Hydrochloric acid (HCl) plays an important part in the first digestive step, which if not completed properly can result in digestive problems all the way through the digestive tract.

Please note that it is extremely important to obtain an accurate diagnosis
before trying to find a cure.  Many diseases and conditions share common symptoms:
if you treat yourself for the wrong illness or a specific symptom of a complex disease
 you may delay legitimate treatment of a serious underlying problem. 
In other words, the greatest danger in self-treatment may be self-diagnosis.
If you do not know what you really have, you can not treat it!

HCl does not digest food on its own, but creates an environment in which digestion begins. HCl is responsible for converting pepsinogen to pepsin, which begins breaking down proteins in the stomach. With limited HCl, pepsinogen is not converted
to pepsin and protein digestion fails.
A second action of HCl is to prevent infections, since most organisms that are ingested are destroyed by an adequately acid environment.

Signs, symptoms & indicators of Hydrochloric Acid Deficiency:

Symptoms – Bowel Movements -- Offensive Smelling Stools

Symptoms - Gas-Int - General -- Meal- related burping
                                                Confirmed / possible delayed gastric emptying
                                                Meal related bloating
                                                General flatulence

Symptoms - Nails                       White spots on fingernails
 
Symptoms - Skin - Conditions      History of adult acne
                                                 History of eczema

Symptoms - Sleep                       Drowsiness after meals


Conditions that suggest Hydrochloric Acid Deficiency:

Digestion:                 Heartburn / GERD /  Acid Reflux
                                 Based on the clinical experience of doctors such as
                                 Dr. Jonathon Wright, MD, supplementing with hydrochloric acid
                                 sometimes relieves the symptoms of heartburn and improves
                                 digestion in individuals who have hyprchlorhydria.
                                 Unexplained bloating, belching and heartburn are frequently
                                 diagnosed as symptoms of hyperacidity and sometimes
                                 wrongly treated with antacids, when in fact the underlying
                                 problem is insufficient acid production.

                                 IBS / Iritable Bowel Syndrome


Infections:                Bacterial Dysbiosis
                                  Yeast  / Candida Infection

Musculo Skelatal     Rheumatoid Arthritis
                                Lack of stomach acid occurs frequently in Rheumatoid Arthritis
                                This is associated with changes in gastric microbial patterns.


Nutrients                  Vitamin B12 Requirement
                                 Achlorhydria leads to improper absorption of nutrients i.e.- B12 

Skin – Hair – Nails    Adult Acme    
                                  Eczema

Risk factors for Hydrochloric Acid Deficiency:
Nutrients                    Vitamin B6 Requirement

Hydrochloric Acid Deficiency can lead to:

Environment / Toxicity – General Detoxification

 

Recommendations & treatments - Hydrochloric Acid Deficiency :

Botanical                      Cayenne Pepper                                                                               Capsaicin, the activ ingredient in cayenne, is believed                                         to assist digestion by stimulating the flow of both salvia and                                        stomach secretions. One or two capsules of cayenne                                                 pepper taken before meals stimulates hunger also

Diet                               Vinegar
                                     Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice taken with meals mildly 
                                     stimulates Hydrochloric Acid production.

Digestion                      Hydrochloric Acid trial
                                     Some people with low stomach acid have no symptoms      
                                     that are obviously related, and are led to believe they are 
                                     digesting properly, when they are not. An HCL trial is a safe,
                                     worthwhile, and relatively accurate way to discover if an
                                     insufficiency exists. Since the long-term administration of
                                     supplemental HCl may result in reduced stomach output of
                                     acid, administration is advised for diagnostic purposes and
                                     short-term use only. Short-term use may result in a return
                                     of normal acid production.

                                      Clear with your physician before doing this.
                                      Trial: Start with one capsule HCL at a meal.
                                     Increase 1 capsule with each meal until you get heartburn 
                                     symptoms and then back off to previous # capsules per meal.
       
                                     Digestive Enzyme Trial

Vitamins                        Folic Acid
                                     In cases of low stomach acid or supplemental use
                                     of hydrochloric acid normalizes folate absorption.

                                      Vitamin B Complex
                                      Several B-vitamins are needed to support hydrochloric acid
                                      production

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