The lining of your stomach has parietal cells, which are responsible for digesting your food. These cells produce the hydrochloric acid which facilitates the pepsin enzyme in tearing apart the structure of food. Without this critical function, we see failure of every system of the body.
Food is the fuel we run on. If we can’t break it down, the cells of our body starve. The parenchyma of the stomach is specifically designed to handle the high concentration of acid from the parietal cells long enough to fully tear apart the food we eat.
Chemicals and toxins contained in processed foods along with those created by stress, have the ability to injure the lining of the stomach and the parietal cells. When this happens, instead of digesting the food, then releasing it into the small intestine for further processing, the contents become corrosive, initiating ulceration of the stomach.
When the lining of the stomach becomes inflamed, digestive acid, produced properly to digest food becomes irritating. This is where the use of proton pump inhibitors are often used. These acid blockers stop the irritation of the stomach lining, but also stop production of both hydrochloric acid and intrinsic factor.
Intrinsic factor is crucial for absorption of B12. Using these acid blockers prevents you from using vitamin B12.
If you’re on an acid blocking drug, taking an oral B12 supplement you’re wasting your time and money. Without intrinsic factor binding to the B12 to take it into the small intestine for absorption, you get nothing from it. This is just one instance of nutritional deficiency from altered stomach function.
Besides the required intrinsic factor, calcium must be present, attaching to the intestinal wall to facilitate absorption. Without the acid from the parietal cells, calcium absorption is reduced. Where we see this most is in cases of gastrectomy or stomach bypass. This is one of the main reasons I’m so not in favor of these radical procedures. Also, we see those diets void of animal products as in strict vegetarianism and veganism presents with impaired absorption of B12.
The subject of hypochlorhydria, (low stomach acid) and aging is a real problem. Google shows over 2,000 results when searching for this. When entering dementia and B12 deficiency, you’ll get over 30,000 results. Reduced function of the parietal cells as we age has been a big problem, but not for those who eat healthy foods avoiding excessive stress, and the acid blocking drugs.
If you want to view a unique area of hydrochloric acid status, consider the vulture. This bird of prey has excellent stomach acid. Because of this, they can eat rotted meat, often containing everything from flesh eating bacteria, cholera, botulism, and even anthrax, without falling ill from them. As illustrated in earlier articles, these bacteria require an alkaline system to thrive. This is one of the reasons two people can eat the same food, with one getting sick and the other having no problem at all.
When dealing with diabetics, a major causative factor can be the prolonged lack of hydrochloric acid, which plays into the disruption of blood sugar. The diabetic neuropathy can be amplified by the lack of vitamin B12. This can be largely due to the demyelination of the large nerve fibers of the spinal cord as defined in Guyton’s textbook of medical physiology. The resulting pernicious anemia frequently creates loss of peripheral sensation and can even go as far as creating paralysis. In this passage in the text, he states the usual cause of B12 deficiency is not due to lack of the vitamin, but due to the deficiency of intrinsic factor.
Because of the intimate relationship of healthy stomach acid and intrinsic factor, I find it amazing that so many years ago when Dr Royal Lee designed digestive products like Zypan and Betaine Hydrochloride, he realized the critical connection between hydrochloric acid and intrinsic factor. This is why I often consider it a critical addition for patients with a variety of issues.
If you have an ulcer, We have ways to heal stomach tissue so you can utilize the correct supports. Acid blocking drugs should only be used for short durations. Digestive issues of this nature often show up in the aging population due to prolonged poor food choices and ignored poor digestion.
When we look at the potential symptoms of B12 deficiency, these are just a few of the potential conditions. Anemia, glossitis, degeneration of the spinal cord, loss of appetite, gastrointestinal disturbances, fatigue, pallor, vertigo, disorientation, numbness, agitation, dimness of vision, delusions, hallucinations, and eventually psychosis.
Your stomach and associated organs are the entrance of either nutrition or malnutrition to the rest of your body. Treat your digestion properly. Eat organic foods whenever possible. Avoid junk foods, which aren’t really food at all. Don’t eat when you’re upset or stressed. Get your stomach acid up to where it’s supposed to be, and avoid acid blocking drugs.
