Digestive Health Series Part 2: Stomach Acid

Richmondchironeu • July 1, 2019

Hello again everyone:

As we continue this series, we will answer several questions: what does stomach acid do for us; what are the signs or symptoms that it may be low; what causes low stomach acid.

What does stomach acid do for us? Adequate stomach acid is essential for multiple functions: digestion of protein; absorption of minerals and especially iron, zinc and magnesium; absorption of vitamins, especially B-12; a first layer of defense against infection as the acid kills pathogens; assists in breaking down food to small particles which lowers the risk of food allergies (also known as loss of oral tolerance). When stomach acid is low, it can cause the lower esophageal sphincter muscle to relax and allow acid to go into the esophagus and cause heartburn and/or reflux. Also, when acid is low, food will literally rot…and this can happen incredibly fast. Proteins will putrefy, carbohydrates will ferment, and fats can go rancid…leading to a very nasty situation as they rise up into the esophagus and cause uncomfortable bloating.

Symptoms  such as heartburn, reflux, gas, pain, bloating, loose stools or constipation, digestive discomfort, burping or belching, bad breath, hair loss, intestinal infections, nausea with taking supplements, undigested food in the stool, upset stomach as well as links to skin problems, auto-immune conditions like psoriasis, allergies, anemia, asthma and more.

The above are all signs and symptoms of low acid, and if you were to consult with your primary care physician with those symptoms, you would most likely receive a prescription for an acid blocker. Unfortunately, if you have low stomach acid like most of us, this will only compound the problem as it does nothing for the underlying problems that caused the issue in the first place.

Causes or risk factors:

Here are some of the more common ones: age (sorry); stress; diet; auto-immune family history or personal history or auto-immune disorder(s); a diet low in zinc; gut infection; history of stomach surgery; some medications; food allergies, sensitivities or intolerances, especially gluten issues

Bottom Line:  You can see how stomach acid can play a role in many conditions. In the next newsletter, I will go over what you can try at home. See you next week!

By Mark Smith March 23, 2026
Health News Update: How To Fight Inflammation and Chronic Disease 3.23.26 Hello again everyone: You might wonder why I keep focusing on food…so here are some of the reasons: food choices are the leading cause of death in the U.S. and spreading around the world. Poor food choices lead to inflammation which slowly destroy health. It is that simple, plain, and clear and backed by research. The next question: how do we fight back? Introduction The positive impact of food on health was postulated by the ancient Hippocrates, father of modern medicine with his famous quote: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” [1]. In the 21st century, scientists have focused on the effect of nutritional habits in diseases. Nowadays, it is well documented that food plays a noteworthy role in the pathogenesis of chronic diseases namely cardiovascular diseases (CVD), metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus type II, and cancer [2–5], as it correlates with others with the lipid pattern, the blood pressure, and the endothelial function. The scientists examine the effect of nutritional habits on disease emergence and progression in both individual nutrient intake and dietary patterns models. Worldwide, two dietary patterns are usually compared—the Mediterranean diet (MD) and the Western diet (WD) [3,6]. The Mediterranean diet reflects the food culture of most Mediterranean countries based on olive oil consumption, seasonal fresh vegetables, cereals, and plants in balance with low consumption of meat [7]. The Western diet, on the contrary, is dominated by high-fat dairy products processed and red meat [8]. However, discordance in the different MD patterns and consumed food doses had been recognized. Without any doubt, those discrepancies could confine and restrict our knowledge on the health benefit mechanisms of the MD [9]. Due to the above, the medical community along with nutritionists and dieticians take a keen interest in MD and its traits [7]. https://www.academia.edu/45378994/biomedicines_Mediterranean_Diet_as_a_Tool_to_Combat_Inflammation_and_Chronic_Diseases_An_Overview?email_work_card=view-paper food choices can fight inflammation and chronic disease Bottom Line: This is a 2020 paper and since then literally hundreds of papers on the MD have emerged showing how the food plan lowers inflammation and the risk for developing multiple chronic illnesses. Even still, lots of research needs to be done to elucidate the many mechanisms of how food impacts our system and how to optimally individualize dietary recommendations. At this point, our best strategy to prevent and/or recover from any chronic condition is to eat as clean and natural as possible. It has become rather obvious that the further away from a natural diet we get, the sicker we become. On top of that, I have yet to see a full recovery from any health issue without the foundation of a predominantly plant-based, unprocessed, whole foods approach…which is why I keep posting about this subject. All the best to you and yours!
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