Hydrochloric Acid
Hydrochloric acid is critical for the proper breakdown of food and the assimilation of nutrients in the stomach. Most people in the Western world are severely deficient in hydrochloric acid due to a diet of processed carbohydrates, dairy products, and sugar.
Without enough hydrochloric acid to thoroughly break down food, you may have nutritional deficiencies, even if you follow a healthy diet. This acid also acts as the body's first line of defense against parasites, fungi, and bacteria, but most people do not have enough of it to kill them off.
Low hydrochloric acid has been linked to many mental and physical conditions including (but not limited to) grey hair, hair loss in women, flatulence, depression, Celiac's disease, arthritis, asthma, osteoporosis, ulcerative colitis, and severe weight-loss (due to lack of nutrient absorption) when switching to a more healthful diet.
Hydrochloric acid deficiencies can be reversed by eating foods which stimulate its production or by taking HCl pills, available by prescription. Blending fibrous foods, such as leafy greens, helps the body to assimilate nutrients until hydrochloric acid levels return to normal.
Beneficial Foods
| Apple Cider Vinegar | Stimulates production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. |
| Black Olives | Stimulate production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. |
| Celery | Stimulates production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. |
| Chard | Stimulates production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. |
| Ginger | Stimulates production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. |
| Grasses | Stimulate production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. |
| Kale | Stimulates production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. |
| Lemon | Lemon juice stimulates production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. |
| Sea Salt | Natural salts are necessary for production of hydrochloric acid. |
| Spinach | Stimulates production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. |
Beneficial Nutrients
| Sodium | Natural salts are required for production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. |
| Vitamin B1/Thiamin | Necessary for production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. |
| Vitamin B3/Niacin | Regulates production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. |
| Vitamin B6 | Necessary for production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. |
| Zinc | Necessary for production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. |