The hydrochloric acid in the stomach is one of the most important factors for proper digestion. The acid has a number of functions and if these are incompletely performed, the person will in the short term experience acid reflux, stomach pain and indigestion. In the long term he or she may suffer IBS, food intolerance, food allergy, vitamin and mineral deficiency and even some autoimmune diseases.

The main functions of the acid are to initiate the breakdown of proteins, vitamins and minerals. The acid also kills bacteria and parasites so they don't reach the intestines and the bloodstream.

With too low acidity the food will stay longer in the stomach before it can continue and while the stomach struggle to digest the food (the stomach is a muscle), it can force some liquid up the esophagus. This is what people feel as heartburn (also called GERD). If the acidity level had been higher the valve between the stomach and the esophagus would not have opened.

During the extended time the food stays in a stomach with low acidity the person will suffer bloating.

When the semi-digested food continues to the small intestine, further digestion is complicated because the intestine cannot process it in the form it has. That is when abdominal pain sets in.

Furthermore, the food will contain microscopic, undigested elements that find their way through the wall of the intestine and into the bloodstream. These can cause headache and food intolerance and allergy. This phenomenon is known as leaking gut.

If you have these symptoms and they are caused by too low stomach acidity, taking medicine to lower the acidity further will make the problem worse.

To find out whether you have too low or too high acidity take 1 to 2 tablespoonful of apple cider vinegar before meals. You can either take it directly with a spoon or mix it with a little bit of water in a glass. If this eliminates the heartburn your problem is deficiency of acid production.

It is estimated, that around 90% of people with heartburn or similar problems have too low acidity.

The reason the stomach doesn't produce acid enough is because messages from the brain to the stomach are blocked. The brain sends messages to the stomach (and other organs) through the vagus nerve. This nerve starts in the brain and passes down the neck all the way to the intestines. With some people this nerve was pinched in the neck during birth and this blocks part of the messages to the stomach about acid production.

The vagus nerve can be liberated easily by a kinesiologist or chiropractor with a non-invasive little procedure that takes a few minutes. It is worthwhile to take the effort to have this done; your whole digestion will improve. Furthermore, if you are a smoker your craving for cigarettes will disappear and some allergies like electrosensitivity will decrease.



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