BBC Science & Nature - Human Body and Mind - Organ Layer Location: Between a muscular tube called the oesophagus and the small intestine Physical description: A J-shaped elastic sac which is the widest part of your digestive system Function: Storing food, breaking food down and mixing it with juices secreted by your stomach lining Food store Your stomach is a short-term food-storage facility. This allows you to consume a large meal quickly and then digest it over an extended period of time. When full, your stomach can hold around one litre of chewed up food. Swallowed food is propelled down your oesophagus into your stomach. Food is enclosed in your stomach by two circular muscles, known as sphincters. Chemical breakdown As soon as food enters your stomach, your stomach lining releases enzymes that start breaking down proteins in the food. Your stomach lining also secretes hydrochloric acid, which creates the ideal conditions for the protein-digesting enzymes to work. The potent hydrochloric acid kills bacteria, protecting your body from harmful microbes which can enter your body in food.

Your stomach protects itself from being digested by its own enzymes, or burnt by the corrosive hydrochloric acid, by secreting sticky, neutralising mucus that clings to the stomach walls. If this layer becomes damaged in any way it can result in painful and unpleasant stomach ulcers. Physical breakdown Waves of muscular contraction along your stomach wall, known as peristalsis, break food down into smaller pieces, mix it with fluids secreted from your stomach lining and move it through your stomach. This creates a mixture that resembles thick cream. Release of food into small intestine When food has been broken down sufficiently, small amounts are squirted out of your stomach into your small intestine for further processing. This normally occurs within four hours of eating a meal, but can take six or more hours if your meal has a high fat content. The Stomach and Its Role in Digestion | Laparoscopic.MD Digestion Stomach The stomach and its role in digestion The stomach is a muscular sac that lies between the esophagus and the small intestine in the upper abdomen.

The stomach is not the only part of your digestive system that absorbs food but rather is a part of the digestive system and important for churning food into a consistency that is easier to digest for the rest of your intestines. Function of the stomach The stomach is J-shaped and it can expand to temporarily store food. Partial digestion of the food takes place here. The churning action of the stomach muscles physically breaks down the food. The stomach releases acids and enzymes for the chemical breakdown of food. The enzyme pepsin is responsible for protein breakdown. The stomach releases food into the small intestine in a controlled and regulated manner. Chewed food passes from the esophagus into the stomach; the flow is somewhat regulated by the esophageal sphincter but more importantly depends on how fast you eat and if you are eating both solids and liquids. The passage of food from the stomach to the small intestine is controlled by the pyloric sphincter. The crushed and mixed food is liquefied to form chyme and is pushed through the pyloric canal into the small intestine . A network of blood vessels and nerves surrounds the stomach; this is responsible for the regulation of the secretion and the motion of stomach muscles that churns food.

Laparoscopic view of the stomach The photo demonstrates the laparoscopic view of the stomach during the early stages of a sleeve gastrectomy operation. The stomach is a rather larger organ with a redundant blood and nerve supply. The two tan organs at the top of the picture are the liver on the left and the spleen on the right. The picture demonstrates the J shape of the stomach. The large blood vessels and the abrupt turn of the stomach on the left side represent the area known as both the angular incisure or incisura angularis. Different parts of the stomach The stomach can be divided into four distinct parts. These are the cardia, fundus, corpus, and pylorus. The cardia is the first portion of the stomach and is where food content passes from the esophagus into the stomach. The acids and enzymes referred to as the gastric juices are manufactured in the cardia. The fundus stores undigested food and also the gases released from the chemical digestion of food. The body of the stomach or the corpus is the largest of the four parts that make up the stomach. And this is where the bulk of the partial digestion occurs. The pylorus is connected to the duodenum or the beginning of the small intestine.

The contents of the stomach move into the small intestine via the pyloric canal. The stomach wall The walls of the stomach consist of four layers, similar to other parts of the gastrointestinal tract. These layers, starting from the innermost layer, are named mucosa, sub-mucosa, muscularis externa, and the serosa. The mucosa consists mainly of the gastric glands that secrete the digestive juices. It is covered by a layer of columnar epithelial tissue. The sub-mucosa consists of dense connective tissue and has blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, and nerves running through it. The sub-mucosa supports the mucosa and allows it to move in a flexible manner during peristalsis. Peristalsis is the contraction and relaxation of the stomach muscles to physically breakdown food and propel it forward. These contractions are created by the muscular wall of the stomach which consists of inner circular and outer longitudinal smooth muscle. The outermost layer of the stomach wall, the serosa consists of an epithelial layer and connective tissue which connects to the surrounding organs. The mucosa and the sub-mucosa are present as folds termed rugae.

When the stomach is distended with food, the rugae are flattened out and appear smooth. Cell types in the stomach that help with digestion There are four main types of cells for stomach secretions spread all over the inner surface of the stomach: Mucous cells secrete the alkaline mucous for shielding the epithelium from hydrochloric acid. These are found in the fundic, cardiac, and pyloric region. Parietal cells, located in the fundic, cardiac, and pyloric region, secrete hydrochloric acid; the acid activates release of pepsin for protein digestion. The acid also kills micro-organisms swallowed with the food. Chief cells secrete pepsin. These cells are located in the fundic region. G cells are found in the fundic, pyloric, and gastric region. These secrete gastrin which stimulates the secretion of hydrochloric acid. Healthy habits for a healthy stomach Certain lifestyle habits can help you maintain stomach health and also counter abdominal obesity. If you notice that certain food types do not agree with you, try to keep away from them. Limit junk food. If you experience bouts of acidity, consider adding to your diet food items that are alkaline in nature.

