Excellent explanation of HCL supplementation, H-Pylori, consequences, etc.

Here's probably the BEST explanation on the subject I've found so far.

I'm fully convinced that digestion is EXTREMELY important for Hair and Health, period.

CS often mentions he has a strong digestion, producing good amounts of acid and bile. He has had excellent result so far with his regimen. Just as having Candida, not having a good digestion will probably limit your results.

If you are getting constipation, bad bm's, from supplements of regular foods, you DEFINITELY need more HCL.

Notice how it mentions H. Pylori eats hydrogen (I mean, not acid directly!).

Betaine HCL+Pepsin is probably the most important supplement for digestion. It impacts bile output besides other well known areas. After HCL, you might want to add ENTERIC COATED pancreatin. Finally you might choose to also use fungal-based enzymes (I understand the pH thing, but at times these can be very expensive and don't come close when compared to HCL).

Don't be afrain to use enough HCL! Just be sure to *FOLLOW THE PROCEDURE*, otherwise you might just do more bad than good or get the wrong interpretation of HCL supplementation.

This is interesting:

"More capsules, usually 4, increasse the stomach acid enough to disable the organisms. This stops the gas and resolves the heartburn. A small increase in most cases only increases the discomfort by making the acid which hurts the esophagus stronger."

Makes sense! It means that adding just a little bit more might not be enough and could worsen the feeling of discomfort (depending on your case).

I see a lot of people here with digestive/candida issues... definitely a must check for them.

---

Betaine-HCL and Digestion
Stomach acid enables breakdown of food. Stomach acid is the second stage of digestion. Very high levels of acid, pH 1-2, are very important for this process. Strong stomach acids:

* Ionize minerals to supply mineral and primitive amino acids;
* Kill bacteria, parasites and organisms in food to protect the body from invasion;
* Supplies acid to quench alkali bile, enabling the liver to dump toxins.

Insufficent stomach acid enables bacteria, and other organisms, in the stomach to produce carbon dioxide bubbles that carry weak acid up to the esophagus.These cause a burning sensation often called heartburn.
Betaine-HCL Instructions

It is impossible to predict how much Betaine will be required. This method determines the number of capsules to aid digestion. Gradually increasing stomach acid to a point of a warming sensation enables determination of the amount which will typically be required for improved digestion.

You will only need to use this method at the first meal. After you know how many Betaine you need, you can just take them at the middle or end of each meal.

Betaine Test Meal Instructions:

* Eat ½ of meal
* Take 2 capsules
* Wait 1 minutes
* Is stomach Warm?
* If Yes, remember number, this is your standard dose. Eat rest of meal
* If No Take another capsule, wait 2 minutes, and so on
* Stop at 10 capsules unless otherwise directed

If 10 capsules does not produce a warming sensation, then you are very acid deficient or lack the ability to produce Hydrogen. Ask your doctor to test if you have H-Pylori. H-Pylori consumes hydrogen and likewise limits creation of stomach acid.

Even if 10 capsules do not produce warming, they will be of big benefit improving food absorption and digestion -- Continue taking them.

If you reach 10 Betaine, you likely have significant stress toxins. See Stress Detoxification HowTo.


Pathogens and Chloride

Viruses and other pathogens tend to "pull" chlorine out of circulation, resulting in the inability for the stomach to draw chlorine to make stomach acid.

This deficiency eventually disables stomach acid production, and indirectly clogs the bile path. Finally, cholorine deficiency results in systemic lymph and liver toxicity.
Toxin Accumulation

Individuals with viral, and cell wall deficient, pathogens often exhibit an absence of stomach acid due to chronic imbalance in chlorine metabolsim.

Long term chlorine deficiency causes liver congestion, and degeneration resulting from systemic toxin accumulation.

With optimal digestion, acid, exiting the stomach mixes with alkali bile. The mix separates food molecules into biologically active charged particles called ions, which the body uses.

The release of bile enables the body to "eliminate" the toxins processed by the liver in feces. When the bile path experiences insufficient release, because of deficient stomach acid, inhibited toxin release enables accumulation.

