Hey, guys! Hope you’re having a great week! It’s Wellness Wednesday, so I gotta share a nugget of my health journey knowledge with you. This one is a great one! I’ve struggled with bloating and indigestion for so many years. I would feel full after only eating a little bit, especially when it came to protein. It’s so common. I don’t know many people that DON’T have this problem at least at some point in their lives.
One of the reasons that we have bloating, indigestion, stomach infections, and poor nutrient absorption is because our stomach acid is low. This can happen for a number of reasons. As we get older, our body produces less, and things like antibiotic use and medication for heartburn and acid reflux can decrease the amount of acid in our stomachs. Infections, stress, and zinc deficiency, as well as stomach surgeries also can contribute to low levels of stomach acid. So, when we eat, our food doesn’t get broken down, and can lead to bacterial buildups, bloating, and gas. This can make us feel sluggish and fatigued, too. Nobody’s got time for that!
Other symptoms can include:
- Hair Loss
- Burping
- Diarrhea
- Infections in the gut
- Brittle Nails
- Sickly feeling after taking vitamins/supplements
- Nutrient Deficiencies
- Visible food in the stool
Low levels of stomach acid have also been linked with certain conditions like autoimmune disease, anemia, acne, allergies, psoriasis, and asthma.
While stomach acid might sound like a bad thing to have, we need a certain amount of it to break down proteins, kill off bad bacteria and other pathogens that we ingest, and to absorb nutrients like Iron and Vitamin B12.
So, when I told my chiropractor (shoutout to Dr. Amanda at Family Chiropractic in Cranberry, PA!) about my issues with extreme bloating, she suggested I start taking a hydrochloric acid supplement to help my body break down proteins. She told me that this would even help my energy levels because my body wouldn’t be working overtime trying to digest this food, and it would absorb more nutrients (hello, Vitamin B12 and Iron – super important for energy)!
So, I started on this supplement pictured here called Zypan. It’s by Standard Process, one of the oldest and most trusted supplement brands by so many health practitioners. Do take caution to read the labels on these supplements, because they are not always gluten and dairy free. So, if you are very allergic, just make sure you check first. Most of them are gluten dairy and dairy free. This product was reformulated and no longer has dairy in it, so you should be safe with this unless you got your hands on an older bottle.
I take 4-6 tablets about 15 minutes or so before I eat. She told me to make sure that I taste the supplement before swallowing it. I’ve heard this from several of my doctors. This helps the brain communicate with the stomach, so it knows how to process what is coming and better use it. The bottle says that you can take it with a meal, so if you forget to take it prior to, at least just take it with your meal. If you are just eating a piece of fruit, or a salad, you probably won’t need this. But, if you are eating a heavier meal with proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, it will definitely aid you in digesting!
Another brand that I like for digestive enzymes that also includes hydrochloric acid is Designs For Health, Digestzymes. This was given to me by another practitioner (shoutout to Dr. Turack of Turack Chiropractic in Wexford, PA!) and it has multiple other enzymes in it to aid with digestion. It is also gluten and dairy free.
I notice a big difference when I take the Zypan. I feel less full and have much less bloating. I can tell I have more energy as well. I don’t have that heavy feeling after eating and I can actually eat more which is always great, haha!
As always, this is not medical advice, it’s just based upon my own experience. So, please run it past your healthcare practitioner if you are unsure if this is something that might be beneficial to you. Also, it doesn’t hurt to check with your natural health food store or practitioner to see if they have any of these products on hand. You might get better pricing from them than Amazon sometimes.
Hope that you found this blog post helpful! I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback. Have an awesome rest of your week! đŸ™‚
References: Leonard, Jane (2018, July 17). What is Hypochlorhydria?. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322491.php
Comments are closed.