Take walks, it aids digestion, will help you shed calories, and prevent a condition like GERD from occurring. In fact, a sedentary lifestyle with little or no exercise contributes to stomach-related problems. Some stomach conditions and diseases The umbrella term for stomach disease is gastropathy. Some common stomach disorders include: Dyspepsia: This is a condition characterized by a feeling of fullness; indigestion; and pain in the upper abdomen or lower chest. Other symptoms include nausea and vomiting. Dyspepsia can be a precursor to GERD and may also indicate angina. GERD: Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a condition in which the stomach acids rise up the esophageal passage. Heartburn is a common symptom of the condition. Peptic Ulcers – These can occur when the protective mucous lining of the stomach walls is damaged by the stomach acids. The bacterium, Helicobacter pylori is thought to be an important factor in the development of gastric and duodenal ulcers. Anatomical Structure: Stomach Click to View Pic Stomach The stomach is the main food storage tank of the body.

If it were not for the stomach’s storage capacity, we would have to eat constantly instead of just a few times each day. The stomach also secretes a mixture of acid, mucus, and digestive enzymes that helps to digest and sanitize our food while it is being stored. Anatomy of the Stomach Gross Anatomy The stomach is a rounded, hollow organ located just inferior to the diaphragm in the left part of the abdominal cavity. Located between the esophagus and the duodenum, the stomach is a roughly crescent-shaped enlargement of the gastrointestinal tract. The inner layer of the stomach is full of wrinkles known as rugae (or gastric folds ). Rugae both allow the stomach to stretch in order to accommodate large meals and help to grip and move food during digestion. The stomach can be divided into four regions based on shape and function: The esophagus connects to the stomach at a small region called the cardia. The cardia is a narrow, tube-like region that opens up into the wider regions of the stomach. Within the cardia is the lower esophageal sphincter, a band of muscle tissue that contracts to hold food and acid inside of the stomach.

The cardia empties into the body of the stomach, which forms the central and largest region of the stomach. Superior to the body is a dome shaped region known as the fundus. Inferior to the body is a funnel shaped region known as the pylorus. The pylorus connects the stomach to the duodenum and contains the pyloric sphincter. The pyloric sphincter controls the flow of partially digested food (known as chyme) out of the stomach and into the duodenum. Microscopic Anatomy Microscopic analysis of the stomach’s structure reveals that it is made of several distinct layers of tissue: the mucosa, submucosa, muscularis, and serosa layers. The innermost layer of the stomach is known as the mucosa, and is made of mucous membrane. The mucous membrane of the stomach contains simple columnar epithelium tissue with many exocrine cells. Small pores called gastric pits contain many exocrine cells that secrete digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid into the lumen, or hollow region, of the stomach. Mucous cells found throughout the stomach lining and gastric pits secrete mucus to protect the stomach from its own digestive secretions.

The mucosa of the stomach is much thicker than the mucosa of the other organs of the gastrointestinal tract due to the depth of the gastric pits. Deep inside the mucosa is a thin layer of smooth muscle known as the muscularis mucosae. The muscularis mucosae layer allows the mucosa to form folds and increase its contact with the stomach’s contents. Surrounding the mucosa is the submucosa layer of the stomach. The submucosa is made up of various connective tissues, blood vessels, and nerves. Connective tissues support the tissues of the mucosa and connect it to the muscularis layer. The blood supply of the submucosa provides nutrients to the wall of the stomach. Nervous tissue in the submucosa monitors the contents of the stomach and controls smooth muscle contraction and secretion of digestive substances. The muscularis layer of the stomach surrounds the submucosa and makes up a large amount of the stomach’s mass. The muscularis is made of 3 layers of smooth muscle tissue arranged with its fibers running in 3 different directions. These layers of smooth muscle allow the stomach to contract to mix and propel food through the digestive tract.

The outermost layer of the stomach surrounding the muscularis layer is the serosa – a thin serous membrane made of simple squamous epithelial tissue and areolar connective tissue. The serosa has a smooth, slippery surface and secretes a thin, watery secretion known as serous fluid. The smooth, wet surface of the serosa helps to protect the stomach from friction as it expands with food and moves to mix and propel the food. Physiology of the Stomach Storage In the mouth , we chew and moisten solid food until it becomes a small mass known as a bolus. When we swallow each bolus, it then passes through the esophagus to the stomach where it is stored along with other boluses and liquids from the same meal. The size of the stomach varies from person to person, but on average it can comfortably contain 1-2 liters of food and liquid during a meal. When stretched to its maximum capacity by a large meal or overeating, the stomach may hold up to 3-4 liters. Distention of the stomach to its maximum size makes digestion difficult, as the stomach cannot easily contract to mix food properly and leads to feelings of discomfort.

