Indigestion much?

So, I was doing some homework reading from a functional approach to clinical nutrition textbook and the subject was about digestion.  Now, a couple of things really caught my attention about digestion in the stomach and I thought I'd share those discoveries :D

There's a condition called hypochlorhydria which is when there's not enough gastric acid being secreted by the stomach walls.  This is a condition that is oftentimes overlooked by medical professionals and could be a underlying factor in many digestive and full body issues.  Full body, you say?  Yes - read on.

Considering the typical diet of the majority of  the U.S. (high fat, excess calories, animal-based), the expectation would be that this condition would not be as typical as it is especially since eating a lot of high-fat foods at one meal normally encourages oversecretion of gastric acid.  So why is it a lot more prevalent than expected?

Well, there's a little story that starts back in the 1970s when some researchers discovered H2 histamine receptor sites in the nervous system as the "managers" of gastric acid secretion.  Then, by the miracle of medical technology, the (then) prescription medicines Tagamet and Zantac were developed and showered upon the world to ease the symptoms of indigestion, etc.  Since the 70s, those two blockers have become even more readily available as over-the-counter medications.  There are now others that have reached the prescription and OTC market, including proton pump inhibitors (aka PPIs or as some of you would recognize better - Prilosec, Prevacid, etc.).  People have increased the use of these blockers since the 70s as our foods have also changed.  The consumption of fatty foods and meats have risen as well as the amounts of processed and sugary foods.  These increase gastric acid secretion, cause problems like chronic acid reflux or heartburn, and so people take H2 blockers or PPIs to help with the problem.  So, guess what happens??  Go on, really...guess...

The answer is: instead of changing their diet to change the gastric acid production they've added a drug that decreases that gastric acid production.  Decreasing the stomach digestive acid is now another problem called hypochlorhydria.

Ah, and remember in the beginning of this post I said that this condition may be an underlying factor in digestive and other full body issues?  Well, here's the full body association. There is research suggesting that this condition (hypochlorhydria) may influence the development of the following:

• Food allergies
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Acne rosacea
• Asthma

Yes, certain types of hypochlorhydria involve stomach lining cell antibodies that have distinct autoimmune components causing some of the "on-the-rise" issues above. (I really don't remember EVER meeting a kid when I was growing up that had a nut allergy, do you?)

But, wait!  That's not all!  This condition can also affect the rest of the GI tract and digestion because it changes the pH values which allows for bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine.  Which goes on to affect and compromise nutrient digestion and absorption like that of the very important B-vitamins, iron, and calcium.

Yeah, in the long run, isn't it just better to find a doctor & a dietitian who will work with you to find what is causing your indigestion symptoms by removing foods and adding them back in slowly to find the trigger food than just taking the "fast and easy" road of popping a pill that may in fact cause your body even more harm?  Well, I think so, at least.

If you're curious about the common signs and symptoms of low gastric activity:

• Bloating, belching, burning, & flatulence immediately after meals
• Chronic candidal infections (aka yeast infections)
• Chronic intestinal parasites or abnormal flora
• Dilated capillaries in the cheeks & nose (in non-alcoholics)
• Indigestion, diarrhea, or constipation (chronic)
• Iron deficiency
• Multiple food allergies
• Nausea after taking supplements
• Post-adolescent acne
• Sense of "fullness" after eating (unless you have overeaten for real)
• Undigested food in stool
• Weak, peeling, & cracked fingernails

If you have a few of these, you may want to talk to your doctor about checking for low gastric activity.

As for all the diseases they have associated (not hard linked but associated) with low gastric activity:

Acne rosacea

Addison's disease

Asthma

Celiac disease

Chronic auto-immune disorders

Chronic urticaria

Dermatitis herpetiformis

Diabetes mellitus

Eczema

Gallbladder disease

Graves disease

Hepatitis

Hyper- & hypothyroidism

Lupus erythematosus

Myasthenia gravis

Osteoporosis

Pernicious anemia

Psoriasis

Rheumatoid arthritis

Sjogren's syndrome

Thyrotoxicosis

Vitiligo

If you have any of these and your doctor hasn't looked at low gastric acidity as an underlying cause, you may want to discuss the possibility with them because it is your body and there are many things you can do to reverse the acidity issue and bring it back to normal.  

