This a 3-part series starting with 33 ways to tell if you have low stomach acid.
Low stomach acid is one of the SIBO causes. I believe my SIBO always returned due to low stomach acid. Problems don’t go away with drugs and medication unless we fix the underlying problem, and this is why I am such a huge believer in functional and preventative medicine.
What is Low Stomach Acid?
Low stomach acid, also called hypochlorhydria, is when the body doesn’t produce enough in order to break down proteins into essential amino acids and nutrients the body needs. (By the way, there is also something known as achlorhydria, which is even lower stomach acid than hypochlorhydria.)
While studying at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition, I learned that HCL converts or activates pepsinogen to pepsin which digests proteins. HCL decreases as we age.
Despite the fact that the drug industry tells us stomach acid is a bad thing, it is not, at least not always. In fact, stomach acid is needed in order to break food down.
The amount of stomach acid we have decreases as we age, and so oftentimes people will go to their doctors, tell them they are experiencing acid reflux and they will be given an antacid and sent along their way.
The antacid, of course, only reduces stomach acid even more, masking a problem and causing a harsh ripple effect.
But how do you know if you have low stomach acid?
It’s can be fairly obvious.
33 Ways to Tell if You Have Low Stomach Acid
Click HERE to save these 33 ways to tell if you have low stomach acid!
- Diarrhea
- Gas
- SIBO
- Bloating
- Acid Reflux
- Leaky Gut Syndrome
- Headaches
- Low white blood cell count
- Your body has a hard time digesting meat
- Excessive burping
- Heartburn and GERD
- Nausea after eating
- Undigested food in stools
- Chronic Fatigue
- Adrenal Fatigue
- Allergies
- Weight gain
- Diabetes
- Autoimmune diseases, in general
- IBS
- IBD
- Reduced liver function
- Candida
- Hair loss
- Iron deficiency
- Chronic intestinal infections
- Hypothyroid
- Acne and eczema
- Ulcers
- Brittle nails
- Malnutrition – because you aren’t absorbing essential nutrients
- B12 deficiency
- Gallstone risk
Beyond just symptoms, there is a way you can test on your own for low stomach acid.
Want to read Part II and Part III? How to Test At Home for Low Stomach Acid HCL Challenge + 11 Ways to Naturally Improve Stomach Acid Production.
Interested in more of gut health and healing information?
- Go on a FREE 21-day gut healing journey with me? Join HERE.
- Grab The Leaky Gut Meal Plan: 4 Weeks to Detox and Improve Digestive Health (plus get extra insights with the 28-day email course HERE to accompany the book).
- Read The Gutsy Girl’s Bible: an approach to healing the gut
- Peruse A Gutsy Girl’s Master Resource
Xox,
SKH
You will heal. I will help.
This is so true. I believed this has been the cause of my problem.
This sounds like me, I have a lot of the symptoms you mentioned and I’ve had thought I had acid reflex which I take medicine for. So I would like to hear more about this Low Stomach Acid. Plus my bowels are irregular.
taking PPIs actually makes low stomach acid worse over time! try the HCL challenge to see if you have it
Me too. Have acid reflux meds but I have so many of these symptoms.
Regardless of whether or not you have too little, or too much acid in your stomach, the symptoms listed here are so Broad, and so many, either people with too much acid or too little could agree with half of the symptoms listed.
There are more definitive test available with medical professionals.
I have erosive gastritis with heartburn brought on by stress and I’ve also tested positive for Sibo after 3 courses of antibiotics for a uti..For the gastritis I was put on a PPI but after eating very bland for months (fish/rice) I changed to Ranitidine after hearing such bad things about PPI’s, but at best I still get a tenderness/heartburn in my upper abdomen (below breasts but top abdomen and right across) and if I eat too many carbs I’m even worse..I don’t want to go back on a PPI but I’m not fully recovering on Ranitidine plus I’ve just heard some very negative carcinogenic press on it as well..I really don’t know what to do..Do you think my initial gastritis could of been actually low stomach acid? Gastritis isn’t on your list..and I can’t use the test suggested as I’m on Ranitidine..can’t cope with this anymore it never ends 🙁 please help xx