After the stomach has been filled with food from a meal, it stores the food for about 1-2 hours. During this time, the stomach continues the digestive process that began in the mouth and allows the intestines, pancreas , gallbladder , and liver to prepare to complete the digestive process. At the inferior end of the stomach, the pyloric sphincter controls the movement of food into the intestines. The pyloric sphincter is normally closed to keep food and stomach secretions within the stomach. Once chyme is ready to leave the stomach, the pyloric sphincter opens to allow a small amount of chyme to pass into the duodenum . This process, known as gastric emptying, slowly repeats over the 1-2 hours that food is stored in the stomach. The slow rate of gastric emptying helps to spread out the volume of chyme being released from the stomach and maximizes the digestion and absorption of nutrients in the intestines . Secretion The stomach produces and secretes several important substances to control the digestion of food. Each of these substances is produced by exocrine or endocrine cells found in the mucosa.

The main exocrine product of the stomach is gastric juice – a mixture of mucus, hydrochloric acid, and digestive enzymes. Gastric juice is mixed with food in the stomach to promote digestion. Specialized exocrine cells of the mucosa known as mucous cells secrete mucus into the lumen of the stomach and into the gastric pits. This mucus spreads across the surface of the mucosa to coat the lining of the stomach with a thick, acid- and enzyme-resistant barrier. Stomach mucus is also rich in bicarbonate ions, which neutralize the pH of stomach acid. Parietal cells found in the gastric pits of the stomach produce 2 important secretions: intrinsic factor and hydrochloric acid. Intrinsic factor is a glycoprotein that binds to the vitamin B12 in the stomach and allows the vitamin to be absorbed in the small intestine . Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient for the formation of red blood cells. Hydrochloric acid protects the body by killing pathogenic bacteria naturally found in food. Hydrochloric acid also helps to digest proteins by denaturing them into an unfolded shape that is easier for enzymes to digest.

The protein digesting enzyme pepsin is activated by exposure to hydrochloric acid inside the stomach. Chief cells, also found within the gastric pits of the stomach, produce two digestive enzymes: pepsinogen and gastric lipase. Pepsinogen is the precursor molecule of the very potent protein-digesting enzyme pepsin. Because pepsin would destroy the chief cells that produce it, it is secreted in its inactive pepsinogen form. When pepsinogen reaches the acidic pH found in the stomach thanks to hydrochloric acid, it changes shape and becomes the active enzyme pepsin. Pepsin then breaks dietary proteins into their amino acid building blocks. Gastric lipase is an enzyme that digests fats by removing a fatty acid from a triglyceride molecule. G cells are endocrine cells found at the bottom of the gastric pits. G cells release the hormone gastrin into the bloodstream in response to many stimuli, such as signals from the vagus nerve ; the presence of amino acids in the stomach from digested proteins; and the stretching of the stomach wall during a meal. Gastrin travels through the blood to various receptor cells throughout the stomach where it stimulates the glands and muscles of the stomach.

Glandular stimulation by gastrin leads to increased secretion of gastric juice to increase digestion. Stimulation of smooth muscles by gastrin leads to stronger contractions of the stomach and the opening of the pyloric sphincter to move food into the duodenum. Gastrin also binds to receptor cells in the pancreas and gallbladder where it increases the secretion of pancreatic juice and bile. Digestion Digestion in the stomach can be divided into 2 classes: mechanical digestion and chemical digestion. Mechanical digestion is the physical division of a mass of food into smaller masses while chemical digestion is the chemical conversion of larger molecules into smaller molecules. The mixing action of the stomach walls allows mechanical digestion to occur in the stomach. The smooth muscles of the stomach produce contractions known as mixing waves that mix the boluses of food with gastric juice. This mixing leads to the production of the thick liquid known as chyme. While food is being physically mixed with gastric juice to produce chyme, the enzymes present in the gastric juice chemically digest large molecules into their smaller subunits. Gastric lipase splits triglyceride fats into fatty acids and diglycerides. Pepsin breaks proteins into smaller amino acids.

The chemical digestion begun in the stomach will not be completed until chyme reaches the intestines, but the stomach prepares hard-to-digest proteins and fats for further digestion. Hormonal control The activity of the stomach is under the control of several hormones that regulate the production of stomach acid and the release of food into the duodenum. Gastrin, produced by the G cells of the stomach itself, increases the activity of the stomach by stimulating increased gastric juice production, muscle contraction, and gastric emptying through the pyloric sphincter. Cholecystokinin (CCK), produced by the mucosa of the duodenum, is a hormone that acts to slow gastric emptying by contracting the pyloric sphincter. CCK is released in response to food rich in proteins and fats, which are difficult for the body to digest. By inhibiting gastric emptying, CCK allows food to be stored in the stomach longer to promote improved digestion by the stomach and to give the pancreas and gallbladder time to release enzymes and bile to increase digestion in the duodenum. Secretin, another hormone produced by the duodenum's mucosa, responds to the acidity of chyme entering the duodenum from the stomach.

