One of The Most Overlooked Causes of Bloating -- Revealed!
If you’re like most people who struggle with chronic bloating, chances are you’ve been to the doctor multiple times without any useful answers, you’ve been on every elimination diet in the book, your cupboard is full of various supplements and herbal formulas, and you have a year’s supply of peppermint tea in your pantry.
And yet… you still struggle with bloating. Every. Single. Day.
What the heck is going on?!
It’s possible you have one of the most overlooked reasons for bloating. If you do a quick search on Google, you’ll discover that most natural health experts agree: this is a relatively underdiagnosed condition that may be much more common than we think.
What is it?... Hypochlorhydria.
Hypochlorhydria is the medical way for saying you don’t have enough stomach acid (otherwise known as hydrochloric acid, or HCl, for short).
Keep reading as I dive into why this matters for your bloating, how to tell if you have low stomach acid, and what you can do about it if you do.
The Importance of HCl
Put into a sentence: if you don’t make enough stomach acid, it impairs the rest of the digestive process.
Specialized cells in the stomach wall secrete HCl when food enters the stomach. HCl plays an important role in digestion as well as immune function:
HCl triggers a cascade of events that allows for the digestion of protein and the absorption of vitamin B12 and iron.
In combination with the churning of the stomach, HCl helps soften the connective tissue in meat and liquifies the food you eat so that nutrients can be absorbed in the small intestine.
The high acidity of HCl sterilizes food and prevents infection from viruses or bacteria.
When your digested food moves from the stomach to the small intestine, the acidity of HCl stimulates the release of enzymes from your pancreas and bile from your gall bladder to continue digestion and allow for absorption of nutrients.
If your body does not produce enough HCl, all these processes can be impaired.
How does low HCL affect me?
As mentioned, stomach acid is needed to digest and absorb protein, vitamin B12, and several other minerals. When you are no longer able to break down your food, you end up with undigested food and nutrient deficiencies. Nutrient deficiencies can manifest in several ways and may include digestive complaints, brain fog, concentration problems, or low energy.
Undigested food can cause an assortment of digestive complaints including gas, heartburn, bloating, abdominal cramps, and constipation. When you are lacking necessary digestive enzymes, like HCl, food breaks down via fermentation instead, and this gives off gas as a by-product. Undigested food may also contribute to an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine or lead to dysbiosis in the colon.
12 Signs of Low HCl
If you have low HCl, you may experience some, or all, of these symptoms, depending on the type of meal you just ate. The more of these symptoms you have, the higher the likelihood you have low HCl.
Bloating or gas
Excessive burping after meals
Constipation
Loss of taste for meat or trouble digesting meat
Undigested food particles in your stool
Heartburn
Feeling tired or sluggish after eating
Stomach pain
Sense of excessive fullness or a heavy feeling after meals
Food sensitivities
B12 and/or iron deficiencies
Brittle finger nails
Dry or damaged hair or hair loss
What causes low HCl?
Several factors may contribute to low HCl production:
Stress: Chronic stress decreases HCl production.
Junk food diet: Specific nutrients are needed to make HCl. If you eat a diet high in processed and refined foods, it is likely you will be deficient in these required nutrients.
Dehydration: Large amounts of water are required to make stomach acid. Therefore, dehydration affects HCl production.
Smoking: Smoking robs the body of essential nutrients and causes damage to tissues in the stomach that normally secrete HCl.
Alcohol: Overconsumption of alcohol damages the cells that line the stomach and impairs stomach acid secretion
Age: The natural process of aging results in lower HCl production.
Medical conditions: Certain medical conditions may affect the body’s ability to produce HCl such as hypothyroid, diabetes, and autoimmune conditions.
Medication: Long-term use of antacids or other medication for heartburn or acid reflux affects HCl production and impairs digestion.
Can I test for low HCl?
There are specialty diagnostic tests to assess for hypochlorhydria; however, in Canada, these tests may be difficult to access and may only be reserved for patients with more significant medical problems.
There is also a DIY baking soda test that you can do at home on an empty stomach. While it is not a validated test, when combined with a symptom assessment, it can give you a pretty good idea whether you have low HCl or not.
For the test, drink 100mL of cold or room temperature water combined with ¼ tsp of baking soda on an empty stomach. The best time to do this test is first thing upon waking, before drinking, eating or brushing your teeth. The idea is that the baking soda combined with your stomach acid will produce gas and cause you to burp. The longer it takes you to burp, the less stomach acid you have.
Note the time you drink the baking soda solution and then see how long it takes for you to burp. It doesn’t have to be a massive belch; just some wind moving up from your stomach. If stomach acid is within normal limits, you should burp between 1-2 minutes. If it takes longer than 3-5 minutes, the theory is that you don’t have enough stomach acid.
How can I support HCl production?
If you’ve gone through the symptom list and you’ve done the baking soda test, and all signs are pointing to “yes”, you probably have low HCl, then you may be asking yourself, “What can I do about it?”
Here are 10 ways you can support digestion and HCl production through diet and lifestyle measures:
Chew your food – Thoroughly chewing food to an applesauce-like consistency makes it easier for the stomach to digest food.
Eat smaller meals more often – This makes it easier for you to digest and absorb your meals.
Eat protein with your first bite – Eating protein at the beginning of your meal helps stimulate HCl production.
Drink at least 8 cups of water per day – The stomach requires large amounts of water to produce HCl and liquify your food. Dehydration impairs this process.
Address nutrient deficiencies – Your body requires adequate amounts of zinc, magnesium, and B vitamins to make stomach acid. Eating a balanced diet and using supplements to address nutrient deficiencies is an important step for supporting HCl production.
Use a high-quality sea salt – Sodium chloride is also needed to make HCl but you want to use a mineral-rich source from Celtic or Himalayan sea salt, rather than table salt.
Stress management – Chronic stress impairs HCl production and secretion. Avoid eating when sad, angry, or stressed, and take steps to manage stress on a daily basis.
Avoid cold drinks with meals – Cold drinks may constrict blood flow to the stomach resulting in slowed digestion and low HCl secretion.
Avoid eating within 2-3 hours of bedtime – This allows your body time to digest your food before going to sleep.
Eat bitter foods – Your tongue and gut have receptors that respond to naturally occurring bitter compounds found in certain foods and herbs. These bitter compounds signal your digestive system to produce HCl.
Betaine hydrochloride and digestive enzymes – You may benefit from taking a supplement containing betaine hydrochloride or other naturally occurring digestive enzymes to increase stomach acidity. (You should not use betaine hydrochloride if you have, or suspect you have, a stomach ulcer.)
Low stomach acid is a common cause for symptoms of bloating, gas, and constipation. However, it is not the only cause.
If you find yourself struggling with chronic daily bloating and you are looking for additional support, I can help you get to the root cause of your gut issues so you can decrease the belly ache, relieve constipation, and improve digestion without the Band-Aid solutions and super restrictive diets.
You can book your complimentary Gut Health Strategy Session and get started on your gut healing journey today. For more information on my offers, click here.
