If you experience any stress whatsoever then you probably do not have enough stomach acid to break down your food and supplements properly. Without enough Hydrochloric Acid (HCl) aka stomach acid you are not absorbing the nutrients of your food and you are wasting expensive supplements down the toilet (literally). If you are on the path to better your health and/or lose weight check your acid levels ASAP. You WILL notice a quicker change with proper stomach acid levels.
Follow this easy and inexpensive test to find out if you have enough stomach acid. In order to test, I like to use a method recommended by Drs. Michael Murray and Joe Pizzorno, NDs (pasted from www.charlespoliquin.com).
“In the middle of your next solid meal, take one capsule of HCl 200 mg (found at Whole Foods). Continue to increase the dose by one capsule at each subsequent meal until you can feel warmth in your stomach. DO NOT EXCEED SEVEN CAPSULES.
Once you’ve determined the dose that produces a warm sensation, you now know that similar sized meals require one less tablet than that dose. You have now determined how much acid your body should be producing on its own, but isn’t. (i.e. the dose that you take with every meal.) Smaller meals might require less and larger meals might require more. You should immediately notice changes like a decrease in bloating, belching, and less indigestion.
This one little change to your program can have an incredible impact. Protein that never made it to your muscles is suddenly getting broken down for use. Carbohydrates that could have given you energy are now being digested and utilized. Healthy fats that were needed to improve the integrity of your cellular membranes finally have a chance. Expensive supplements that used to just “pass” on by, now get dissolved and released into your system.
Beyond that, acid in your stomach can protect you from bacteria, specifically helicobacter pylori, known to be one of the leading causes of ulcers. There are other things to consider, like enzymes, but the first step is having enough acid. It may sound too simple, but it really can make a huge difference.”