Secretin travels through the bloodstream to the stomach where it slows the production of gastric juice by the exocrine glands of the mucosa. Secretin also promotes the production of pancreatic juice and bile that contain acid-neutralizing bicarbonate ions. The net effect of secretin is to protect the intestines from the damaging effects of acidic chyme. Prepared by Tim Taylor, Anatomy and Physiology Instructor Reflux Relief A brief summary of my journey to developing this program My name is Robert Reiling; I have a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, and worked in the municipal and industrial water treatment industry for over 5 years. I am educated and experienced in water and its constituents. I have a thorough understanding of what happens to water from the time it comes from the municipal source (lake, river, or aquifer), is treated, and sent to your home. I also have a thorough understanding of what happens to the water after it leaves the home, is treated, and returned to the environment. I suffered for over 8 years with a horrible acid reflux condition. I have spent considerable time and energy looking for a solution to this problem which so interfered with my quality of life. I found the root cause of my acid reflux condition.

However, more importantly, I have found that it is also the root cause of the acid reflux, heartburn, and GERD conditions in so many other people. What I have discovered is that for many people, the root cause for their acid reflux problems can be traced to one component in their diet. With that, let me tell you about this journey to relief. The Acid Reflux Condition There must be a dozen or so different prescription purple pills on the market that inhibit the proton pumps in the stomach from over producing stomach acid. They help the acid reflux condition to one degree or another, but to be specific, they do not fix the root cause of the proton pumps overproducing; they just inhibit them. They address the symptom, not the root cause. So the questions become: Why are the proton pumps in sufferer’s stomachs overproducing? And how can they naturally be allowed to produce at a normal rate? Let’s take a look at the general population of acid reflux sufferers. Like any other deformity of the human body, there are probably a few unfortunate people out there who are born with stomachs that are hardwired to over produce stomach acid, and therefore suffer from acid reflux.

I don’t know what percentage of sufferers this represents, but I believe they are in the minority of sufferers of this condition. Additionally, the program I describe here will offer this minority a recognizable degree of relief. I believe that there is a vast group of sufferers like I, whose root cause for their acid reflux condition is one single chemical culprit in their diet. I will discuss in detail this culprit, and how an acid reflux sufferer can completely eliminate this chemical from their diet and in doing so, overcome their suffering. I believe there are also people who would fit squarely into the second group described above, with a simple exception. That is that they have an additional or several other additional triggers for the onset or increase of acid reflux in their specific case; i.e. a certain food, drink, or tobacco. I will address in this program how people, who find themselves in this situation, can also realize the same relief from acid reflux suffering in their lives. Over a long period of time chronic acid reflux wears away the lower esophageal sphincter or LES, which is the valve which keeps stomach acid and its contents in the stomach, and mechanically prevents a normal amount of stomach acid from washing into the esophagus, and upper throat.

When the LES becomes damaged beyond a certain degree from acid reflux, it is no longer capable of performing its function, and acid reflux will be experienced unless surgery is performed to repair the damage. Someone with this condition will not realize relief from my program, or if they do realize some degree of relief from it, it will not replace the benefits of surgical repair. Someone in this situation will, however, gain greater gastrointestinal health with this program after a proper surgical diagnosis, and surgery has been done by a qualified surgeon. The message here is that there can be more than one cause for the acid reflux condition, and it is not uncommon for there to be more than one cause for it in any given person. Some of the causes affect the condition much more than others. My program creates awareness in the acid reflux sufferer such that they are more conscious of what they drink and eat. My program teaches the acid reflux sufferer how simple it is to rid themselves of the one root cause of acid reflux which is overwhelmingly the same major root cause for so many sufferers. My program has helped, and will help, many people experience freedom from this terribly painful condition. However my program will not be a quick fix for every single person who implements it.

The goal for my program is for you, and as many other people as possible, to be able to eliminate the chronic and very intense acid reflux pain you are living with. Most importantly, it is common knowledge that if chronic acid reflux remains untreated long enough it can lead to the onset of cancer. The “Purple Pills” or “Proton Pump Inhibitors” (PPIs) So what value do the PPIs offer? What role can PPIs play in realizing complete and total recovery from the acid reflux condition? Is it possible to free yourself of the need for long term PPI prescription use? The value that the right PPI prescription provides for an acid reflux sufferer can not be overemphasized. If the root cause for an individual acid reflux sufferer is the chemical additive I discuss in the following section, this individual will discover that removing the chemical additive intake from their diet will be followed by a progressively lessening need, and subsequent lack of the need for a PPI prescription. Remove the root cause; the system slowly returns to the natural state, and no more need for a proton pump inhibitor. This is exactly what I experienced over the course of one month, and many others have experienced over the course of one to two months.

I believe that the right purple pill prescription is invaluable during the period that the stomach readjusts to its’ natural state. Would you like some Gaseous Chlorine with your beverage? This probably sounds like a pretty odd question for someone like your friend, spouse, or waiter to ask you. And if they did, what would you say? If your answer would be “No”, you’re on the right track. However, the majority of people in first world countries drink water treated with, and containing gaseous chlorine throughout the day, every day. What is gaseous chlorine? Gaseous chlorine was discovered in 1774, and was first used on the battlefield during World War I. The German army used concentrated gaseous chlorine against the French army in the spring of 1915 at Ypres. I won’t go into any detail here on what the effects of concentrated gaseous chlorine does to the human body, but I will discuss what the less concentrated amounts of it do to the digestive systems of acid reflux sufferers. Why is gaseous chlorine in your drinking water?

