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Gallbladder symptoms can be similar to those
of low stomach acid - but is it low or high? Fortunately, the gallbladder starter kit addresses both solutions,
but it is helpful for you to know what exactly is causing what so that you can work with it more effectively. Many
people will order everything in the starter kit except the HCl. If that's you, think carefully after reading the
virtues of stomach acid and the ills associated with a deficiency.
Acid symptoms could actually
be a symptom of too little stomach acid rather than too much.
That may sound insane but here's the thing.
Lack of hydrochloric acid
is much more common than making too much. So why does it burn? It sure feels like acid. Right? Well it is. It's
just an acid produced by food rotting in the stomach due to lack of digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid. It's
a bi-product of putrefication. And the normal chain of events is for the food to leave the stomach and flow downward
into the small intestine. But it isn't designed to cope with food in this state it so basically it stays where
it is and ends up moving in the other direction instead -- up the stomach and into the esophagus.
Too much stomach acid? Really? I mean, how
is it that millions of people on PPIs are making too much HCl? Hyperchlorhydria or too much stomach acid is rather
rare. If you're overeating, eating junk food or other food that is hard to digest, eating when stressed, living
under stress, changes are much greater that you don't make enough hydrochloric acid or digestive enzymes and your
symptoms stem from that. Take a look at some of the symptoms caused by low stomach acid.
Signs of Deficient Stomach Acid
- Gas, bloating and burping shortly after
a meal could be lack of HCl
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Feeling of fullness or food not digesting
- Heartburn and/or gastric relux (sometimes
too much HCl but most often not enough)
- Bad breath
- Foul smelling stools
- Loose stools in the early morning
- Food allergies
- Dialated blood vessles on the cheeks and
nose - Rosacea
- Pernicious anemia or iron deficiency
- Anal Itching
- Nausea especially after taking vitamins
and minerals
- Weak or cracked nails
- Parasites - or at least increased susceptibility
to parasitic infections
- Chronic yeast infections
- Acne in adults - especially if you have
other symptoms from the list
- Asthma
- Since low levels of stomach acid results
in poor absorption of nutrients, many symptoms that accompany a deficiency of that vitamin or mineral makes this
list much longer. The nutrients most affected are calcium, iron, folic acid, vitamin K and many B vitamins. See
pernicious anemia.
If you're nervous about trying supplemental hydrochloric
acid, you can do a trial with 1-2 TBSP of organic apple cider vinegar mixed with 1/8 to 1/4 cup of water after
a meal. If it makes you feel better and does not hurt, you most likely would benefit from taking 500 - 1000 mg.
of Betaine HCl with your meals.
H. Pylori Symptoms
If HCl does not take care of the acid symptoms, you may have
a heliobacter pylori infection. Gnawing or burning symptoms can be indicative of an h. pylori infection. This pain
tends to be located centrally, just below the rib cage. Other specific symptoms include burping, gas or flatulence,
bloating, nausea and even vomiting. Even if you were tested for H. Plylori recently, it is possible to pick it
up again when you go out to eat. Also, if anyone else in your family has it, you can keep passing it back and forth.
So yes, h. pylori is contagious. Your family member may be asymptomatic, but still have it. All members of the
family need to be treated when one person is diagnosed with H. Plyori infection. Pets too.
H. Pylori is found in half the adults in developed countries and up to 90% in underdeveloped countries. It is very common.
Tests for H. Pylori
The best tests for the heliobacter pylori bacteria are a
stool and breath test. The stool test registers H. Pylori in the intestines; the breath test measures H. Pylori
in the stomach.
H. Pylori Treatment
Chances are, if you have had chronic acid problems, and particularly
if they do not respond to acid blockers or anything else you've tried, H. Pylori is likely the culprit. In your
case, you do not even need to bother with the HCl at this time; get on H-PLR,
2 capsules per meal for at least a month. If you still have acid symptoms, continue for one more month. And for
any discomfort, use Gastro-ULC which may stop the pain without stopping digestion until you are
symptom-free. Then you can start on HCl, using only one capsule and taking it mid-meal. I recommend anyone with
GERD following this protocol for 1-2 months before attempting HCl.
Rather than testing, I find it cheaper and more convenient
to just treat it with H-PLR. An herbal antibiotic does not wipe out the good bacteria like a medication does. So
there's no harm done, and lots to be gained. A trial with H-PLR is not a waste of time. In the event that H.Pylori
is not the culprit, the herbal ingredients in H-PLR are known to kill lots of different bacteria besides H.Pylori.
It may even be useful for a sinus infection or a UTI. I use it prophylactically myself. You never know what you
might pick up while you're eating out, traveling or who brings what in through your own front door!
If you have any of the following including GERD, they are
often accompanied by or the cause of low stomach acid.
Risk Factors and Causes of Low Stomach
Acid
- Allergies
- Anemia
- Adrenal fatigue
- Alcohol
- Atrophic gastritis
- Heartburn
- Gerd
- IBS
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Hives
- Candida and other Yeast
- Bacterial Dysbiosis or infections in the
Gut
- Adult acne
- Eczema
- Alchohol consumption
- H. plylori infection
- Stress even in children
- Age. HCl production decreases wtih age
Diseases Associated with Low HCl
- Asthma
- Diabetes
- Osteoporosis
- Arthritis
- Hepatitis
- Eczema
- Acne rosacea
- Dry Skin
- Psoriasis
- Parasites
- Gallbladder disease
- Herpes
- Hives
- Hypothyroid
- Hyperthyroid
- Thyrotoxicosis
- Autoimmune disorders
- Lupus erythematosus
- Myasthenia gravis
- Pernicious anemia
- Celiac disease
- Sjogren 's Syndrome
Interestingly, even though you might experience indigestion
or some form of digestive discomfort just after a meal with low stomach acid, later on you could experience a feeling
of too much acidity and wake in the night from this as well. This overproduction of acid later on can still be
associated with low stomach acid. Try supplemental HCl for a few days and watch to see if these symptoms subside.
They should gradually decrease.
If you have an ulcer or gastritis you should not take supplemental
stomach acid support until the inflammation has been healed. Try the Gastro-ULC
which supports the healing of the intestinal/stomach lining but does not compromise optimal digestion like antacids
do. I recommend adding to that H-PLR with it's anti-bacterial
and anti-parasitical properties.
How to Increase Your Own HCl
Bitter greens like kale, collards, beet greens, arugula,
etc. may help to encourage the release of your own stomach acid. Lemon, olive oil and ginger help as well. Try
adding some ginger to The Beet Recipe, but only if
you are in maintenance mode with your gallbladder and no longer in pain. Spicy ginger could upset the balance if
you haven't been pain-free for at least a couple of months.
Zinc and Thiamine B1 are necessary components in the manufacturing
of stomach acid. Beet greens contain both. So does Nutritional Yeast. Food sources of zinc include collard, chard,
pumpkins seeds, figs and wild salmon. Thiamine B1 is found in brown rice, spinach and peas.
ORDER HCL HERE
GALLBLADDER CONSULTATIONS
I recommend you see your doctor.
If you have already
done that and would like to speak with one of our consultants,
Please call 760-632-8089 to make an appointment.
Please be advised that this consultation in no way replaces a medical examination or testing procedures you would
receive from your medical doctor. However, I'm sure you will find my knowledge, experience and recommendations
helpful.
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