Stomach acid is essential to detoxification. An absence of stomach acid prevents the liver from releasing bile, which inhibits bile flow, which in turn prevents the entire liver and lymphatic system from releasing stored toxins.

If unaddressed, Gall and liver stones develop from resulting in physical blockage, as toxins condense into solid masses.
Deplete Stomach Acid

When stomach acid is deplete, there are three unfortunate results:

1. Nutrients are not absorbed;
2. Unfriendly organisms flourish in the gut further disrupting digestive health;
3. The liver refrains from releasing alkali bile to avoid burning the gut.

Indicators for inadequate stomach acid are:

* Belching;
* Digestion which stalls in the stomach;
* Heartburn accompanied by belching or upper GI bloating or gas;;
* Chronic constipation.

Over time, the combined absence of digestion bile release causes liver toxins to accumulate, and finally health degenerates due to both malnutrition and toxins.
Betaine-HCL

Betaine is a combination of HCl, or Hydrochloric Acid and trymethylglycine, TMG. In the stomach, the molecules split, and the HCl becomes available for digestion. The increased quantitiy of HCL improves ionization and breakdown of protein and foods, resulting in improved digestion.

Increasing stomach acidity kills the bacteria and stop the bubbles hence the discomfort.
Betaine-HCL Under Use

Betaine-HCL provides stomach acid and will aid digestion and reduce malnutrition which virtually always accompanies hypochlorhydria.

Use of insufficient amounts of Betaine-HCL may increase digestive discomfort:

1. Heartburn results from fermenting organisms which create gas bubbles;
2. Which carry weak acid up into the esophagus;
3. Causing discomfort because the acid irritates the esophagus;
4. Betainie increases stomach acid levels;
5. So Stronger stomach acid can increase esophogeal discomfort;
6. Unless it is strong enough to disable fermenting organisms from producing gas;
7. Enough acid stops the bubbles;
8. Which carry the stomach acid into the esophagus.

To resolve heartburn, take 4 Betaine, preferably 600 mg. Use of a single Betaine usually increases discomfort because it makes the stomach acid strong enough to hurt more, but not enough to disable the microorganisms causing the gas bubbles.

More capsules, usually 4, increasse the stomach acid enough to disable the organisms. This stops the gas and resolves the heartburn. A small increase in most cases only increases the discomfort by making the acid which hurts the esophagus stronger.
Overshooting Betaine-HCL

Do not take Betaine with carbohydrate only meals.Use Betaine only with meals having protein.

If you take too much, it may cause discomfort, take 1/2 tsp of baking soda in water.It is also possible for the stomach to be too acidic. This is very rare. In this case, Betaine will cause excess discomfort.Add ½ teaspoon of baking soda to a short glass of water and drink.The baking soda, sodium bicarbonate, will quench the stomach acid very quickly and eliminates acidic stomach pain.
Functional Malnutrition

Over time malnutrition is inevitable. Chronic stomach acid insufficiency causes the body to resort to reserves by utilizing constitutional resources to compensate for deficient nutrition.

Loss of muscle and bone reflect nutrient deficiency as the body canibalizes itself for survival in the absence of nutrition.

It's important to recognize the difference between what you eat and what you absorb. If your digestion isn't working, what you eat is virtually irrrelevant.

Long term stomach acid depletion forces the body to digest itself.

When the condition persists, malnutrition, from inadequate protein mineral ionization, not enough mineral and not enough usable protein, result.
Clinical Markers

rH2 is the oxidation reduction potential of the urine. It is an indicator of the ionization potential of blood filtrate, or urine. When it is elevated, it indicates an excess of protons in the blood. When the stomach lacks Chlorine, the stomach does not drain, from the blood, and the result is a tendency for elevated urine ORP. This weakly suggests insufficiency of chlorine in the stomach.

Inversely, a deficiency of protons in the blood, indicated by an elevated ORP. Certain infections, H-Pylori, consume hydrogen in the gut, and cause a lowered urinary ORP.

