8 Signs of Low Stomach Acid — a Major Problem for Your Health

by HealthNews and InformationNutrition

8 Signs of Low Stomach Acid — a Major Problem for Your Health

Claremont Colnic Center
Stomach acid has been portrayed as a bad guy in the mainstream media. We see TV commercials with people clutching their abdomens and feeling better after popping a powdery pill or drinking some pink liquid that neutralizes the evil, burning acid. It’s common to assume that stomach acid needs to be reduced in order to rectify common digestive problems such as acid reflux, heartburn and indigestion.
Unfortunately, the prevailing attitude couldn’t be further from the truth. Up to 50 percent of North Americans actually have stomach acid that is lacking the acidity required to break down food properly.

While antacids and similar medications can provide temporary relief from digestive discomforts, they actually make the problem worse in the long term by neutralizing what little stomach acid is available. Hypochlorhydria, the state of having too little or ineffective stomach acid, has been associated with the development of stomach cancer, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.

Stomach acid performs a number of vital functions, yet it is under threat from a natural age-related decline, as well as a diet heavy in processed foods and lacking healthy nutritious ones.

We need stomach acid in order to:

  • Digest proteins and break them into the amino acids that are used to build the various types of tissues and structures in the body.
  • Stimulate digestive enzymes and bile produced by the pancreas and intestines. These substances are vital for the breakdown of carbohydrates and fats.
  • Act as a first defense against invading yeasts, bacteria and parasites that will otherwise make it past the stomach and cause infections.
  • Properly absorb some minerals and nutrients, such as iron, copper, zinc, calcium and vitamin B12. Low stomach acid has been associated with anemia and vitamin B12 deficiency.


This explains why you shouldn’t take medications that neutralize stomach acid. If you have acid reflux, try these natural home remedies instead.

Here are some signs of low stomach acid and a breakdown of the resulting health concerns, plus some natural fixes you can use right away.

Signs of low stomach acid

If you feel poorly when you eat meat or protein-rich foods, low stomach acid may be to blame. Many people take nausea or sluggishness after eating meat as a sign that they should become vegetarian. While this may be true for some people at some life stages, it is a good idea to test for hypochlorhydria. Eating sustainable, healthy and humane sources of animal protein is critical for lasting health for most people.

Along a similar vein, those who have previously chosen to eat a vegetarian or vegan diet may have decreased hydrochloric acid production, because it is naturally downregulated by the body when little animal protein is consumed. If you choose to reintroduce animal foods, this must be done gradually so that acid production can resume accordingly.

Other digestive discomforts can also result from inadequate stomach acid production. Acid reflux and GERD, or heartburn, seem to be related to overproduction of acid but are actually caused by acid escaping from the stomach into the soft, sensitive tissues of the esophagus. This uncomfortable condition results from pressure in the stomach due to low stomach acid.

In addition, burping, gas, bloating or heaviness after eating are clear indicators that the digestive process is not happening as it should. It is likely that the excessive growth of bacteria (left unchecked due to low stomach acid) results in fermentation of the food you eat, with gas as a by-product. The smelly burps that many people have are a sign that food is sitting in the stomach for too long, when it should already have moved into the small intestine. When pH levels are too low in the stomach, the signal that should move food onward into the intestine never happens, and food is left to provide a feast for unhealthy bacteria. Bacterial infections such as H. pylori can result.

This incomplete digestion can also contribute to constant hunger, because nutrients cannot be absorbed when food is left whole by inadequate stomach acid. The body believes it is undernourished and continues to trigger hunger signals.

Digestive illness such as inflammatory bowel disease, celiac symptoms, Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis that just won’t get better even after numerous diet and lifestyle changes could be a sign of low stomach acid.

Since a lack of strong stomach acid can let bacteria grow beyond optimal levels, bad breath can result. If you have persistent bad breath, it may not be coming from your teeth, tongue or gums, but rather from deeper down. When food sits in the gut, bacteria breeds and lets off foul gases that can come out of your mouth.

Another “cosmetic” side effect of hypochlorhydria is weak and peeling fingernails. This results from deficiencies in proteins and essential fatty acids that are missed out on when food is not properly digested.

How to test for low stomach acid at home

Besides looking out for the above signs and symptoms, here is a simple test you can do in your kitchen that may help you determine whether or not you have low stomach acid — all you need is some water and baking soda. The test is based on a chemical reaction produced by baking soda reacting with your stomach acid.

1. First thing in the morning, mix a quarter of a teaspoon of baking soda into a glass of cold water and drink it down calmly without swallowing much air.

