Susan Gleaton, RD

Too much stomach acid–or too little?

Updated: 7/10/2023

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The hydrochloric acid in our stomachs is supposed to be so acidic that it would burn our skin if any got on it!

There are a number of reasons our stomachs are this acidic such as:

to begin the digestion of protein so that it can be more easily broken down by digestive enzymes in the small intestine,
to absorb minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and copper, and
to be our first line of defense against food poisoning, H pylori, parasites, fungi, and other infections.

But did you know that a lot of people aren’t producing enough stomach acid? And the crazy thing is they are very likely to think they are producing too much stomach acid instead!

That is because, in a roundabout way, having too little stomach acid can actually cause the same symptoms as having too much stomach acid.

Here’s what happens. . .

The primary purpose of our stomach acid (HCL) is to break down the protein that we eat. But, if there is not enough HCL in the stomach, the food doesn’t get to go on down to the small intestine as it should. Instead, the protein begins to putrefy and ferment in the stomach, creating organic acids and causing the stomach environment to become too acidic.

In addition, the food or acidic stomach juice can come up (often called reflux), which makes you think you have too MUCH stomach acid.

In summary, too MUCH stomach acid was caused by having too LITTLE stomach acid. And too little stomach acid means that the functions the stomach acid was supposed to do (breaking down protein, aiding in the absorption of minerals, and protecting us against food poisoning, H pylori, and parasites) doesn’t happen.

Causes of Low Stomach Acid:

No energy to produce stomach acid–this is often caused by FOOD SENSITIVITIES and/or STRESS—because our bodies are so busy putting out other fires that it just don’t have the energy to make HCl.
Mineral deficiencies–a diet high in PROCESSED FOODS can cause mineral deficiencies which in turn can cause decreased production of HCl.
Environmental and other factors–smoking, alcohol, caffeine, a high-carb diet, some medications, and even chlorine and fluoride in drinking water can decrease HCl production. Also, we make less HCl as we age, and an underactive thyroid can even play a role.

Symptoms of Low Stomach Acid:

Bloating, belching, burning, or flatulence right after meals
Sense of fullness after only a few bites of food
Feeling as though food sits in the stomach for hours
Indigestion, diarrhea, or constipation
Multiple food allergies
Nausea after taking supplements
Itching around the rectum
Weak, peeling, and cracked fingernails
Iron deficiency
Chronic intestinal parasites
Undigested food in stool
Nutrient deficiencies
Chronic candida infections
Upper digestive tract gassiness

It’s important to know if you have too much or too little stomach acid. And it’s tricky since too much or too little stomach acid can have the exact same symptoms as heartburn or GERD.

Too little stomach acid can set you up for SIBO, fungal or parasitic infections, poor protein digestion, and/or poor mineral absorption.

Too much stomach acid, or having stomach acid in the wrong place, can lead to erosion of the esophagus.

An inexpensive, at-home test to see if your stomach acid is too high or too low is the Baking Soda Burp Test. This is not foolproof, and the results can sometimes be confusing, but they may be helpful to you.

IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY TAKING PROTON PUMP INHIBITORS OR ACID-BLOCKERS, DO NOT TRY ANY AT-HOME TESTS FOR LOW STOMACH ACID.

It is recommended that you do this test 3 days in a row so you can determine the average of the 3 days. It’s best to do the test before eating or drinking anything, but if that’s not possible, it needs to be done at least 3 hours after a meal. Make sure you do this test with a fresh container of baking soda! (An unopened container of baking soda is good until the date of expiration. However, once opened, it loses its potency after 6 months.)

Here’s how you do this simple Baking Soda Burp test:

Mix ¼ teaspoon baking soda in 4 oz of water.
Drink it.
Time how long it takes you to belch.
If you have not belched within 5 minutes stop timing.

If you belch within 2-3 minutes, you have adequate stomach acid.

If you belch after 3 minutes you may have low stomach acid.

If you don’t belch at all you definitely have low stomach acid!

NOTE: early and repeated belching can occur from swallowing air when drinking the solution.

What does one do if they suspect low stomach acid?

FIRST, determine why.

Do you have food sensitivities that are taxing the body, inhibiting the production of HCl? Are you under too much stress? Is your diet full of processed foods depleting your body of minerals needed to produce HCl? Do you smoke? Are you drinking a little too much caffeine or alcohol? Is you drinking water full of chlorine or fluoride? Do any of your medications lower stomach acid? Is your diet high in carbohydrates and low in protein? Do you have an underactive thyroid? Are you over 50?

NEXT, do something about it.

All these things can result in less HCl production, so take care of the things you have control over. We can’t slow down aging, but can you:

Test for food sensitivities. (Hit me up for a free consult so we can determine the best test and process to get rid of them.)
Reduce your stress by restructuring your life, making new priorities, or learning to deal with it better.
Eat real, whole foods instead of processed.
Stop or cut back on smoking.
Cut back on the caffeine or alcohol.
Filter your drinking water.
Eat a Mediterranean-style diet with moderate protein, lower carbs, and healthy fats.
Have your thyroid levels checked.

It takes time to make these changes, but if you don’t take care of the root cause of why you have low stomach acid, you’re just bailing water out of a canoe with a hole in it, which gets you nowhere!

Watch for my next post, 6 Ways To Increase Stomach Acid (HCl) Naturally, for things you can do to increase your stomach acid while you’re working on any of the above changes that need to be done.