Bee Propolis is a preferable nontoxic product to reduce H-Pylori in the gut.
Drugs and Digestion
Proton Pump Inhibitors

Often individuals present digestive challenge are given proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs.

PPI's inhibit creation of stomach acid by limiting the stomach's ability to create hydrogen. Normally PPIs are prescribed for heartburn, under the unfortunate assessment that heartburn results from excess stomach acid. This is usually exactly wrong.

In the absence of stomach acid, organisms, like bacteria and yeast ferment food. Fermentation creates Carbon Dioxide gas, which bubbles upward into the esophagus. Bubbles carry the stomach acid which was too weak to kill the organisms into the esophagus causing a burining sensation.

Use of agents which disrupt acid production to treat conditions caused to insufficient acid reflects a destructive use of an agent, and makes a bad problem to become worse.

If left untreated, the esophagus is damaged resulting in a hyatial hernia, or injury to the esophagus.

Calcium Channel Blockers
Have a similar effect.
---


Source: http://dshedu.com/HowTo/Betaine/


Enjoy!

LittleFighter - Good article!

This subject probably hasn't received enough attention. HCL is needed for all cells, which of course goes well beyond digestion.

With the absence of HCL is degeneration. We are either 'degenerates' or regenerates, and whether are HCL production is healthy enough will determine that.

I suspect that individuals with hydrogen sulfide excess, which is evident when their breath smells of a foul odor have poor digestion--note that excess H2S levels is not only indicative of inflammation, but a relatively new marker in aggressive hair loss.

When fermenting waste acid residues build up via low HCL in the stomach, there is a production of excess carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide.

When patients abide by their doctor's ordors and take anti-acids and H2 blockers, the body shifts into degeneration.

Digestive problems? Try Betaine HCL.

CS, I'm a little bit impressed this post hasn't generated any considerable buzz.

For me, digestion over the last years has been a real issue, a major one, and after much research I understood it's probably the single most important thing for health. What I noticed is that food would stall in my stomach and ferment there; that single event results in a host of problems like the article mentions. I had all of them except for chronic constipation, which was never chronic and besides probiotics helped a lot into keeping me regular.

Without giving much details, certainly a strong digestion reduces inflammation, oxidative stress and removes the opportunity to pathogens of taking over the system (including CANDIDA species, but let's not forget there are also many other pathogens).

For some reason, when my hair loss started a few years ago, also my digestion started to decay, and after that dysbiosis appeared.

An example of what can happen when you have low HCL levels is the inability to absorb minerals, like magnesim oxide. Magnesium oxide is a very cheap form of magnesium, but it can be used if you have enough/strong acid levels because it can get ionized. In contrast, if you have low HCL levels, throwing in Mag Oxide is like throwing water to your "digestive fire". I remember a few years ago when using cheap forms of Magnesium like this one I started to have bad breath (from fermentation in your stomach), I later understood that this compound was buffering my stomach acid. After switching to Magnesium Glycinate, this resolved.

I believe that if you are taking a lot of supplements, you might need to increase you stomach acid by supplementing with HCL. This is because I think some supplements might actually buffer stomach acid. Signs that indicate you need to strengthen your digestion are: bad breath (even after brushing your teeth), belching, gas, food that sits in the stomach for many hours, constipation, foul smelling stools and many others thar result as a consequence of low HCL levels.

Want to resolve candida? Completely restore your digestion (besides following the usual recommendations) and like CS says, use Betaine HCL.

Very interesting post!

Went I left vegetarianism, started to use betaine hcl, only 1 650mg cap per meal. I also began to take lots of supplements, mostly vitamins and amino acids and also things like saw palmetto (i didn´t know this forum yet). I had left propecia more or less at the same time because it produced me really bad sides, among them, high bilirrubine. I also found out that i had high amilase constantly. I kept on minoxidil though, but i was able not only to keep all my hair, even still experienced regrow. I left most things aside after six months, since i was feeling great and my hair was not a problem anymore. I started to have the shed of my life, i thought it was cause of dropping minoxidil, so i went back into it... It didn´t work. Now i´m pretty stabilised with IH 6 & iodine (50mg), although this is my sixth week on humifulvate (makes me feel tired, no energy for working out). I keep on thinking of those months when i had all my hair, and maybe betaine is the clue... Is having high amilase a problem? Doctors don´t seem to bother it much. Fortunately bilirrubine (gilbert´s syndrom) has not been a problem since i take such a good pack of antioxidants with IH´s regimen. Is betaine stimulating one´s own hcl production or is a forever supp? Thanx for attention, i keep on learning a lot from all of you

kirtanyogi - Thanks for your story, very interesting.

