Low stomach acid and cancer?
Approximately 40% of adults over the age of 40 suffer from low stomach acid. It’s not that hard to know if you have it or not. Here are a few questions to ask yourself and if you answer “yes” to more than a few, you likely have low stomach acid and should start supplementing with pepsin HCL tablets to kickstart your stomach into proper acid production once again.
- After eating do you have gas or are you bloated?
- Do you have problems with GERD (acid reflux)?
- If you stick out your tongue and look in the mirror, do you see a thin white film on it?
- Do you often have bad breath?
- Have you ever been constipated?
- Do you have diarrhea often?
- Do you find it very difficult to lose weight?
- Do you have acne, eczema or other skin problems?
- Do you have IBS like symptoms?
Chances are if you answer ‘yes’ to more than two of these questions, you most likely have low heartburn. And here’s the really scary part: all the times you take Tums, Nexium, and antacids to “calm your stomach,” you only further deplete whatever stomach acid levels you have.
The less acid your stomach has, the more digestive problems you will have. Without proper levels of stomach acid, not only is food not digested, but the nutrients you need from food are not properly absorbed into your body.
How important is it to make sure you have the correct levels of stomach acid?
According to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, low stomach acid leads to an overgrowth of bacteria in our intestines (which in turn leads to gas, belching, bloating, GERD, etc.) and also possibly cancer. If you don’t want to read the full article on HHMI, here is the relevant snippet:
Helicobacter pylori has received a lot of attention as the cause of stomach ulcers, but new research by scientists at the University of Michigan Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) shows that many other types of bacteria can cause gastritis and ulcers, which ultimately instance, they can cause cancer. .
And the idea that antacids and PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) that are designed to lower our stomach acid levels are good for us is also debunked in this article:
Merchant said his group’s studies showing that omeprazole promotes bacterial overgrowth suggest that doctors should prescribe this class of drugs with caution. Proton pump inhibitors include drugs marketed under the trade names Prilosec® and Prevacid®.
And it’s just not the medical and scientific community that is discovering the importance of maintaining a good level of stomach acid. Apple cider vinegar (which is highly concentrated in acetic acid) and sour pickle juice have long been used as home remedies for stomach ailments for several decades.
They are popularly recommended on natural health forums like CureZone and EarthClinic and have an excellent reputation. The reason is quite simple: they work!
Both of these home remedies are highly concentrated in acid and, once ingested, supplement stomach acid levels and aid in the digestion process.
