We all know that we have acid in our stomachs, and most people understand the critical part that it plays in the digestion of our food. Usually, we’re not aware of the acid although over 500,000 people in the UK experience the pain of heartburn caused by acid reflux through to the esophagus. In this article we’ll cover the key role that our stomach acid plays, and why it’s so important to keep it strong and undiluted.
What does stomach acid do?
Our stomach acid is hydrochloric acid, and it is very strongly acidic (pH 1-2). It has to be this strong in order to play a number of critical roles for our body including:
- Killing harmful bacteria in our food
- Converting minerals and vitamins to a more absorbable form
- Triggering adequate bile secretion in order to digest fats
- A pre-digest protein for enzymes, importantly activating the enzyme Pepsin which plays a crucial role in the digestion of proteins
For everything on this list to function correctly, the acidity in the stomach has to be strong. This is a very normal, healthy situation. But acid reflux is also referred to as “hyperacidity”, which sounds like there is too much stomach acid or that the stomach acid is too strong. So, most people taking treatments for acid reflux are usually taking medication to reduce the amount or strength of their stomach acids. That sort of makes sense until you really understand what acid reflux (or hyperacidity) actually is.
What is acid reflux (or hyperacidity)?
People suffering from hyperacidity actually have completely normal acidity levels, or even low acidity levels. The real reason for hyperacidity is a weak Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES), which is a muscle that controls when food can go in the stomach. When this muscle is not tight enough it leaks stomach juices back to esophagus, causing heartburn.
The amount of stomach acid declines naturally as we age. If heartburn was simply the result of too much stomach acid, we would see more teenagers struggling with heartburn and then a decline in heartburn suffering within the elderly. However, the data shows that the opposite is true – the lower the levels of stomach acid, the more prevalent the acid reflux and heartburn.
This seemingly counterintuitive correlation is to do with the final important job that strong stomach acid does. That is to stimulate the LES muscle to keep it firm and to ensure that the stomach contents stays in place, preventing heartburn. And this is the reason for the trend towards increasing levels of heartburn in the elderly.
How can I treat my acid reflux?
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Treat and repair
REZCUE is a natural, effective solution to heartburn. Instead of eliminating the stomach acids, it soothes and protects the mucosal lining of the whole GI tract. It does this through the dual action of Zinc L-Carnosine and L-Glutamine. These are natural compounds of zinc and naturally occurring amino acids.
When the membranes are healthy and nourished, they function better. They can easily contain the natural levels of acid where it is expected and let the stomach acid do all the jobs it was designed for.
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Increase your levels of stomach acid
This is one of the core benefits of Triple HCL and for many is what results in removing their issues of bloating, ingestion and general discomfort. And even though you are building stronger stomach acid, it often improves acid reflux and heartburn because you are digesting your food better.
