Sufficient stomach acid is essential to our health, yet low stomach acid is very common, especially as we age. Telltale signs of low stomach acid are:
- Loss of a taste for meat or feeling badly from eating meat.
- Heartburn or acid/esophageal reflux; the valve between the stomach and esophagus that prevents reflux does not close unless there is sufficient stomach acid.
- Burping and/or upper abdominal tightness shortly after eating.
Low stomach acid contributes to poor mineral, protein and nutrient absorption, overgrowth of unwanted bacteria in the bowel and stomach, and consequently to bowel inflammation, stomach cancers, arthritis, asthma and more.