Taking Betaine HCL isn't a forever thing, because eventualy the body will start to produce more and more stomach acid on its own, unless one is at an advanced age and has problems producing enough HCL.

Typically HCL will be low is very little animal products have been consumed.

LittleFighter,

For what it's worth, I focused and experimented back in 08 and up to mid 09 regarding stomach acid and outside of H Pylori "for me" it was a dead end .... I still bottles left over.

Personally, to keep stomach acid levels up, I'd rather focus on apple cider vinegar before a meal and also magnesium "chloride." Also, Broccomax/broccoli sprouts is what keeps H Pylori in check for me.

Here are some good quotes that you might be interested in

"often nutritionists recommend using betaine HCL, which places acidic stress on the blood, leading to an inability to provide the alkalinity required to activate the body's pancreatic enzymes."

"Phosphorus deficiencies include: ... tendency towards gastritis (inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract)"

https://immortalhair.forumotion.com/natural-hair-regrowth-f1/new-hairloss-theory-t679-195.htm?sid=b86cd2d11bde1dd5b0eb19af3dfe146d

hope this helps

You need to consider what happens when you supply your own HCL - it probably is way better in the long term to increase your own production of acid/bile than to take it orally as it has the potential to down regulate your own production. Just like T - taking it has implications.

Of course if you are already sickly low in acid you may not want to wait for your production to come back up (if it ever will) - so perhaps c combinatory approach is more meaningful.

jdp710 wrote:LittleFighter,

For what it's worth, I focused and experimented back in 08 and up to mid 09 regarding stomach acid and outside of H Pylori "for me" it was a dead end .... I still bottles left over.

Personally, to keep stomach acid levels up, I'd rather focus on apple cider vinegar before a meal and also magnesium "chloride." Also, Broccomax/broccoli sprouts is what keeps H Pylori in check for me.

Here are some good quotes that you might be interested in

"often nutritionists recommend using betaine HCL, which places acidic stress on the blood, leading to an inability to provide the alkalinity required to activate the body's pancreatic enzymes."

"Phosphorus deficiencies include: ... tendency towards gastritis (inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract)"

https://immortalhair.forumotion.com/natural-hair-regrowth-f1/new-hairloss-theory-t679-195.htm?sid=b86cd2d11bde1dd5b0eb19af3dfe146d

hope this helps

Thanks for the info jdp.

If one is HCL deficient, it is likely that one is also short on minerals and other elements needed to neutralize acid, so it makes sense.

I was also thinking that one should also provide Chlorides (I prefer MgCl) and minerals to be used as buffers (on an empty stomach) and also sodium bicarbonate. I think that Ted's alkalizing formulas are excellent for this purpose, to replenish bicarbonate levels and help neutralize that extra acid so one doesn't self-digest.

One shouldn't take HCL forever, like CS mentions. But I truly believe that if you need it, you SHOULD take it until you resolve your problems.

In my personal case, I take citrate minerals and will start on Ted's akalizing Lime formula.

I've tried ACV before and it does work for digestion, stops fermentation in the stomach and boosts mineral absorption. One thing though, it isn't practical to carry it everywhere you go. Also, Betaine HCL seemed to be more efficient in improving digestion and you get the benefit of pepsin. I say choose what works best for you.