2. Set a timer and see how long it takes for you to produce a significant belch. Those with stronger stomach acid with a healthy pH level should belch within two or three minutes.

If it takes longer than three minutes to belch, it would be worth doing further testing with your trusted health practitioner to investigate the possibility of low stomach acid.

How to fix low stomach acid naturally

If you’re not the type to need an official diagnosis, there are many ways to improve stomach acid production yourself. There is no harm in these natural methods, since your body will find its own balance (in contrast with pharmaceuticals, which force an effect on the body whether it is helpful or not).

Stimulating digestion with raw apple cider vinegar or Swedish bitters can be very helpful. The bitter flavors make you salivate, which in turn signals the production of bile and acid for digestion.

If you have a trusted holistic health practitioner to work with, supplementing with betaine hydrochloride can be very helpful for those with low stomach acid. However, doing this on your own is not recommended, because the appropriate dosage is very individualized.

Relaxation before and after a meal can also go a long way toward improving digestion. The body doesn’t put any energy toward digestion when we are chronically stressed and in an agitated state of mind. Meditative practices such as deep breathing or a slow stroll are good ways to get into prime digestion mode.

Hopefully this article has shed some light on common symptoms that otherwise seem unrelated. Who would have thought that peeling fingernails, vitamin B12 deficiency and bloating after meals could be tied to the same underlying problem?



Contributor: — The Alternative Daily

Fast Walking is a Key to Longevity, Research Shows

by with No Comment HealthLifestyle

Fast Walking is a Key to Longevity, Research Shows

Claremont Colonic
Too busy to go to the gym? Don’t worry — you can stay healthy by incorporating at least 15 minutes of fast walking into your everyday routine, new research suggests.
In general, it’s recommended that people commit to 150 minutes of moderate activity per week to see sufficient health benefits, said Dr. Wei Zheng, the study’s corresponding author. But if 150 minutes is too difficult to manage, fast walking a minimum of 15 minutes every day can have the same health benefits.

Zheng and a team of researchers recruited mostly low-income and Black study participants from 2002 to 2009, according to the study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. The nearly 85,000 participants were given a comprehensive questionnaire about their exercise habits, average time spent working out, walking speed and health. Then the participants complete a questionnaire about 16 years later, and the analysis began in 2023.

We know “fast walking is good compared to slow walking,” but there isn’t much research on how many minutes you should spend fast walking on average, said Zheng, director of the Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center and the Anne Potter Wilson Professor in Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

On average, study participants who fast walked for at least 15 minutes every day saw a nearly 20% reduction in premature death compared with a 4% reduction among participants who walked slowly for a total of more than three hours a day.

“We’ve actually known for quite a long time that walking speed correlates with outcomes, meaning the faster you walk, the better you do. And it certainly makes sense, because you can imagine, somebody who’s in really bad shape is probably not going to be able to walk very quickly,” said Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver. He was not involved in the study.

How walking can impact your health

Walking has health benefits, such as managing weight and sugar intake, reducing risk of cancer, easing joint pain, and boosting immune function.

Health experts “know that when people are exercising regularly, blood vessels can relax and dilate a bit better. And then we also know that exercise is quite good for cholesterol, so it seems to lower cholesterol, and then overall, it reduces the risk of cancer and things that would otherwise hurt people,” Freeman said.

Walking daily can also lower risk of dementia or cognitive decline in people predisposed to developing Alzheimer’s, according to recent research.

Engaging in daily physical activity, such as walking, promotes better sleep and reduces inflammation, which improves brain structure, according to the Piedmont Medical Center in South Carolina.

“I want to emphasize that these exercises, no matter slow or fast, all confirm some benefit,” Zheng said. “But what we find is that fast walking as little as 15 minutes a day confirms substantiated benefits.”

Fast walking has been found to have specific benefits, such as decreasing risk of heart failure, arrythmias and type 2 diabetes.

“(T)he thought is that exercise has a very big effect on blood pressure, as you may know, and blood pressure, it is one of the more exponential risk factors that we have, for roughly every 20 points blood pressure goes above 120 (what is considered normal or healthy), the risk of a cardiac event roughly doubles,” Freeman said. “So, it’s a super potent and exponential risk factor, and we know that regular exercise lowers that.”

Get your heart pumping

In general, you can tell you’re fast walking when you’re able to talk but not sing, according to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service. Alternatively, you can increase your walking pace by a couple of steps and track it with a metronome, according to a July study.

“I usually recommend that they get up before work, and they go for a brisk walk or a bike or a swim, or they do some high-intensity interval training, whatever it is that they’re into,” Freeman said. People can go to “a rec center, or they walk outside, if it is safe, or whatever it may be, and just weave it into their day.”

