Gastric acid is one of the secretions in the stomach that aid digestion, and its absence results in an increased risk of infections and nutritional deficiencies. Betaine HCL helps when production of gastric acid is much lower than necessary, its use being of clinical significance in preventing unfavorable medical conditions. The proper functioning of the stomach depends on its ability to set an inside environment with low pH and break down the food before moving it through, and gastric acid being involved in both is an indispensable component.

Hydrochloric Acid

The stomach walls are composed of parietal cells responsible for the manufacture of gastric acid, whose production starts even before food is ingested. Every time you crave fast food or think of your favorite dish, up to 30 per cent of gastric acid is released into the stomach. The smell of foods and the first bite excite the digestive system, increasing the level of acidity by the time the food enters the stomach.

Hydrochloric acid, potassium chloride, and sodium chloride make up gastric acid with a pH ranging from 2 to 4. Having released a significant amount of gastric acid in an empty stomach, the resulting low pH environment readily modifies the chemical makeup of incoming proteins. Together with other secretions in the stomach such as the enzyme pepsin, proteins turn into shorter molecular structures, and solid foods change into a slurry called chime moved to the small intestine for the next process.

More importantly, hydrochloric acid is a substance with active disinfectant properties, killing unwanted microorganisms that reach the stomach with the food. Certain microorganisms are known to colonize the gastrointestinal tract, for instance bacteria present in undercooked food, and they are known to cause many digestive illnesses, including peptic ulcers, stomach cancer, cholera, and gastroenteritis. Low concentrations of gastric acid render the stomach susceptible to otherwise preventable diseases.

Betaine Hydrochloride

In times when the parietal cells are damaged, the required amounts of gastric acid are difficult to attain, leading to a number of complications including malabsorption of nutrients. The stomach inability to produce proportionate concentrations of hydrochloric acid may result from large consumptions of foods that purposely contain loads of microbes to achieve a certain taste. Take for example, overindulgence in eating uncooked seafood, red meat, or dairy products. Betaine HCL has been known to help digestion in situations like these.

Betaine HCL not only assists the stomach in reaching the right levels of acidity, but also promotes its function to break down particularly challenging foods. There are ingested foods that sidestep the processes involved in changing their molecular structures prior to entering the small intestine, passing through the stomach largely undigested.

Thereafter, the small intestine triggers the pancreas to release higher levels of insulin into the bloodstream, causing a condition called hypoglycemia. In addition, the small intestine will have a hard time absorbing the nutrients in the undigested food.

Health professionals have long recommended supplementations of Betaine HCL especially to those who have existing stomach problems.

Author Bio: Betaine HCL can help boost your health and wellness. Find discount name brand Betaine HCL at VitaNet, LLC Vitamin Store. http://vitanetonline.com/

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: betaine hcl, gastric acid, stomach