As a side note, I have been taking Mg Glycinate, 400 mg a day for a long time. I also started using my own home made magnesium oil TRANSDERMALLY. After 2 or 3 days, I started getting diarrhea, so it does work... and certainly YOU CAN GET diarrhea from Mag Oil, unlike what companies selling the stuff for high prices say.
I stopped the stuff and immediatly things came back to normal. Interesting... anyone had a similar experience?
I have to say that probably I over used it...

Some extra HCL doesn't put anyone at risk for blood acidity, this is a terrible myth perpetuated by promoters of alkalinity fantatics.

Urine pH has nothing to do with blood pH. In fact, the best way to control pH is to normalize thyroid levels.

On a similar note, some have used a strong detox using freshy pressed beet juice, which is a major source of Betaine HCL. The HCL is needed in all cells, not just the stomach.

Thanks for the correction CS

What advantages would this have over something like DigestGold? Im interested in getting my digestion squared away, and Im pretty happy theres so many things worth using.

Now that CS mentions that about detox, Premier Research Labs hass one specific product that uses Betaine HCL for detox:

http://www.naturalhealthyconcepts.com/product-info/Premier/hcl-activator.pdf

That's the product data sheet, it explains why it works; pretty interesting read.


Funky - one of my biggest complaints is that Digest Gold is extremely expensive, and I really mean expensive. Another complaint would be, it won't help the same degree in mineral absorption or bile output like HCL and finally, HCL might be more powerful and effective in terms of pathogen inhibition.

An extract from the product data sheet that I found interesting, talks about methylation:

The Awesome Power of Methylation

An insightful article in the Journal of Medical Hypothesis (Vol.
51, pages 179-221, 1998) estimates, at birth, an average of 3% methylation
of cytosines. (Cytosines are one of five nitrogen bases used
for storing genetic information within a cell.) Each cell would have
90 million methyl groups at birth. Aging, degeneration, degenerative
diseases including the ultimate degenerative disease cancer, are
markered by loss of methyl groups. Expression of oncogenes (cancer
causing genes) and suppression of tumor suppressor genes (anticancer
genes) are also markered by loss of methyl groups at the cell.
An average loss of 1800 DNA methyl groups per cell/day limits
lifespan to about 65 years. If loss was reduced to 1200 methyl groups
per cell/day lifespan could be about 95 years.

The richest natural source of biologically available methyl groups
is betaine hydrochloride from beets, also known as trimethyl glycine.
When combined with a rich, natural source of potassium, these methyl
groups can be most easily uptaken by the cell. A recovery of methyl
groups can occur with profound effects on overall health, strength,
longevity and well-being as confirmed by the latest DNA microassay
research of Dr. S. Burzynski in Houston, Texas.

From Dr. Brownstein:

Antacid Drugs Increase Risk of Hip Fractures
Dr. David Brownstein - Holistic Family Medicine

There was an article in JAMA (12.27.2006 Vol. 296,No. 24) that reported on the elevated risk of hip fractures with the long-term use of antacid drugs (proton pump inhibiters such as Prilosec and Nexium) . This study showed a 59% increase risk if antacid medications are used for four years. The authors reported a steady increase in hip fracture rates the longer these drugs were used. Why would this happen? Antacid drugs are effective at blocking hydrochloric acid production of the stomach. But, the consequence of blocking acid production is that it leads to poor mineral absorption as well as poor digestion. The depletion of the body's mineral stores will lead to the body having to use the largest source of minerals, the bones, to supply it with necessary minerals that it needs.

Now someone takes an antacid drug and they begin to develop osteoporosis. What happens next? You know the answer--they will need another drug, this time an osteoporosis drug to treat the problems from the first (antacid) drug. And, the beat goes on.

All drugs have their time and place. However, drugs should not be the first-line treatment for many conditions. There are many natural therapies that can effectively treat stomach problems without side effects. More information on this can be found in my newest book, Drugs That Don’t Work and Natural Therapies That Do, 2nd Edition.

CS has written a few times about H. Pylori. It has been said that this bacteria is involved in many diseases.

Heres an excellent article regarding the use of natural therapies to eradicate it.