The reason gaseous chlorine is introduced into drinking water before it comes to consumers’ homes, is because there are various forms of bacteria, and other tiny life forms living in the municipal water source; river, aquifer, or lake. These organisms cause sickness in people when they are ingested with the water they live in. Add gaseous chlorine into the water, and voilà! There is no longer any biological activity in the drinking water. There are other methods of purifying drinking water, but they are generally not economically feasible, and the result has been widespread use of gaseous chlorine to sterilize municipal drinking water. The level of free chlorine in drinking water is usually 1 to 3 parts per million; this enough to sterilize the water, and for most people to notice a chlorine or “swimming pool” type of smell in their tap water. Just go to your sink, fill a glass of water and smell it for yourself. Is 1 to 3 parts per million of free chlorine enough to create the acid reflux condition in a person?

The short and tongue-in-cheek answer is “Well, then you drink it!” The real answer is that, at these levels, the acid reflux condition can occur in some individuals with continual gaseous chlorine introduction into the human stomach. After all, whether you believe we evolved or we were created, the fact remains that our bodies are “Biology”. The chlorine is introduced into municipal water to kill small forms of biology, but it is supposed to be perfectly safe for us to drink on a constant and long-term basis? I do not believe so. People have often told me that this shouldn’t be the cause of their acid reflux because they have an activated carbon water filter on their tap water drinking source. The answer to this is that an activated carbon water filter may not entirely solve the problem. Unfortunately the reasons for this are not simple, but understanding the chemistry of activated carbon water filters and chlorinated water is not necessary to become acid reflux free. For those of you who would like to skip an unnecessary chemistry lesson, please just skip the indented section. For those of you who would like a more in depth explanation of this, please read the indented section.

Activated carbon water filters: While it is true that activated carbon adsorbs gaseous chlorine from water, one must consider the fact that when gaseous chlorine is introduced into water, a reaction known as a Partial Dissociation Reaction occurs. This means that there is an equilibrium between gaseous chlorine, and the two partial dissociation products; Hypochlorite and the weak acid Hypochlorous acid in the water. Activated carbon adsorbs gaseous chlorine, and the partial dissociation product hypochlorite, however it does not adsorb or remove the hypochlorous acid. The remaining hypochlorous acid may very well be enough to cause an acid reflux reaction. The Free Chlorine test, or the Total Chlorine test any certified drinking water lab can easily perform will show positive for chlorine if hypochlorous acid is present in the water sample. Activated carbon is excellent for the adsorption of organics, and halogen containing organics due to the organic components of the impurities. However among all the impurities activated carbon adsorbs, the effective lifespan for the removal of gaseous chlorine, and hypochlorite are shortest, and these two species will break through first.

Activated carbon water filters can also be subject to channeling. Channeling is where a channel is cut through the substrate medium by the water flow, thereby allowing the water to flow through the channel bypassing the carbon medium and bypassing the active adsorption sites on the carbon. Hot water will destroy the effectiveness of the activated carbon water filter substrate. Having said that, there are many other excellent benefits to using activated carbon filters, but they simply must be installed properly, and cartridges changed frequently enough. Should you decide to try an activated carbon water filter I advocate that you buy a larger one (approximately 9.5 by 2.25 inches in size) that is on the cold water line of your sink only, and not the smaller faucet-mounted model. A faucet-mounted model has a very small filter cartridge, and a very limited contacted time with the water it is intended to purify. Also allow your drinking water to sit at room temperature long enough for any residual chlorine to evaporate. This can easily be checked with Free and Total Chlorine test strips like the ones available for purchase at Pollardwater.com .

Stomach acid production, and the introduction of gaseous chlorine into the stomach The idea that there is a correlation between drinking chlorinated water and having acid reflux is simple. Your stomach produces Hydrochloric acid, or HCl, to begin to digest the food you eat. Another name for the H+ in HCl is a Proton (the + indicates a positive charge on the Hydrogen ion, H). The proton pump inhibitors are designed to inhibit the proton pumps in the stomach because they are overproducing Protons, H+. The problem is that there is a mechanism which occurs when even the very small amounts of gaseous chlorine, Cl2 (aqueous) [Cl2 (gas) in water] found in tap water, is introduced into the stomachs of some individuals on a long term basis. This introduction stimulates the stomach to overproduce the acid, HCl. Chlorine gas, Cl2 (gas), is a very powerful oxidizing agent. When given a choice i.e.; when exposed to organic molecules, Cl2 (gas) or Cl2 (aqueous) wants to chemically attack them, break them down, and in the process forms Halogen-based degradation products, which are less reactive.

