Just Ask Terry

Terry is happy to provide his opinion on diet and nutrition, supplements and lifestyle choices. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to replace the advice of your physician and is not to be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Should you have any concerns please contact your physician directly.

Q. Hi Terry, “I am 67 years of age, and every time I eat I feel terrible. My stomach is bloated, I have gas and everything just feels heavy on my stomach. The way I feel, I would just as soon not eat. Is there something wrong with my digestive system, or is there a natural product that can help me feel better?” Jackie G., Newark, NJ A. Dear Jackie, First, there is a small chance that the symptoms you describe are in fact relating to some serious, underlying disease process, so by all means, have this checked out with your health care provider. However, what you describe are some of the classic symptoms associated with indigestion, and a lack of digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid. As we get older, we produce less hydrochloric acid because our production slows down. We don’t run as fast as we did 20 years ago. We don’t perform many of our bodily functions as well as we did 20 years ago, and the same is true for our stomach, which also slows down. So, the ideal solution is to go to your health food store and pick up a bottle of Betaine Hydrochloride with Pepsin. Pepsin is the protein-digesting enzyme that is secreted from the lining of the stomach. However, pepsin is only secreted when there is a low pH in the stomach, which is initiated by the presence of hydrochloric acid (HCL). We cannot digest proteins or minerals without sufficient quantities of hydrochloric acid. I think it’s a complete misunderstanding that doctors prescribe antacids or Protonix. The presence of excess stomach acid is almost non-existent, and if excess acid does occur, it’s extremely rare. GERD (gastro esophageal reflux disease) and excess stomach acid are really a lack of hydrochloric acid, causing a malfunction of the stomach and the esophageal sphincter valve. The symptoms of too much acid and too little acid are almost exactly the same, but in reality, 95% of the time stomach and digestive problems will be caused by a lack of acids. Stomach acids (HCL) cleanse the gut and prevent the overgrowth of harmful bacteria, yeast and other destructive pathogens. With the use of drugs that reduce or eliminate the creation of stomach acid, we lose this very valuable function, and therefore, can have an overgrowth of harmful pathogens, along with the inability to digest proteins and minerals. In my opinion, there are two grossly over-prescribed medications that are totally inappropriate for nearly all healthy bodies. One class is statin drugs, and the other is the overmedication of acid-reducing drugs and antacids. For your particular symptoms, look for a good HCL product with pepsin, about 600 mg per capsule, at your health food store. Take 1 capsule with each meal. If that solves your problem, great. If not, start taking 2 capsules with each meal, especially with a large meal. Continue to increase the dosage as long as you have the symptoms. The dosage may be somewhere between 1 to 5 capsules with each meal. The only cautionary measure that I will advise is if you feel a warming sensation in the stomach after taking the capsules, you have taken a bit too much, so just drink a glass of water to dilute the contents of the stomach, and take a smaller dosage thereafter.