The body is always healing itself and I believe we can help it or deter it by the food we feed it.

If you have questions or comments, please leave them below and I will try to answer them as soon as I can...Eat Well to be Well!


All information on this blog is my own pursuit of information on the road to getting my BS in Nutrition Science and as a mode of studying.  
 

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Protein - How Much Do You Really Need

Think you know about how much protein you need in your diet?  Maybe you do and maybe you don't...either way, check out what the USDA guidelines are (of course, if you're an athlete you get to have a bit more):

How much food from the Protein Foods Group is needed daily?

The amount of food from the Protein Foods Group you need to eat depends on age, sex, and level of physical activity. Most Americans eat enough food from this group, but need to make leaner and more varied selections of these foods. Recommended daily amounts are shown in the chart.  

Daily recommendation*
Children		2-3 years old		2 ounce equivalents**
		4-8 years old		4 ounce equivalents**
Girls		9-13 years old		5 ounce equivalents**
		14-18 years old		5 ounce equivalents**
Boys		9-13 years old		5 ounce equivalents**
		14-18 years old		6 ½ ounce equivalents**
Women		19-30 years old		5 ½ ounce equivalents**
		31-50 years old		5 ounce equivalents**
		51+ years old		5 ounce equivalents**
Men		19-30 years old		6 ½ ounce equivalents**
		31-50 years old		6 ounce equivalents**
		51+ years old		5 ½ ounce equivalents**

*These amounts are appropriate for individuals who get less than 30 minutes per day of moderate physical activity, beyond normal daily activities. Those who are more physically active may be able to consume more while staying within calorie needs. 

What counts as an ounce equivalent in the Protein Foods Group?

In general, 1 ounce of meat, poultry or fish, ¼ cup cooked beans, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of peanut 
butter, or ½ ounce of nuts or seeds can be considered as 1 ounce equivalent from the Protein 
Foods Group. 

The chart lists specific amounts that count as 1 ounce equivalent in the Protein Foods Group 
towards your daily recommended intake: 

		Amount that counts as 1 ounce equivalent in the Protein Foods Group		Common portions and ounce equivalents
Meats		1 ounce cooked lean beef		1 small steak (eye of round, filet) = 3½ to 4 ounce equivalents
		1 ounce cooked lean pork or ham		1 small lean hamburger =  2 to 3 ounce equivalents
Poultry		1 ounce cooked chicken or turkey,  without skin		1 small chicken breast half =  3 ounce equivalents
		1 sandwich slice of turkey  (4 ½ x 2 ½ x 1/8”)		½ Cornish game hen =  4 ounce equivalents
Seafood		1 ounce cooked fish or shell fish		1 can of tuna, drained =  3 to 4 ounce equivalents 1 salmon steak =  4 to 6 ounce equivalents 1 small trout = 3 ounce equivalents
Eggs		1 egg		3 egg whites = 2 ounce equivalents 3 egg yolks = 1 ounce equivalent
Nuts and seeds		½ ounce of nuts (12 almonds, 24 pistachios, 7 walnut halves) ½ ounce of seeds (pumpkin, sunflower or squash seeds, hulled, roasted) 1 Tablespoon of peanut butter or almond butter		1 ounce of nuts or seeds =  2 ounce equivalents
Beans and peas		¼ cup of cooked beans (such as black, kidney, pinto, or white beans)  ¼ cup of cooked peas (such as chickpeas, cowpeas, lentils, or split peas) ¼ cup of baked beans, refried beans		1 cup split pea soup =  2 ounce equivalents 1 cup lentil soup =  2 ounce equivalents 1 cup bean soup =  2 ounce equivalents
		¼ cup (about 2 ounces) of tofu 1 oz. tempeh, cooked ¼ cup roasted soybeans 1 falafel patty  (2 ¼”, 4 oz) 2 Tablespoons hummus		1 soy or bean burger patty =  2 ounce equivalents

NOTE: 1 Ounce = 28.3495231 Grams

The only thing that I don't like about this chart is that they haven't listed any fruits or vegetables and, face it, protein is a building block - every living thing has protein.  So, when you're counting protein intake, don't forget to take fruits and vegetables into consideration as well.

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