Herbal Health

The body is always striving for balance; therefore it is not surprising that stress can also result in an underproduction of hydrochloric acid. It is very confusing because the symptoms can be similar to overproduction of acid and people often compound these symptoms by taking antacids.

Symptoms include excessive burping, a feeling of fullness after even a moderate meal, bad breath (which comes from food fermenting in the stomach). If the symptoms are severe, nausea, vomiting, bloating, wind and diarrhoea or constipation can result.

The presence of undigested food in the stool often indicates that food is not being digested in the stomach. Proteins (meat, fish, eggs, dairy produce, pulses) are the most difficult to digest. Large undigested protein molecules in the intestines can damage the lining and lead to food intolerances, allergies, overgrowth of ‘bad’ organisms and inflammation.

The production of hydrochloric acid declines with age, and even if a good diet is taken if it reaches the bowel in a half-digested state, then vital minerals and vitamins may not be absorbed. Eating when you are tired, bolting food or over-eating all make hard work for the stomach, and in the case of the latter a small amount of acid has to go a long way.

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