In the meantime, the organic molecules are reduced to rubble, or oxidized. Chemistry got your head spinning? Here’s an analogy. Take a frying pan, and a chicken egg. The frying pan is analogous to the Cl2 (aqueous), and the chicken egg is a complex organic molecule, say a protein (which, of course, is actually made up of proteins). You cook scrambled eggs. Now you feel bad because your breakfast could have grown up to be a chicken. Okay, just un-cook the scrambled egg, put it back in the shell, and put it back under the chicken, right? Of course not; the egg has been oxidized, only by heat, and not a direct chemical reaction with Cl2 (gas). It is my experience and belief that it is the oxidative properties of the Cl2 (aqueous) in municipal drinking water, which when introduced into the stomachs of some individuals that promotes the overproduction of the stomach acid HCl by the proton pumps. This combined with other properties of the Cl2 (gas) when introduced into drinking water result in the overabundance of acids to wash into the throat, and cause irritation to the esophagus and stomach.

Please take note that I use the plural form of acid in the above paragraph. The reason is that when Cl2 (gas) is introduced into water, it dissociates in the water, and two acids are formed. One is HCl, which you are familiar with, and is naturally produced by the stomach. The other acid is called Hypochlorous acid; HClO. This dissociation is described by the equation: I do not know the effects ingested Hypochlorous acid have on the human body, but it is not naturally occurring in the human diet, and our bodies do not produce it either. I believe its effect on the acid reflux condition is either neutral at best, or harmful to one degree or another. I suspect that, because it is not naturally occurring, the latter is the most likely scenario. It is not necessary that you understand chemistry to live acid reflux free. However if you are interested in the chemistry behind the program that has been 100% successful for me, and many others, it is here for you. How I became, and how you can become acid reflux and PPI prescription free I did three basic things.

However, there are also subtleties that you need to understand, and be aware of in order for your system to heal, and stay that way. • My Basic Program: 1.) Make bottled spring water your main source of liquid intake! NEVER drink any amount of any liquid that contains chlorinated water. This includes, fountain drinks, “iced tea” from a soda fountain, or (real) brewed iced tea with ice. Ice made with tap water retains its gaseous chlorine content. Do not drink bottled “Purified Water.” It is bottled tap water that has been filtered, and you should NOT drink that. Make bottled spring water your main source of liquid intake! 2.) After two to four weeks of having removed all chlorine intake from your diet, WITH NO EXCEPTIONS, and taking your PPI prescription or antacid as normally instructed by your doctor, you may begin to notice a decrease in your reflux symptoms. When you notice this decrease, simply, and slowly decrease the amount of your PPI prescription or antacid you take, at your own comfort level. 3.) Once you begin this process, you may slowly realize over the course of a couple more weeks, that your symptoms simply go away.

You may find yourself taking your PPI prescription or antacid on a very infrequent basis, if at all. • The Subtleties: Know ALL the sources of chlorinated water. Obviously don’t drink water straight from the tap, and don’t make ice with tap water. But are coffee and tea safe to drink? Chlorine gas is a gas, and the only way to get it out of water is by heating the water. It is impossible to filter chlorine gas, or any gas, out of water. When coffee and brewed teas are made, the water is brought close to the boiling point, and the chlorine gas gasses off. So the answer is yes, coffee and brewed teas are perfectly safe to drink from a chlorine standpoint. Are there individual acid reflux sufferers out there for whom coffee and brewed tea in-and-of themselves are a reflux trigger? I am sure there are, and you must learn if you are one of those. So, ordering iced tea at a restaurant is safe? Not necessarily, and for two reasons: 1.) What kind of water do you think they make their ice from? Tap water; when the ice melts it releases chlorine into your tea.

Are you willing to give up ice in your tea in exchange for complete relief from acid reflux? That is up to you. For me it is a very small sacrifice. 2.) How do you know it is Brewed tea? Many restaurants today find it more convenient to serve un-carbonated, tea flavored soda from the soda fountain. This is a corn syrup based product, and it is not tea. It is delivered to the restaurant in bulk containers, like the soda, which when dispensed, is mixed with tap water. So to answer your next question, yes fountain soda contains some chlorine, and will help promote and maintain an acid reflux condition. What about canned or bottled soda? Actually, I personally dislike all soda and always have. I cannot speak as to how canned or bottled soda affects the problem. To begin with soda in-and-of-itself is highly acidic, and carbonated. These two properties are potential acid reflux triggers for some sufferers. This is an area an individual will have to figure out for themselves. My advice is to swear off all soda for the period it takes to heal. Then slowly reintroduce it into your diet to determine what effect it will have on your individual condition. What about alcohol?

I have found that in my case, alcohol is the only other acid reflux trigger I have. However, it still isn’t half as bad as a small glass of tap water. Heartburn from alcohol is something that a couple of over the counter chalky antacids can fix easily, should I choose to have a couple of adult beverages. I believe that my recovery period would have been shorter if I had abstained from alcohol, so my advice on alcohol is the same as for soda. “What can I drink!?” you ask. There are many safe and wonderful drinks sufferers may drink in the recovery phase, and for life; Number one is bottled spring water. Brands are meaningless; the thing that is important to look for is that the bottle must say “Spring Water.” If it says “Purified Water”, it is bottled tap water, and you should NOT drink that. Fruit juices, vegetable juices, low-fat milk, etc… are also very safe from a chlorine standpoint. However I strongly recommend that the majority of your fluid intake is bottled spring water. It is in the first month that your upper digestive system is healing and readjusting.