Helicobacter Pylori a Natural Approach to Eradication – A Free Review

http://www.nleducation.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/LIT-154-H-Pylori-Article.pdf

Hi LittleFighter,

I'm not sure if you know this but the best product to use to keep H Pylori in check is Broccomax/Sulforaphane.

jdp710 wrote:Hi LittleFighter,

I'm not sure if you know this but the best product to use to keep H Pylori in check is Broccomax/Sulforaphane.

JDP, yes I do. Actually I learned that from CS/you some time ago.

I'm taking sulforaphane with SeleNext.

I researched sometime ago and found some people think it might not be enough to eradicate it. Of course, I'm not sure, maybe it is dose dependent like pretty much everything. IMHO, I think that it could be good at leas in the beginning to use something additional to sulforaphane, for instance berberine and bismuth citrate and other things. To me sulforaphane seems the best to keep it in check in the long term.

Hey LittleFighter,

Yeah sulforaphane probably won't eradicate H Pylori based on one study but is used to keep it in check. Personally, I believe it's good enough considering how easy it would be to get reinfected.

Regarding hair loss, I 100% agree regarding hair loss being associated with the gut and I also believe what we eat is a very powerful drug that can either harm you greatly or help you greatly. For instance, while I'm not sure how accurate it is, it was said that the enzyme cellulase will help to alleviate "certain toxix conditions, such as chemicals, drugs and toxic metals, including silver amalgam fillings."

One example regarding food is apple cider vinegar. Is it the potassium (i.e. thyroid, aldosterone), it's ability to remove calcification, increased zeta potential, the enzyme content, or the increase in stomach acid that prevented Dr. D.C. Jarvis and Paul Bragg from losing their hair.

Either way, I can personally attest that the gut and diet is all that's needed to keep hair loss in check. It just takes a lot of experimentation and knowledge to figure out what works and what works for you.

Regarding Digest Gold, Digest Gold has small samples to try for about $12. Also, amazon.com has Digest Gold cheaper than anywhere else. Taken before "every" meal works for me while some others use them after the meal. I personally have 6 bottles of the Doctor's Best enzymes but also have some Digest Gold to experiment with and I'm happy with both.

hope this helps

LittleFighter,

I thought what's in bold is interesting

"To explain further, an ion is part of a molecule con-atom or a group of atoms that carry an electrical charge. Ions which carry positive charges are “cations.” Lemons are considered to be anionic, having more electrons (negatively charged ions) of energy as compared to cations (positively charged ions) in their atomic structure. Saliva, hydrochloric acid, bile and the stomach's other digestive juices are also anionic.

Lemon is one of the only foods on the planet that has more anions than cations in its atomic structure.

When considering the electromagnetic properties of food Dr. Beddoe points out that all foods are considered cationic with the exception of fresh, raw lemon juice. Some have suggested that the reason fresh lemon juice is similar to digestive enzymes is due to the low amount of sulfur in lemons. It should be noted that pasteurized and packaged lemon juice is cationic and, therefore, ineffective as a health remedy."

http://www.quantumbalancing.com/news/lemon%20water.htm

Very interesting topic.

I have a question:

ACV and betain hcl seem to flare up my h pylori. But if I don't use hcl, I have bad digestion.

Lactoferrin helps a bit with pylori, but I haven''t tried Broccomax, will buy it tomorrow.

Usually they recommend an anti acid, I don't think it is good. Would you recommend taking hcl while taking Broccomax? or Broccomax alone, the time to kill the beast?

Other supplements? I saw oil of oregano is good too.

Another question:

where the h pylori infection comes from? the guts again? the bad diet?

Thanks for putting time into all of this research LittleFighter, the gut is SO important as I've recently come to understand...

Funnily enough, just after reading this thread, I found this on my web travels

HCL Success

I have always had bad digestion and I think that is why nothing has really helped me so far. I have always found that food passes through me absurdly quickly - literally 10 mins after finishing a meal. Also happens whenever I have a joint

JDP,

How are you able to swallow ACV?, I can't get past the taste..

Decro435 wrote:JDP,

How are you able to swallow ACV?, I can't get past the taste..

Try diluting it down nice and heavy!