Stomach acidity

Stomach acidity

See also Absorption

Low stomach acidity was one of the problems I had when I started this journey back to health. Low stomach acidity prevents nutrients from being absorbed. There are a lot of nutrients that need the stomach to be sufficiently acidic to be absorbed.

Alkalinity (high ph) is the opposite of acidity (low ph). For instance, lemon juice is acidic where as sodium bicarbonate is alkaline. When you combine those two with water in the right amounts you end up with a solution that is neither alkaline or acidic.

The following nutrients make the stomach less acidic:

During the time it takes you to repair low stomach acidity, you might want to take some Betaine HCl which is stomach acid-in-a-bottle. Or add ACV to your diet.

When your stomach acidity is low, you might also be low in pancreatic enzymes. So it might be wise to also supplement these as long as your low acidity endures.

When you supplement magnesium (alkaline) and/or borax (alkaline), take some vitamin C (acidic) with it to make it easier on the stomach. Taken together they are less alkaline.

Low stomach acidity consequences



  • slow hair growth
  • chipping or cracking fingernails
  • leg cramping

B12 cannot be absorbed in the absence of stomach acidity.

Nutrients necessary for stomach acidity
Zinc is necessary for the enzyme that makes stomach acid (carbonic anhydrase), and isn’t freed from food well without adequate stomach acid. So low zinc is highly correlated with low stomach acid.

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