Food is the fuel we run on. If we can’t break it down, the cells of our body starve. The parenchyma of the stomach is specifically designed to handle the high concentration of acid from the parietal cells long enough to fully tear apart the food we eat.
Chemicals and toxins contained in processed foods along with those created by stress, have the ability to injure the lining of the stomach and the parietal cells. When this happens, instead of digesting the food, then releasing it into the small intestine for further processing, the contents become corrosive, initiating ulceration of the stomach.
When the lining of the stomach becomes inflamed, digestive acid, produced properly to digest food becomes irritating. This is where the use of proton pump inhibitors are often used. These acid blockers stop the irritation of the stomach lining, but also stop production of both hydrochloric acid and intrinsic factor.
Intrinsic factor is crucial for absorption of B12. Using these acid blockers prevents you from using vitamin B12.
If you’re on an acid blocking drug, taking an oral B12 supplement you’re wasting your time and money. Without intrinsic factor binding to the B12 to take it into the small intestine for absorption, you get nothing from it. This is just one instance of nutritional deficiency from altered stomach function.
Besides the required intrinsic factor, calcium must be present, attaching to the intestinal wall to facilitate absorption. Without the acid from the parietal cells, calcium absorption is reduced. Where we see this most is in cases of gastrectomy or stomach bypass. This is one of the main reasons I’m so not in favor of these radical procedures. Also, we see those diets void of animal products as in strict vegetarianism and veganism presents with impaired absorption of B12.
The subject of hypochlorhydria, (low stomach acid) and aging is a real problem. Google shows over 2,000 results when searching for this. When entering dementia and B12 deficiency, you’ll get over 30,000 results. Reduced function of the parietal cells as we age has been a big problem, but not for those who eat healthy foods avoiding excessive stress, and the acid blocking drugs.
If you want to view a unique area of hydrochloric acid status, consider the vulture. This bird of prey has excellent stomach acid. Because of this, they can eat rotted meat, often containing everything from flesh eating bacteria, cholera, botulism, and even anthrax, without falling ill from them. As illustrated in earlier articles, these bacteria require an alkaline system to thrive. This is one of the reasons two people can eat the same food, with one getting sick and the other having no problem at all.
When dealing with diabetics, a major causative factor can be the prolonged lack of hydrochloric acid, which plays into the disruption of blood sugar. The diabetic neuropathy can be amplified by the lack of vitamin B12. This can be largely due to the demyelination of the large nerve fibers of the spinal cord as defined in Guyton’s textbook of medical physiology. The resulting pernicious anemia frequently creates loss of peripheral sensation and can even go as far as creating paralysis. In this passage in the text, he states the usual cause of B12 deficiency is not due to lack of the vitamin, but due to the deficiency of intrinsic factor.
Because of the intimate relationship of healthy stomach acid and intrinsic factor, I find it amazing that so many years ago when Dr Royal Lee designed digestive products like Zypan and Betaine Hydrochloride, he realized the critical connection between hydrochloric acid and intrinsic factor. This is why I often consider it a critical addition for patients with a variety of issues.
If you have an ulcer, We have ways to heal stomach tissue so you can utilize the correct supports. Acid blocking drugs should only be used for short durations. Digestive issues of this nature often show up in the aging population due to prolonged poor food choices and ignored poor digestion.
When we look at the potential symptoms of B12 deficiency, these are just a few of the potential conditions. Anemia, glossitis, degeneration of the spinal cord, loss of appetite, gastrointestinal disturbances, fatigue, pallor, vertigo, disorientation, numbness, agitation, dimness of vision, delusions, hallucinations, and eventually psychosis.
Your stomach and associated organs are the entrance of either nutrition or malnutrition to the rest of your body. Treat your digestion properly. Eat organic foods whenever possible. Avoid junk foods, which aren’t really food at all. Don’t eat when you’re upset or stressed. Get your stomach acid up to where it’s supposed to be, and avoid acid blocking drugs.
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