Is Low Stomach Acid Responsible for Your IBS Symptoms?
If you've been diagnosed with IBS or experience any of these symptoms - listen up!
Low stomach acid is one of the most common digestive issues I see in practice and the most overlooked.
What happens if your stomach acid is too low?
We need optimal amounts of stomach acid (hydrochloric acid) to kill off harmful bacteria and activate digestive enzymes to breakdown, absorb and digest food and nutrients.
One of the most noticeable impacts of low stomach acid is the way it messes with your digestion. When there isn’t enough stomach acid, food doesn't get broken down fully allowing bacteria to feed and ferment it causing causing a lot of gas buildup and bloating.
Stomach acid is also disinfecting and helps to prevent harmful bacteria from invading the rest of your GI tract. As your stomach acid levels dip, your risk of gut infections (like E. coli, salmonella, H. pylori) goes up. Chronic low stomach acid can also lead to SIBO - Small Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth.
Without enough stomach acid, your body can’t break proteins or absorb minerals. This can lead to a protein, vitamin B12 and iron deficiency.
Common symptoms of low stomach acidity:
bloating
gas
indigestion
abdominal discomfort
heartburn, GERD + reflux
Low iron or vitamin B12 levels
Frequent gut infections
Why do we get low stomach acid?
The most common reasons for low stomach acid are:
Stress (the number one cause!)
Poor diet
Aging
Infections (bacterial, parasitic etc)
Food poisoning
Medications (like PPI’s and other heartburn medications)
Sluggish or slow bowels
How Do You Treat Low Stomach Acid?
The first key to treating low stomach acid is to correctly diagnose it and address the root cause. Dr. Courtney Ranieri, ND focus her treatment on:
Optimizing nutrition to restore gut health
Moderating bacteria levels
Rebuilding the microbiome
Repairing the digestive system
Preventing recurrence
If you are interested in optimizing your hormonal health, energy or looking for support with your health, I am a Naturopathic Doctor virtually, and in person in Toronto and Vaughan and would love to help you reach your health goals.
In health,
Dr. Courtney Ranieri, ND
Always check in with your Naturopathic Doctor or other health care provider before starting any treatments or making changes to your healthcare plan.