Stomach acid function. Why is it important to have the correct amount.

Stomach acid (HCL)

Why is stomach acid important?

Well it does a lot of things, not only helps with digestion of protein and is the second place where digestions starts (1^st one is the mouth, by chewing and releasing amylase which starts digest the starches).

The stomach acid is releases from parietal cells, part of the interior stomach, the same cells activate the release of the intrinsic factor which is essential for the absorption and transportation of B12.

What is the HCL main function:

• It stimulates the production of pepsin to break down protein.
• Denature big protein bonds, to smaller ones in order to be broken down later in the small intestine into amino acid or small peptides so that they can be easily absorbed and made into various other proteins and hormones in the liver.
• Kills harmful bacteria.
• It releases various nutrients from organic complexes

Hcl is stimulated by ingestion of food, drugs, neurotransmitter acetylcholine (parasympathetic and sympathetic receptors) high histamine.

Now what happens if the hcl is too low or too high?

What symptoms would you have?

If too low you would have bloating, diarrhoea or constipation, yeast or candida, dysbiosis (more of the harmful bacteria than the good ones), stomach and belly pain, irritable bowel syndrome, undigested food, eventually leads to low nutrients and physical or emotional and mental problems with low nutrients level. Acid reflux also is another sign, due to H. pylori, vomiting and nausea is another symptoms.

If too high, well same symptoms, apart for the undigested protein you might feel more of an acid burning in the stomach and eventually ulcer. Stress increases acid reflux and eventually it reduces it because of low zinc and other nutrients that deals with stress click here to read about the effect of stress.

Did you know that zinc is important for making hcl and that if low in zinc hcl cannot be made and that zinc cannot be absorbed from food with low hcl? So it is again the chicken and the egg problem, which comes first?

Well it depends on what is going on in your diet, lifestyle and possible going back to stress, how much stress you have!

 

Reference 

Groff J.J. and SS Gropper (1999) Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism. UK Wadsworth.

Stasi C. et al (2014).Serotonin receptors and their role in the pathophysiology and therapy of irritable bowel syndrome. Tech Coloproctol. Abstract.