Consider low stomach acid as part of the underlying problem with these 33 ways to tell if you have low stomach acid.
Low stomach acid is one of the SIBO causes.
In fact, my own 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.
If you want more context on the below, I have recorded a podcast episode all about this topic that you can listen to now.
Episode 91: Show notes
Episode 91 on the ‘A Gutsy Girl’ podcast: Symptoms of Low Stomach Acid. What is low stomach, what are its impacts on your health, and how do you know if you have it?
Listen to Episode:
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In this Episode we cover:
- What is stomach acid?
- Why is stomach acid important?
- Symptoms of LOW, not high, stomach acid
- How to test for stomach acid levels?
Links & Resources Mentioned in this Episode:
- Break Down
- Digest Plus
- What is Achlorhydria?
- Integrative Therapeutics HCL
- Get started healing for REAL, for GOOD today — Gut Healing for Beginners + A Gutsy Girl’s Bible
- Healing Blooms from Within: 90-day gut healing journey journal
- Email: podcast@agutsygirl.com
Episode Images
More about our Podcast
A Gutsy Girl is the podcast that teaches, preaches, and celebrates healing the gut and living a happier, healthier life. If you’re interested in being a guest on the show or have a topic you’d love to hear discussed, please reach out to us at podcast@agutsygirl.com
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 naturally decreases as we age. I know, such a bummer.
Despite the fact that the drug industry tells us stomach acid is a bad thing, it is not. Well, at least not always. In fact, stomach acid is needed in order to break food down.
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 (or worse, a PPI – proton pump inhibitor). Neither of those things are inherently bad in and of themselves, but they are if you don’t actually have too much stomach acid.
The antacid and PPI, of course, only reduce stomach acid even more, masking a problem and causing a harsh ripple effect.
So how do you know if you have low stomach acid?
It’s not always easy to know, but it can also 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
Now, get out that journal and check those notes 🙂
Oh, don’t have it yet? Grab your copy today. Life. Changing.
Beyond just low stomach acid symptoms
Beyond symptoms, there are various ways to test for low stomach acid.
For me personally, I always use this test for low stomach acid. Work with your doctor or nutritionist, as there are others as well. Make note that the low stomach acid test I was able to use cannot be used for everyone.
If you’re interested in more on this topic, here are the next two parts:
- Part II: How to Test At Home for Low Stomach Acid HCL Challenge +
- Part III: 11 Ways to Naturally Improve Stomach Acid Production
If you liked this post on 33 ways to tell if you have low stomach acid, you might also enjoy:
- 12 Ways to Increase Stomach Motility
- 15 Supplements for Stomach Lining Support
- Ultimate Gut Healing Journal
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
If you list 33 symptoms of ANYTHING, any given person is going to check atleast a couple of boxes. So you cast a wide net then you try to sell a $50 spiral bound notebook? Get the hell out of here. You are preying on desperate people. What a scam. What a terrible person.
I could have chosen to send this to SPAM. But I’m not. You’re obviously brave enough to write such disgusting things, but not brave enough to give any real email address or identifying information. I’m sorry you felt the need to waste 2 minutes of your time to comment on this post. If your name is Drew and you’re a man, you should know that I don’t write for men anyways. This is a website that’s for women, and if women are as unhappy with the information and my “motives” as you seem to be, then I can give their money back. Except that I can’t because the information you’re consuming here is offered to you FOR FREE. That’s right – you just commented on something you consumed for free. In that regard, you’re welcome. I wish you only the best, and far less stress than you’re putting on yourself.
I dont see any solution how to fix low stomach acid? and dont tell hcl will fix it because its not a long term solution
Hi Mike! I have provided a plethora of FREE resources sharing how to increase stomach acid. You might start here: https://agutsygirl.com/2016/01/21/11-ways-naturally-improve-stomach-acid-production/