Re: betaine hcl and nutrient absorbtion

I use bitters prior to a meal, eapecially a cooked meal. I also use digestive enzymes. After a cooked meal I take a generous amount of betaine HCL along with its activator, pepsin.

Ant-acids are a multi-billion dollar scam as it's a lack of acid, not too much acid. The acid that is produced when experiencing reflux or indigestion is lactic acid. Lactic acid is being produced because HCL is unavailable. It is unavailable because we eat cooked food. Cooked food squanders more methyl groups or HCL than non-cooked food.

Here is a good explanation of how and why HCL is esential:

""Essential Digestive Support, Betaine hydrochloride is also known as hydrochloric acid (HCL) or stomach acid. It helps digest food by breaking up fats and proteins. The low pH of the stomach's hydrochloric acid also destroys ingested bacteria and other microorganisms. Adequate levels of HCL are necessary for adequate absorption of protein, calcium, vitamin B12 and iron. Healthy stomach acid is needed for a healthy digestive tract. With stomach acid, even the best food cannot be properly digested. The inability to absorb nutrients properly can lead to serious health problems. Healthy stomach acid helps kill disease-causing microbes and parasites routinely found in the food. With low stomach acid, these infecting invaders may not be destroyed by the stomach's acid bath therefore potentially causing many types of infections. Low stomach acid can also cause indigestion. In actuality, too little stomach acid is the most common cause of an acid stomach, not excess acid. Some people take antacids to relieve the uncomfortable acid feeling in their stomachs (common after eating high protein or high fat meals). But the vast majority of those with an "acid stomach" suffer from not enough acid. They simply cannot digest what they have eaten. For some, an antacid may temporarily relieve a queasy stomach. However, in the long run, regular use of antacids make the problem worse.

Quantum Betaine HCL assists the body's natural stomach acids in the digestion and absorption of nutrients, especially protein, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and B-12. Taken along with digestive enzymes, Quantum Betaine HCL can eliminate indigestion, "queasy" stomach, and chronic heartburn.""