Hydrochloric Acid 1:500

Hydrochloric Acid 1:500
16 fl. oz. (500ml)

The human requirement for vitamins, minerals and other nutrients remains relatively constant throughout adult life. Unfortunately our ability to properly digest food and absorbs vital nutrients declines with advancing age. Surprisingly, one of the most common age-related causes of impaired digestive function is the reduction of hydrochloric acid produced by the stomach. Achlorhydria (the complete absence of stomach acid) and hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid) are common digestive problems. Symptoms of low stomach acid include heartburn, indigestion and bloating, among others. Additionally, a number of chronic health conditions are correlated with impaired acid secretion, including allergies, asthma and gallstones.

HCI and Digestion

Digestion is a complex body function that starts when food enters the mouth and continues as material is processed and passed on to the stomach, small intestine and large intestine. In the stomach, digestion begins with the release of a number of gastric secretions, including HCI, pepsinogen and a protective mucus coating. Secretion of hydrochloric acid and pepsin is a prerequisite for healthy digestion. Normally the stomach contains enough free hydrochloric acid (HCI) to maintain a constant stomach acidity of between pH 1 and 2. The amount of HCI produced increases rapidly following the ingestion of food. HCI has an important role in the digestion and absorption of a number of nutrients, including:

Protein

HCI initiates the digestion of protein in the stomach by converting pepsinogen into the proteolytic enzyme, pepsin. Once formed, pepsin acts to break proteins into smaller peptides that can be absorbed by the small intestine. Without adequate gastric secretions, incompletely digested macromolecules can be absorbed into the systemic circulation.

Carbohydrates and Fats

HCI supports the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, fats and vitamins A and E by stimulating the release of pancreatic enzymes and bile into the small intestine.

Vitamin and Minerals

HCI also aids in the absorption and assimilation of vitamins and minerals such as folic acid, ascorbic acid, beta-carotene and iron, by increasing their bioavailability and effecting their release from food. Jonathan Wright, MD, Medical Director of the Tahoma Clinic, reports observing that a number of minerals and micro-trace elements are poorly absorbed in cases of low stomach acid, including calcium, magnesium zinc, copper, chromium, selenium, manganese, vanadium, molybdenum and cobalt.

Protection from Pathogens

In addition to breaking down and absorbing vital nutrient, HCI also plays an important role in maintaining a sterile environment in the stomach. HCI does this by protecting against orally-ingested pathogens and acting as a barrier to prevent bacterial or fungal overgrowth of the small intestine. Researchers have shown that a common pathogen, E coli (Escherichia coli) is inactivated when stomach acidity is high, with a pH ranging between 1.5 and 4.0. Conversely, low stomach acidity is associated with the rapid invasion of microorganisms from the colon, leading to gastric and intestinal bacterial colonization and overgrowth. And in tests where researchers induced a temporary state of low acid (pH greater than 4.0) all subjects experienced bacterial overgrowth in the proximal small intestine.

An additional finding of a Japanese team was a strong correlation between low stomach acidity and increased infection by Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), on of the most common chronic bacterial infections of humans and recognized as a major cause of gastritis, gastric ulcer disease carcinoma and B-cell gastric lymphoma.

Low Stomach Acid and Age

Numerous studies have shown that hydrochloric acid secretion declines with advancing age. In one study US researchers found that over 30% of men and women past the age of 60 suffer from atrophic gastritis, a condition marked by little or no acid secretion. A second study found that up to 40% of postmenopausal women have no basal gastric secretions.

Increasing Stomach Acid

Evidence in a clinical setting suggests that improvement of HCI levels and decreased gastric pH may improve gastrointestinal symptoms and decrease disease risk. Low stomach acids secretion is a risk factor for numerous diseases, including infection by H. pylori. Eradication of this bacterium is imperative to optimize digestion. The fact that HCI decreases with age and due to the wide use of acid-blocking pharmaceuticals, natural agents may be useful to prevent the progression of conditions such as bacterial overgrowth, dyspepsia, and gastric cancer.

Supplemental Hydrochloric Acid

Hydrochloric acid was routinely prescribed for many symptoms and clinical conditions for over 100 years. Use of HCI by the medical establishment began to decline in the late 1920s. The decline in HCI replacement therapy, according to Jonathan Wright, was due to poorly designed and misinterpreted research that convinced medical practitioners that HCI and pepsin replacement therapy was not necessary. Encouraged by the legal drug industry, medical students are not taught that hypochlorhydria (inadequate stomach acid production) is treatable only with unpatentable, natural replacement therapies. Instead, their education concentrates on hyperchlorhydria (excess stomach acid production) and its treatment with patentable acid blocker drugs and highly profitable over-the-counter antacids.

Hydrochloric acid has been shown to be effective in relieving symptoms associated with achlorhydria and hypochlorhydria.

ARG's Hydrochloric acid is a highly diluted water solution of hydrochloric acid, 1:500 (pH approximately 2). This is a 0.06% hydrochloric acid water solution that must be further diluted before ingestion.

Serving Size: 1 ounce (30ml)
Servings per container: 16
Amount per serving:
Hydrochloric Acid 1:500 in water (0.06%)
Hydrochloric Acid 18 mg
Water 30 ml

Suggested Use: Dilute prior to ingestion. Take 1/2 to 1 ounce of solution diluted in 4 oz. of water, three times daily, or as directed by a healthcare practitioner.

Warning: Avoid contact with eyes. Do not take in case of stomach or duodenal ulcers. Do not take on empty stomach.

As per US federal guidelines, we need to inform you that these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Adiminstration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.