which is a totally badass and necessary vitamin).
It creates signals to other organs to release the helpful digestive enzymes and tells the gut muscles to contract making the digestive process run smoothly. The right amount of stomach acid even signals the flap (aka lower esophageal sphincter) from the esophagus to the stomach to close and open.
When stomach acid is too high it wreaks havoc and can lead to stomach ulcers and overall chaos. I had acid reflux in the later stages of pregnancy and I empathize with anyone experiencing this uncomfortable situation. I’ve even had patients who thought they were having a heart attack and met with a cardiologist only to be told it was stomach acid irritation the tissues near the heart! Too little stomach acid also wreaks havoc and can lead to low B12 levels which can eventually show up as tingling/altered sensation in the limbs and anemia. It can be hard to know if your acid reflux is due to excess or deficiency as the early symptoms manifest the same way. The deficiency acid reflux can be thought of as a gas tank running out of gas where it spurts and sputters and overefforts to get the insufficient gas where it needs to go. Kind of sweet, but also totally uncomfortable.
While it is always a good idea to check in with your primary physician, a quick way to check if your stomach acid is deficient or excess is to either a) take a stomach acid supplement and see if it gets better or worse (note this may seem counterintuitive, but often solves the problem!) or b) an even simpler way is to take a spoonful of apple cider vinegar each day and see if the symptoms improve or worsen. If you get better it was a deficiency pattern. If you get worse it’s usually excess.
For those of you who are constantly reaching for the antacids, it’s important to know there are different types, and there can be undesirable side effects - especially with long term use. Antacids are usually over-the-counter bases (I just went straight chemistry on you!) which neutralize the excess acid. While I STRONGLY prefer acupuncture and herbs over these types of pharmaceuticals, I get that sometimes sh*t happens and you’re traveling or whatever. If that’s the case, and you can’t come see me or get to the magical herbal remedies: consider choosing the ‘best’ antacid for you. My “Chemistry for Dummies” book (yep, how did you think I got through that doctoral class?!) notes that people with high blood pressure may want to avoid the sodium bicarbonate antacids as the sodium ion may increase blood pressure! Those concerned with osteoporosis may want to use the antacid with calcium carbonate. But, large doses may cause constipation. The third group of antacids is the hydroxides (aluminium and magnesium) is a balancing act as aluminium hydroxide can cause constipation in large doses, while magnesium hydroxide can serve as a laxative in large doses. With all these side effects, acupuncture and herbs are looking better and better. . . right? See you soon.
