Stomach acid deficiency Hi! I just learned this (again) and will keep up on it now!

I too have this problem....and just came across the information again...I never kept up on it, and here I am reading 5 years later kicking myself for not following through! Maybe you all know all of this already...?
Hope it helps :)

Bonnie
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Optimal stomach acidity is key to a good life.
What is stomach acid?

The liquid in the stomach is called Gastric Acid. It consists mostly of hydrochloric acid, potassium chloride and sodium chloride. In a healthy stomach the pH of the juice is between 1.8 and 2.8 when the stomach is empty. With arrival of food the production of gastric acid increases, depending on the type of food, but the acidity is neutralized by the food and the pH of the content of a full stomach will be between 3.5 and 4.5.
What is stomach acid good for.

The function of gastric acid is to:

1 Initiate breakdown of proteins.
2 Initiate absorption of key nutrients like calcium, iron and vitamin B12.
3 Kill virus, bacteria and parasites thereby preventing them reaching the intestines and the bloodstream.

If your stomach doesn't produce gastric acid at all the condition is called achlorhydria and if the production is low it is called hypochlorhydria.

If the production of gastric acid is absent or insufficient (too high pH) the three functions will be performed only partially, if at all. The quantity of gastric acid is seldom a problem; the stomach will produce around 2 liters per day and I haven't seen any research mentioning quantity as a problem.

When the acidity is low the stomach can not break down the protein and the food will sit longer in the stomach than under healthy conditions. When it is eventually passed on to the small intestine it will be in a semi-processed form which the intestine can not handle. Each part of the digestive system works on the assumption, that the previous element performed certain functions. So when the intestines receive insufficiently processed food, it can not digest it properly and some of it will pass through the digestive tract semi-processed or unprocessed.

To find out whether you have too low or too high acidity take 1 to 2 tablespoonful of apple cider vinegar before meals. You can either take it directly with a spoon or mix it with a little bit of water in a glass. If this eliminates the heartburn your problem is deficiency of acid production.
Illnesses from low acidity

Candidiasis/Yeast Infection

We all carry in our body a yeast called Candida Albicans. Under healthy conditions the good bacteria will keep the yeast in check on an acceptable level that causes no problem for the host (that's you).

It breaks down undigested food and as such it is beneficial as long as it is kept down by the good bacteria. However, if an imbalance arises between good and bad bacteria the yeast can start to grow wild and you will have a yeast infection (Candidiasis). This imbalance can occur if you take bacteria infested food or water when you have too little acidity in the stomach to kill the harmful bacteria. Read more in the article Yeast Infection
Heartburn and acid reflux

When the food stays long in the stomach and the acidity is low sometimes the liquid forces its way up the oesophagus leading to the pain called heartburn (it has got nothing to do with the heart, by the way).
The following is a list of other possible consequences of low stomach acidity:

Bloating, belching, and flatulence immediately after meals
Undigested food in stools
Rectal itching
Hair loss in women
Multiple food allergies
Iron deficiency
Weak, peeling, or cracked fingernails
Chronic fatigue
Adrenal fatigue
Dry skin
Various autoimmune diseases
Increased susceptibility to bacterial infection in stomach
Increased susceptibility to parasitic infections
Chronic yeast infection
Adult acne
Red cheeks
Red nose
Dilated blood vessels in cheeks and nose

The list is properly not complete - partly because it is difficult to identify the cause of certain effects and partly because of the influence of other factors. Secondly, there is little research done in the field because there is a tendency to view the symptoms as too much acid, and selling antacid medication is a billion dollar business.
How to cure low stomach acidity.

There are at least three causes for low acidity and each has its own cure.
Vagus Nerve

The first issue you should focus on is the Vagus nerve. This nerve starts in the brain and runs down the neck and then alongside the oesophagus down to the intestines. Messages from the brain to the stomach are sent through this nerve. If the nerve has been pinched or jammed in the neck the brain cannot send the right messages to the stomach. If a person has a jammed vagus nerve it probably took place during birth.

It is corrected easily. A good kinesiologist or chiropractor can unlock the nerve with a certain massaging/twisting of the neck. The procedure takes less than 5 minutes.
phot of cactus

Shortly after the treatment you will begin to feel the improvements. However, many people with low stomach acidity will have an infection with Helicobacter Pylori bacteria (read article Stomach Pain from Helicobacter Pylori) in the stomach. I believe that once you get optimal acid production established the acidity will kill the bacteria, but H. pylori can have caused a little gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining) and acid production can not become optimal before the gastritis is cured. It will cure itself within 2-4 weeks after liberation of the vagus nerve depending on size.
Hiatus Hernia

Hiatus hernia describes the situation when part of the stomach is forced up through the hole in the diaphragm where the oesophagus comes down.

It is described in more length in this article: (under preparation)
Bacteria Galore

If a huge amount of bacteria hit the stomach over an extended period of time, the stomach acid may not be able to kill them all and they can cause gastritis. This situation occurs less often with intake of bacteria with food and drink because the intake is not constant over a long period. It can happen when the bacteria originate from within the body itself and the situations most likely to cause stomach trouble would be inflammation in the nose, sinuses and teeth.

The only way to solve the problem is to get rid of the inflammation.

http://www.sick-but-why.com/stomach-pain-I/low-stomach-acidity-II/