Following good walking form, such as standing tall with your shoulders back and swinging your arms, can help prevent backaches, make it easy to breath and keep you balanced.

“Walking is a full body movement. It is not just about your lower body. It’s not just one step in front of the one foot in front of the other,” said Dana Santas, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and mind-body coach in professional sports, in a previous article.

“Your arm swing is a huge part involved in the mechanics of walking. So, you want to have an arm swing that’s coordinated with your foot movement, so it’s opposing,” she added.

Want to take it up a notch? When doing any form of exercise, try to practice conscious or nasal breathing, which is when you inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. This helps regulate blood pressure and can prevent hypertension, according to Santas.


Contributor: Gina Park – CNN Wellness

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Strategies for Calming Back-to-School Anxiety

by with No Comment HealthLifestyleNews and Information

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Strategies for Calming Back-to-School Anxiety

Claremont Colonic Center
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I have two sons, ages 5 and 11. My eldest is always excited to start school and have new adventures. My younger son will begin kindergarten this year. Although he went to child care part-time, my younger son has begun to express concern about being away from me all day and is showing increased anxiety as we talk about school. How can I help him be less anxious?
ANSWER: Getting ready for a new school year can be exciting for children, parents and caregivers. It may also be a major cause of anxiety or stress.

Most people get nervous when they face change. Whether kids are heading off to elementary, middle or high school, or even college, leaving the safety and familiarity of home can prompt feelings of fear.

One of the most helpful things you can do is reassure your son that what he’s feeling is normal. Separation anxiety happens to many people of all ages. Then, as much as possible, help him gradually gain exposure to, and get comfortable with, going to school.

Talking through fears

Try to gain a sense of what it is about school that makes your son nervous. Is he concerned about making new friends? Is he concerned about the teachers? Is he worried about the classwork? Is there something new that may be causing anxiety, like riding a bus? Sometimes, just being able to talk about those details and put the nervousness into words can help a child who is feeling anxious.

Continuing to show love, support and warmth can go a long way. Share with your son an experience you had when you were anxious about facing something new. Talk to him about how you handled the situation. Ask your older child to share some experiences and how he overcame his fears. Doing this will let your younger child know that he is not alone in the situation, that it is OK to be nervous, and he can get through it.

Preparing ahead of time

To help your son prepare for school, talk to him about what his school day might be like. You could also visit the school to meet his teachers, take a tour of his classroom, see the playground, or even locate the bus stop. If your son is nervous about getting on the school bus, call the transportation department to see if he can meet the bus driver early.

Another idea is to find social opportunities with other incoming kindergarten students. Reach out to parents of children in your neighborhood who will be going to school for the first time. Then, plan a social gathering at a local playground.

A week or two before school starts, develop a routine. Begin to wake up early and get ready on time. Also, consider practicing some schoolwork. You can get your older child involved in sharing his thoughts about what was the best part of school when he was that age.

Spending time apart

Begin by spending some time away from your son. Maybe it’s having your child go to a friend’s home for an hour. Then, slowly increase the time away from your son so that he has an opportunity to feel comfortable being with others for longer periods of time.

All of these steps will help him know what to expect, prepare him gradually for what school will be like, and ease the transition. This approach is based on one of the core principles of treating anxiety. That is, when you are frightened of something that is not dangerous, you need to have practice dealing with the source of your fear until it becomes routine or boring. You cannot be talked out of anxiety. You need exposure to, and experience in, dealing with the situation.

If your child is resistant to the attempts you are making, or if his anxiety doesn’t decrease even after you’ve taken these steps, talk with your pediatrician or primary care clinician about seeing a healthcare professional who can help. Books on coaching for anxiety can also be a resource. Anxiety is a normal part of life that can’t be completely eliminated, but many successful strategies can reduce anxiety and how often it causes problems.


Contributor: Patty Miller, Mayo Clinic

5 Best Smoothies for a Good Poop

by HealthLifestyleNutrition

5 Best Smoothies for a Good Poop

Claremont Colonic Center
There are some things that make people uncomfortable to talk about… and poop seems to be one of those things. However, paying attention to the nature of your bowel movements is a good way to stay on top of your health.
Is there really such a thing as a good poop? The answer is yes, and we should always strive for the healthiest elimination habits possible. Sometimes, due to things we have eaten, elimination is difficult, while other times it is difficult to stop. Proper digestion and healthy elimination go hand in hand.

