Hydrochloric acid levels

[jordanjuju]

So I've been reading TONS about all aspects of the raw food lifestyle, and I've learned what a lot of you have probably known for a while; our hydrochloric acid levels in our stomach are very depleted... my question is what do we do to fix this? Or does eating raw replenish our stomach acidity? Please and thank you. (=

Jordan

[smoothiegirl]

I do know that low or depleted acid is dangerous when left untreated. Years of bad food and poor digestion send the body into orbit. The body goes to other areas to rob acid to digest food causing the ph to skyrocket. There has to be a healthy acid/alkaline balance. It causes the body to break down. Cells are damaged. The enzyme store is depleted therefore making digestion even harder. Enzyme therapy is helpful to build the stores back up along w/ raw foods. :)

[jordanjuju]

Thanks for the information, but enzyme therapy? I better research that. [=

[Coconutcutie]

You can certainly take hydrochloric acid supplements with meals to ensure that you are digesting food efficiently and also absorbing the minerals that are needed to produce HCL in the first place....I used HCL for awhile, and now I just take a pinch of cayenne pepper in water before dense meals (i.e. not fruit) to help stimulate my own gastric production. I do supplement enzymes all of the time, and they do seem to help quite a bit!

[RawHeaven]

Being Raw over time balances this out. At least this has happened to me. If you want to boost your HCL levels, drink raw apple cider vinegar shots before meals. You do this by taking 2 tablespoons as a shot or put 2 tbs in a glass of water. It also makes your body more alkaline - something raw does too of course. Just a booster. Look for Braggs Raw ACV (w/ mother) brand.

[Raine]

Being Raw over time balances this out. At least this has happened to me. If you want to boost your HCL levels, drink raw apple cider vinegar shots before meals. You do this by taking 2 tablespoons as a shot or put 2 tbs in a glass of water. It also makes your body more alkaline - something raw does too of course. Just a booster. Look for Braggs Raw ACV (w/ mother) brand.

I agree with this comment. I drink Bragg's ACV twice per day mixed with one pack of Stevia and topped with water - tastes like lemonade to me.

What so many people don't understand is that antacids are so prevelant because they don't realize that the indigestion feeling they have is not a result of too much acid, but too little and the stomach is trying to digest food. By adding antacids to the mix you neutralize any chance of the stomach breaking down the food with the little bit of acid it had and you get a big congealed mess that your stomach finally just pushes out because it can't do jack with it.

By studying up on proper food combinations, natural hygiene, etc., you start to learn the tricks and understand what your body is telling you it needs.

[Vaclare79]

I agree with this comment. I drink Bragg's ACV twice per day mixed with one pack of Stevia and topped with water - tastes like lemonade to me.

What so many people don't understand is that antacids are so prevelant because they don't realize that the indigestion feeling they have is not a result of too much acid, but too little and the stomach is trying to digest food. By adding antacids to the mix you neutralize any chance of the stomach breaking down the food with the little bit of acid it had and you get a big congealed mess that your stomach finally just pushes out because it can't do jack with it.

By studying up on proper food combinations, natural hygiene, etc., you start to learn the tricks and understand what your body is telling you it needs.

I agree totally because this is what I learned when I had developed acid reflux.. Everything wasn't being digested the proper way due to low stomach acid because of wearing out the stomach from eating crap SAD foods and those antiacids actually harm rather than help. Eating raw is definitely the best way to fix it along with enzymes. ACV is definitely great for helping with pH levels, acidity in stomach and alkalizing you. :) I pretty much drink it straight. I love it.

[snoops]

I haven't had heartburn since putting ACV in my green smoothies.

[coco]

food combining, chewing very very well (even liquids), eating only on an empty stomach, eating peacefully. these all help with digestion.

drinking a glass of lemon water first thing in the morning can be helpful. be sure to rinse your mouth afterwards though, it can be hard on your teeth.

[jordanjuju]

Thanks everyone. (=

[JEN]

Here is some info from the book Cleanse and Purify Thyself

In a healthy person, the parietal cells of the stomach manufacture, hydrochloric acid (HCI), an essiential element in digestion. But in order to do this, it must have large amounts of organic sodium to protect the stomach cells from the HCI. And so it is at this site(the stomach) that we find the greatest store of organic sodium. However, the stomach needs this large storehouse of organic sodium, and if it is diminished, the stomach is forced to stop HCI production. For if the HCI production were continued without the protection of organic sodium, the HCI would burn a hole right through the stomach. Yes, a lack of organic sodium is associated with ulcers. Therefore, a lack of sodium in the stomach not only means a shutdown of HCI production, it also means that pepsinogen cannot be activated, nor can proteins efficiently digested.


When I was jucie feasting I learned that celery is a great way to get organic sodium. It is necessary to have organic sodium in the stomach for proper HCI production. Hope this helps.

[rawstrength]

Green smoothies are known to boost HCL levels in people with hypochloridia.

[MiahTay]

Yep, Green Smoothies. The book Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko talks specifically about this topic.

Blessings,
Heather

[Veganforlife]

Uh-huh!!!

::shakes head in agreement::

[jordanjuju]

Anyone know how long it usually takes for the acidity levels in our stomachs to re-regulate? Because the first day I went raw the green smoothie I made really upset my stomach... but every day after that it was completely fine. And I use the same amount of greens every time I make myself a GS. Just curious is all. [=

[MiahTay]

In Green for Life, they did a 30 day study where the volunteers drank 1 quart of GS per day. And at the end of the study 66% of the people showed vast improvement by the end of the study. And they didn't change any other aspect of their diet.

Blessings,
Heather

[smoothiegirl]

My digestive sytem was shot to the point of shutting down. I've been drinking 2 green smoothies a day for almost 2 months w/no non raw foods and it has dramatically improved. I still use digestive enzymes to build up the stores(they were depleted) Can't handle loads of cooked food because my body doesn't have the energy to digest it. I need to juice celery to get my stomach straightened out. :)

[Vaclare79]

I have to agree with the post about the study Victoria did for people with low HCL levels... The Green Smoothies did help them.
I also read something last night when I read the book again that any undigested food particles coming into contact with red blood cells it will instantly kill them off... When consuming GS, the body sends the food quickly to the small intestines which allows the body to produce less HCL.
Another interesting fact I read about GS, is that consuming greens is a way to stimulate the HCL regardless of what you eat.. Greens stimulate HCL production.

So, that leads me to believe that GS are the best way to get nutrition because eating just food that isn't blended up good enough is going to possibly kill your body cells. I don't know what part of the book I read it but that was strange to me even though might be true.
We develop gray hairs because of low stomach acids which get lower as we age due to the fact that we have or eat too much protein/fats in the SAD diets which have used up the stomach acids we have..
Stomach acids are to protect us against parasites and wouldn't you want to drink you GS to build up your HCL to normal again so that you don't have parasites and things living in your stomach? That's what I think of when I'm trying to motivate myself to drink more GS.. It's the best food for you. :)
I'm glad I found the raw/GS information.