How to Increase Stomach Acid Naturally
Stomach acid is one of the most important things to pay attention to when it comes to gut health issues and low energy. That’s because stomach acid is responsible for so many essential functions in your body, such as:
Breaking down proteins to get amino acids, B12, and iron to keep up energy levels.
Sterilizing microbes or parasites before it gets to our intestines, keeping our gut balanced and happy.
Breaks down food so that pathogenic microbes don’t feed on it.
Prevents food and acid from backing up toward the throat (such as in cases of heartburn)
Helps protect against inflammation.
Having healthy levels of stomach acid in your system is key so that all these processes can keep functioning smoothly. Many digestive complaints and chronic conditions are actually the result of low stomach acid, and many of us have no idea.
In this blog post post we’ll cover:
Common signs that you may have low stomach acid.
How to increase stomach acid naturally.
Common Signs of Low Stomach Acid
Burping
Undigested food in your stool
Acid reflux or Hearburn (stomach acid splashing up into the esophagus)
Nutrient deficiencies, such as vitamin B12, iron, or calcium.
Bloating
Diarrhea
Nausea while taking supplements
Hair loss or brittle fingernails, which can signal nutrient deficiency
Ways to Increase Stomach Acid Naturally
Here are a few ways to start supporting your stomach acid today:
1. Use Bitter Foods
A great way to help low stomach acid is to use bitter foods and digestive bitters. Bitter flavours act as a signal to the body to stimulate the digestive system.
Include leafy bitter greens like spinach, kale, arugula, or dandelion into your diet. You can also try digestive bitters. Digestive bitters are a liquid derived from bitter plants that you can take orally before meals to stimulate your digestive system. This one is one of my favourites.
2. Add Some Acid
Another way of increasing stomach acid levels, is by adding some natural acid. If stomach cells are tired and underproducing acid, this can help to reduce their workload so your body can start producing it on its own.
Try diluting a small amount of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice with water and drinking it at least five minutes before meals.
*It is important to note to you should never drink undiluted apple cider vinegar, as it can damage the enamel on your teeth.
3. Chew your Food Thoroughly
Believe it or not, digestion begins the moment you take a bite. Salivary enzymes in your mouth start their work right away and taking time to chew allows these enzymes to start breaking down your food. It also helps prime your body to make adequate stomach acid for the meal ahead.
4. Pay Attention to Stress
The stomach and the brain are in constant communication. Stress in the body can shut down proper digestion, so it is important that we engage in activities that activate relaxation regularly. One way is to take 10 deep, slow breaths before eating to shift your nervous system into "rest and digest" mode before eating.
While these natural remedies are beneficial for increasing and optimizing stomach acid, it is also important to identify the root cause of why you have low stomach acid in the first place. Working with a Practitioner who can help you uncover these root causes and work with you to put together a personalized plan to address them will result in long term improvement.