Digestive disturbances reach epidemic level

Unfortunately, more people than ever before have digestive disturbances – in fact, they have actually reached epidemic levels. This is mostly due to our unbalanced and unhealthy Western diet, and an overabundance of pharmaceutical drugs. Disorders such as constipation, acid reflux, ulcers, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, GERD and celiac disease are more than common.

Poop matters

The quality of your poop has a lot to do with your lifestyle, including the foods that you eat. Drinking healthy smoothies is a fabulous way to rebalance your digestive system and relieve any uncomfortable issues that you may be having with elimination.

If your digestive system is in order, your elimination will be in order. Rather than reach for over-the-counter aids when things go wrong “down under,” try a healthier and safer alternative: a smoothie. No matter what your digestive malfunction is, there is a smoothie to rectify the problem. There is nothing healthier than a fresh smoothie made with whole food ingredients.

For these smoothies, be sure to use organic ingredients whenever possible. This will reduce the chances that your produce is tainted with pesticides, and since organic produce is generally higher in nutrients than conventional produce, it is your best choice. Shelf life of organic produce tends to be shorter, so be sure to only buy the amount you can use.

Gutastic

Even if you don’t suffer from digestive disturbances, you can benefit from this tasty smoothie. It is jam-packed with nutrients that support healthy gut bacteria, promote a strong immune system and keep everything moving with regularity.

  • ½ cup organic apple cider
  • 15 coconut water ice cubes ( fill a tray with coconut water and freeze)
  • I frozen mango, cubed
  • ½ frozen banana
  • 1 cup plain kefir
  • 1 tablespoon raw honey
  • ½ teaspoon chia seeds
  • Dash of cinnamon
  • Dash of nutmeg


Put ice in the blender first, followed by other ingredients, and blend well. Drink the smoothie right away.

Unstopper

If you have a bowel movement less than 3 times a week, chances are you are constipated. Your poops may be small, hard and very difficult to pass, causing you exceptional discomfort. It is important to understand that constipation is a symptom, not a disease.

Over 4 million Americans suffer from frequent constipation. Constipation occurs when the colon absorbs too much water, or if the colon’s muscle contractions are weak. Constipation may also be a symptom of dehydration, lack of fiber, inactivity, medications or irritable bowel.

  • 6 pitted prunes (dried plums)
  • 1 cup organic apple juice (preferably fresh-squeezed)
  • 1 cup crushed ice (made with filtered water)
  • 1 cup plain acidophilus yogurt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of nutmeg


Put ice in the blender first, followed by other ingredients, and blend well. Drink the smoothie right away.

Debloater

Nothing is worse than the feeling that you have gained fifteen pounds of bloat. Bloating can occur for any number of reasons, but an unhappy digestive tract is generally the culprit. Along with bloating often comes excessive gas. In addition to switching to a diet that is loaded with fresh, whole foods, drink this smoothie as often as needed to reduce the pressure of bloating.

  • ½ cup organic dandelion root tea
  • 1 cup raspberries
  • 1 cup pineapple chunks
  • ½ cup plain kefir
  • 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
  • ½ cup ice cubes


Put ice in the blender first, followed by other ingredients, and blend well. Drink the smoothie right away.

Stink Buster

Okay, so you say that all poop stinks, right? Well, not exactly: some poop smells way worse than other poop. The odor of your poop is really dependent on a number of things, including what you are eating, medications, how long it has been sitting in your colon and possibly the bacterial balance (or imbalance) in your digestive tract.

One way to bring balance back to your gut is to be sure that you are consuming plenty of healthy and organic vegetables and fruits, and very little – if any – processed foods.

  • 1 lemon
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 cup of crushed ice
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 2 tablespoons aloe vera juice
Put the ice in the blender first, followed by the other ingredients, and blend well. Drink right away.

Binder

Not only is diarrhea uncomfortable, it can also be embarrassing. No one likes to spend all day in the bathroom if they don’t have to. Most Americans experience at least one bout of acute diarrhea, defined as passing loose stools of one to two days, each year.

Young children are more apt to suffer twice as often as adults, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse of the National Institutes of Health. While most cases of diarrhea will eventually calm down, you can get your digestive system back on track by consuming plenty of filtered water and a binding smoothie.

  • 1 cup oat milk
  • ½ cup organic steel-cut oats
  • ¼ cup raspberry Kefir
  • 1 frozen banana
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons organic plain yogurt


Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy your drink right away.

Remember that if your gut is out of order, it is paramount that you look first at what you are putting in your mouth. It could be that the remedy you are looking for is closer at hand than you think.


Contributor: -The Alternative Daily