Gut Health Restored: Protein Digestion

Your stomach possesses remarkable healing capabilities! To ensure proper digestion of your food, there are a few proactive steps you can take. First, mastering stress management is crucial. Second, maintaining normal stomach acid levels is essential. Third, supporting your enzyme functionality is key, and incorporating bitter herbs can be beneficial.
 

According to insights from Dr. Matthew Gianforte of Tuscola Pain and Wellness Center, "Digestion is akin to a river. Address the upstream, and the downstream takes care of itself."
 

Given that many digestive system issues stem from incomplete food digestion leading to putrefaction, fermentation, and rancidity in the intestines and colon, it becomes vital to begin addressing the matter at the top by supporting stomach acid production.
 

Stomach acid has often been unfairly scapegoated. While some may attribute their heartburn and digestive problems to excessive stomach acid, the true concern lies in cultivating a healthy stomach environment.
 

Embrace the potential of your stomach and its incredible capacity to foster your overall health and well-being!

Healthy Protein Digestion

Stomach acid is made up of powerful enzymes like pepsin and gastrin, along with hydrochloric acid (HCL) and intrinsic factor, making it the primary site for protein breakdown.
 

Stomach acid helps the following:

• Contains enzymes to support carbohydrate, fat, and protein digestion

• Contains HCL that lowers stomach pH needed to activate enzymes

• Stimulates peristalsis, leading to better bowel movements

• Helps Vitamin B12 to be fully released from protein food sources

• Provides an acidic environment for mineral absorption (including calcium) to take place

Insufficient levels of stomach acid can cause significant health issues.

Regrettably, persistent stress, suboptimal dietary selections, medication use, and the natural aging process can collectively contribute to diminished levels of stomach acid. This can give rise to substantial issues, as low acid levels and enzyme inadequacies result in only partial digestion of food.
 

The outcome is undigested food, triggering a myriad of issues such as excessive gas, bloating, bacterial overgrowth, and lingering inflammation.
 

Don't allow these adverse consequences to dominate your life. Take proactive steps today to enhance your stomach acid levels and provide necessary support for enzymes!

Low stomach acid causes the following:

• Enzymes do not get fully activated

• Lower digestive complications from undigested food occur lower in the intestines

• Peristalsis is not activated, leading to difficult bowel movements and constipation

• Vitamin B12 (used for energy, immune, and cardiovascular health) is not fully released

Common Undigested Protein Symptoms:

• Bad breath that is not resolved by oral hygiene support

• Constipation after eating a heavy protein meal

• Gas that smells really bad (silent but deadly)

• Heartburn or acid reflux often

• Prolonged burning before or after eating a meal

Been on Over-The-Counter Aids too long?

Producing an ample amount of hydrochloric acid (HCL) holds significant importance in effectively digesting protein and absorbing minerals.
 

Our team boasts years of experience assisting individuals like yourself, and we've developed educational supplement plans to empower you to take charge of your healthcare.
 

When delving into digestive concerns, we often inquire about the prolonged use of over-the-counter products. These items, designed for short-term use, can suppress stomach acid production, impeding your ability to digest food, experience complete bowel movements, and absorb minerals. Furthermore, they may lead to downstream problems like bacterial overgrowth.
 

It's noteworthy that products such as Prilosec and other over-the-counter medications caution users to restrict their usage to 14 days and advocate waiting for 4 months before considering a repeat dose.

At the core of this plan is HiPep, which is made from Deglycyrrhizinized Licorice, Chamomile, and Meadowsweet. These powerful herbs have been soothe the delicate mucous membrane lining and support normal stomach acid secretions.*

Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) extract in HiPep are devoid of glycyrrhizin, which is found in other forms of licorice, and thus, these extracts do not exhibit the unwanted side effects of high blood pressure.*

If you have high blood pressure, please monitor and stop using the product if you exhibit a spike in blood pressure.

Combined with Gastrex and Enzycore, this trio of products is very popular to help with acute needs before moving to products such as Zypan that have a lower pH.*
 

Do you experience gas, bloating and burning after eating protein-heavy meals?

If you have not been on long-term OTC use, but are experiencing really smelly gas and heartburn, then you may have stomach acid deficiencies.

You may be wondering how you can have stomach acid deficiencies—but it’s more common than you might think. Prolonged stress, diets low in B-Vitamins and chloride (Cl), excessive coffee and soda consumption, moderate to high alcohol consumption—as well as a lack of bitter herb supplements—can all lead to low stomach acid.

