Re: regarding the bitters
Hver could you quickly point out the major differences between Betaine HCL & TMG? I noticed you pointed out TMG IS Betaine in this thread which I only found out recently myself when I checked out the bottle again, which also confused me a little. I know you heavily favor TMG over Betaine HCL as an overall supplement. Would Betaine HCL be similar to just a single aspect of what TMG is capable of producing in addition to many other benefits, while the HCL is only focused on affecting stomach acid?
TMG has numerous properties not provided by betaine HCl.
TMG provides methyl groups that the body requires to form various compounds in the body or to carry out certain processes through a process called methylation. Methylation is used in about 4000 processes in the body. This includes stomach acid formation, immunity, energy formation, reduction of homocysteine, production of hormones and neurotransmitters, cartilage formation, etc.
Betaine HCl only functions to increase acidity in the stomach for digestion, and it normally has pepsin already added to aid in protein breakdown since pepsin levels drop without sufficient stomach acid. It does not provide the other properties of the unacidified TMG.
Because TMG is also called betaine some health food store personnel mistakenly think that betaine and betaine HCl are the same thing.
Also I'm curious if by over-supplementing betaine hcl in the past that I may have negatively disrupted my bodies natural production of stomach acid? Something that TMG wouldn't do I imagine?
I believe it will decrease the stomach's ability to produce stomach acid. TMG will not do this since it does not substitute for the body's production of the acid. In fact, TMG is actually an antacid, although it increases the body's production of stomach acid.