Go easy on it, it needs time to readjust, and heal, and bottled spring water is the most “Low Impact” liquid you can put on your stomach. What about foods which cause acid reflux? I have found that although there are some few foods that cause acid reflux for people on an individual basis, any and all food pales in comparison to what ingesting chlorinated water will do to create acid reflux in people. If you find that a certain food always gives you heartburn, there are several things you can do. First you can avoid the food for a while, and then slowly reintroduce it into your diet and see how it goes. It may be that you can enjoy that item in moderation, and follow it with a little antacid. What I am aiming for in my program is for you to be able to eliminate the chronic and very intense acid reflux we are all too familiar with. The important point to remember is that for millennia humans have been eating and drinking natural things, like water from a natural spring. People have only been drinking chlorinated water and soda for 80 years or so. The philosophy here is that it is safer and better to drink the things humans “grew up drinking”.

Chlorine gas doesn’t grow on trees. It is manufactured in chemical plants, and is very dangerous even in small amounts. You might ask: Why don’t chlorides, Cl- as found in the bottled water, or table salt (Sodium Chloride or NaCl) have the same effect? Sodium metal Na, is highly reactive (explosive) upon contact with water. Because it wants to lose an electron yielding the Na+ ion, or Sodium salt dissolved in water. Cl2 is also extremely reactive (extremely dangerous), and wants to break down into 2 Cl- ions. When you evaporate water with any NaCL salt in it, you get table salt. Salt is something not only safe to eat, but something your body needs. In short, Chloride and Chlorine are two forms of the same Halogen atom, with radically different properties. So don’t worry about the fact that your bottled water tells you on the label how many mg of chlorides it contains. I believe that there are many people out there who are suffering needlessly from the acid reflux condition.

I believe that in relating my experience to them, and explaining to them how I truly and completely recovered will help many of those people experience the same relief and freedom I, and many others enjoy every day. Godspeed to you, Robert Reiling If you find that this information is helpful and healing for you, we respectfully ask that you would consider making a donation so that we are able to stay on-line. We use the highly secure and recognized Pay Pal system. How to Balance Stomach Acid and Improve Acne & Rosacea FAST! | The Whole Journey How to Balance Stomach Acid and Improve Acne & Rosacea FAST! Pinterest Creating and maintaining the appropriate acid balance in the stomach is a hugely important yet challenging task. When acid imbalance is prolonged it may result in unhealthy absorption and digestion within the GI tract. It’s important for stomach acid to be in balance not only because it help us breakdown and absorb nutrients, but it creates a much needed and important barrier to invading organisms. Hydrochloric acid (HCL) is naturally secreted in the stomach in order to digest food in order to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Many people have a deficiency of this acid, which can lead to other vitamin deficiencies and chronic imbalances.

After the age of 50, the body’s ability to produce HCL begins to decline. Chronic stress also tends to deplete HCL, characterized by consistent indigestion, and resulting nutritional deficiencies. Stomach acid is secreted from parietal cells, which are in charge of making HCL. This highly acidic environment helps to breakdown proteins, activate digestive enzymes, and facilitate in absorption. Parietal cells are hugely important because of the role they play in making the HCL. Normal function of parietal cells can be affected by different factors such as chronic inflammation, stress, or free radical activity. They can also be damaged by the overuse of antacids. When HCL is low, the food in the stomach is not digested quickly, and therefore the food lingers longer than it is suppose to, resulting in fermentation, and the increase of the wrong type of acid. Balanced HCL levels also help to destroy organisms swallowed in food (preventing parasitic infection). Therefore low stomach acid carries an increased risk of yeast, mold and bacterial infections – invaders that don’t belong in the GI tract and otherwise would be relegated out of it with proper biochemical balance.

In extreme cases, low HCL, also known as achlorhydria, can lead to stomach cancer if left untreated. Fortunately, there are many natural ways to increase HCL in the stomach. Adding a natural version of hydrochloric acid in supplement form can help improve absorption of nutrients and aid in digestion. However, when it comes to digestive enzymes it’s important to remember that when used in excess, the body begins to rely on them therefore creating less on its own. Digestive enzymes can be a useful approach for a short period of time, or can be used with foods that are difficult to digest. Low HCL and Acne/Rosacea: Many clients have come to me with rosacea, that butterfly-like red rash that stretches across the bridge of the nose and cheeks, sometimes also covering the forehead and chin. Then there’s acne rosacea or just acne that is also a major complaint. By the time they find me, they’ve usually accumulated a list of western interventions trying to get their complexion back which includes topical creams, steroids which thin the lining of their gut (creating more gut infections/issues) and give the adrenals a run for their money, or antibiotics (which ultimately make your digestive and skin health worse…ugh).