Lifestyle changes are always recommended which are the opposite of the above, but to fast-track your recovery, we recommend supplementing your meals with Zypan. Zypan is n effective 3-in-1 product to support upper digestion.

Zypan® provides betaine hydrocloride (HCL), pancreatic enzymes, and pepsin to support normal carbohydrate, protein, and fat digestion*
 

• Provides betaine hydrochloride to lower stomach pH that activates enzymes*

• Provides pancreatin that supports protein, fat, and carbohydrate metabolism*

• Provides pepsin needed for additional protein metabolism*

Caution: Chewing Zypan is not recommended. Please ask for alternative options if you currently having a gastric and/or duodenal ulcer.
 

Incorporate Bitters into Your Diet for Better Health

Bitters, which are a blend of various herbs and roots, have been used for centuries to promote digestive health. One of the most significant benefits of bitters is their ability to normalize stomach acid production.

When consumed before meals, bitters stimulate the production of digestive juices and enzymes, leading to better digestion, absorption of nutrients, and steady blood sugar levels.

The active compounds in bitters, such as Gentian, Ginger, Tangerine, Wormwood, work together to reduce inflammation and soothe the digestive tract, alleviating symptoms of acid reflux and heartburn. Incorporating bitters into your diet can help to promote optimal digestive health and overall wellness.

We love DiGest Forte from Mediherb to support healthy digestion.

These herbs have been traditionally used in herbal preparations to:

• Stimulate gastric juice output and appetite*

• Support healthy digestion and intestinal function*

• Promote healthy gastrointestinal toneSupport the body’s natural toxin-elimination function*

• Increase bile flow as a cholagogue*

• Promote normal response to environmental stressors*

• DiGest Forte alleviates a wide range of digestive issues and is gentle enough to be used by people who are sensitive to other digestive aids. It is our go-to first step because it goes after the root cause of stomach acid and enzyme stimulation.
   

It is best to take this product in conjunction with a digestive multivitamin such as Gastrex , so that you don't over-stimulate organs (the stomach, pancreas, liver) that are already having problems.

Make protein putrefaction a thing of the past!

Are you ready to unlock the incredible potential of your stomach and experience better digestion and overall health?

We hope that this article sheds light on the importance of maintaining a healthy stomach acid level, which is crucial for breaking down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, and absorbing essential nutrients like Vitamin B12 and calcium.

The good news is that there are many natural ways to support stomach acid production, such as stress management, enzyme support, and incorporating bitter herbs into your diet.

Don't fall for the myth that too much stomach acid causes digestion problems - it's actually an unhealthy stomach environment that's the culprit. So take care of your stomach and watch as it powers your overall well-being to new heights.

Next up, part 3 - Fat Digestion!

Helpful links and references

1. Bessie Young, M.D., University of Washington; William McClellan, M.D., Emory University; Dr. Young. Harold Feldman, M.D., University of Pennsylvania, https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/kidneys-how-they-work.
 

2. Eva Untersmayr, MD and Erika Jensen-Jarolim, MD, et al. The role of protein digestibility and antacids on food allergy outcomes. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2008 Jun; 121(6): 1301–1310.
 

3. Daly JM, Reynolds J, Sigal RK, Shou J, Liberman MD. “Effect of dietary protein and amino acids on immune function.” Crit Care Med. 1990 Feb;18(2 Suppl):S86-93.
 

4. Stephen Welle. Human Protein Metabolism. Springer Science & Business Media, Dec 6, 2012.
 

5. Snijders T, Res PT, Smeets JS, et al. Protein Ingestion before Sleep Increases Muscle Mass and Strength Gains during Prolonged Resistance-Type Exercise Training in Healthy Young Men. J Nutr. 2015 Apr 29.
 

6. Atenodoro R. Ruiz, Jr., MD, Consultant, Section of Gastroenterology, and Head, Colon Cancer Screening Task Force, The Medical City, Pasig City, Metro-Manila, Philippines. Overview of Malabsorption.
 

7. Raffaele Pezzilli, Angelo Andriulli, Claudio Bassi, Gianpaolo Balzano, Maurizio Cantore, Gianfranco Delle Fave, Massimo Falconi, Luca Frulloni, and the Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency collaborative (EPIc) Group. Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in adults: A shared position statement of the Italian association for the study of the pancreas. World J Gastroenterol. 2013 Nov 28; 19(44): 7930–7946. (PubMed).