What does your stomach do for you?
The stomach is a bit like a washing machine and a healthy stomach has about a 2-4 hour “spin cycle.” Food passes from the mouth, down the esophagus into the stomach where it gets vigorously mixed around with stomach acid and an enzyme called pepsin. This important duo starts breaking down the protein in our food before it passes into the small intestine.
Without sufficient stomach acid, we don’t digest protein properly and people often begin to notice that when they eat meat, they get a heavy discomfort in their stomach and it feels like the food sits around for too long.

Additionally, certain nutrients depend on a happy, healthy stomach with plenty of acid to be absorbed. These include:
Vitamin B12
A crucial ingredient called Intrinsic Factor also gets produced in the stomach and added to the mix. Intrinsic factor must bind to B12 in the presence of plenty of acid and pepsin in order to allow it to be absorbed out of the small intestine and into the bloodstream.
Iron
Iron from non-animal sources, which for many of us makes up about 80% of our dietary iron, requires a highly acidic environment and the presence of vitamin C in the stomach to be absorbed. Without sufficient stomach acid and vitamin C, we will be at increased risk of iron deficiency.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps protect us from oxidative damage. Research has shown that lower stomach acid levels due to the use of proton pump inhibitor medications like Prilosec, omeprazole and others, results in reduced blood levels of vitamin C. The same pattern is seen in people with H. pylori, a type of bacteria that can grow in the stomach and reduce stomach acid levels. This may be because vitamin C becomes very unstable and prone to breaking down in non-acidic environments.
Calcium and Magnesium
The data is less clear, but there is likely a relationship between low stomach acid and deficiencies in these two important minerals.
Support healthy stomach acid levels by:
• Eating in a relaxed state
• Chewing food completely
• Eating bitter or sour foods at the beginning of a meal
• Taking herbal digestive bitters or a “shot” of apple cider vinegar mixed in a little water 10-15 minutes before meals.
Steer clear of the following to support healthy stomach function:
• NSAID medications like aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, Advil, etc.
• Alcohol
• High and unremitting stress
• Coffee
• Acid blocking medications like Tums, Prilosec, omeprazole, etc.
• Gastric bypass surgery
If you regularly take NSAID medications for pain, or acid blocking medications for heartburn, consider consulting with an ND to treat the underlying cause(s) of your pain or heartburn. That way, you may be able to stop taking these medications and ditch the unfortunate side effects.
Please join me on Tuesday November 12th at 7pm for my online class on Healing Heartburn Naturally.
Jennea Wood, ND, practices at Tummy Temple’s Olympia location, she specializes in supporting people with chronic illness. She helps clients identify root causes, release what no longer serves them, and make meaningful changes. Learn more at Tummy Temple.