Back when I had raging Candida and lots of gut infections, I had very bad rosacea. People would comment on how “flushed” I was all the time and I would feel embarrassed (and get more red ;). I had no idea it was connected to low HCL! As the saying goes, if I only knew then what I know now…. 🙂 Well now you know that rosacea and acne are connected to low HCL. There are about 5 key medical doctors who’ve studied gastric secretions with rosacea to find out in clinical trials that 75% of patients with rosacea have low stomach acid. Furthermore to speak to the root cause, Japanese researchers have found that 2/3 of individuals with rosacea are actually infected with the H. pylori (helicobacter pylori) which routinely causes low stomach acid and ulcers. These studies were originally published all the way back in 1931 in the Cal West Medical Journal and are starting to come back around again.

Mainstream medicine and dermatologists often ignore this link and continue to treat rosacea aggressively with pharmaceuticals that further exacerbate the true imbalance, hence my reason for writing this blog – to share a little truth and hope it spreads and helps a lot of folks who don’t think there is any other alternative. A Food-Based Way to Balance Stomach Acid I love learning from Asian practices on how to use food as medicine. That is where this recipe for the “Ginger Pickle” was born. In India, they use a homemade pickled ginger for training the body to secrete adequate stomach acid. Also, in Japan, pickled ginger is routinely served with raw fish to protect the system from any potential parasites in the fish. The Ginger Pickle works famously and is easy to prepare. I show you how in the video above. Here’s the recipe: One full ginger root peeled (the size would cover the palm of your hand 1.5x), peeled and shredded with a carrot shaver or cheese grater Juice of one full, organic lemon 1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt Mix together and put in a jar. Let “pickle” overnight and take ½-1 teaspoon before bigger meals daily for 2-4 weeks.

Supplements to Balance Stomach Acid I like to use the little-known Trikatu , an Ayuverdic herbal blend of herbs and spices that acts almost like an adaptogen. It helps the body produce more of its own HCL and digestive enzymes, thereby increasing nutrient absorption. It’s also a gentler approach than using straight, HCL – although I have witnessed immeasurable times the near-magic that HCL supplementation can do as well. This is why I’m sharing with you what is called the HCL challenge. In the HCL challenge, we supplement with HCL to the point of burning, and then back off by 1. By repeating this process, one can challenge the body to begin to produce its own natural amounts of HCL again. Before you jump right in to taking HCL, you should read up on Dr. Wright’s info from his book, Why Stomach Acid is Good for You because he highly advises against taking HCL if you are taking any kind of pharmaceutical or over the counter anti-inflammatory like Prednisone, aspirin, or ibuprofen. These medications can damage the lining of the gastrointestinal tract and adding HCL to the mix could aggravate that or increase the risk of an ulcer.

“This simple test can help you determine whether you have the appropriate level of hydrochloric acid in your stomach for optimal digestion. You should not complete this test, however, if you have ulcers or are currently taking antacid medications. Instructions: Begin by taking 1 capsule of betaine hydrochloride (BH) before your largest meal of the day. You should feel a burning or warming sensation in your stomach or upper abdomen. You may also feel slightly “acidic,” or as though you have indigestion. Any reaction of this nature indicates you should stop taking the pills and that your stomach acid is sufficient. This is a good test to repeat each year since stomach acid levels tend to decrease with age as well as stress. If no reaction is felt after taking the BH, repeat the process the following day with 2 pills before your largest meal. If you still do not feel anything, continue to increase by one pill per day until you feel any change in your digestive system or you reach the maximum of 14 pills. Remember, you should feel something after one or two pills – this is normal. Taking more without feeling any response is a definite indication your stomach acid level is low.

Once you reach the point at which you feel the warming or burning sensation it’s important to not cease taking the HCL capsules. In fact, you have just uncovered your level of deficiency. Simply take one less pill the next day and remain at this number of pills daily until the warming sensation returns. Continue to decrease in this manner by one pill each time you feel the warming sensation. This weaning down process restores your stomach acid levels. Be patient and stick with it. This process will ensure you have just the right amount of stomach acid – not too much and not too little –for excellent nutrient absorption, one of the key secrets to looking and feeling your best every day.” What Brands are Best? As you know, I research supplement quality sort of obsessively because efficacy directly correlates to the quality of the supplements. In the video above I had Solaray but that was only because I ran out at home and that was all they had at Whole Foods the night before the show.

It contains maltodextrin so I much prefer the quality of these four brands if you are going to supplement with HCL or employ the HCL challenge: Thorne Other Strategies to Support Stomach Acid: 16 oz of room temperature (mineralized) water with 2 teaspoons of raw organic apple cider vinegar upon waking. Stress management such as breath work, yin yoga, or meditation. Test pH levels in the urine and saliva. Ideal pH is between 6.8-7.2. Increase dietary antioxidants Chew your food! Increase consumption of garlic. Allium, a substance that occurs naturally in garlic, helps prevent ulcers caused by the Helicobacter pylori (h. pylori) bacteria. Decrease consumption of coffee, tea, tobacco, sugar, alcohol, spices from hot peppers/hot sauce, and fried foods – all deplete HCL and thin the gut lining. Give your body time to digest. Try to go to bed before 10pm when digestion becomes active again. For those interested in learning more about our 5 Steps to Gut Healing approach, details are at gutthrive.com .

Or, if you already know about Gut Thrive and are ready to reboot your entire digestive system with us, join us here ! References:

Question: Which acid occurs naturally in the human stomach?
Answer: Hydrochloric