Debra Medina Autoclave Sterilizer

Spencer Microscope

Why Low Carb Diets Are Not Good For You

Stomach Acidity: The Key to Digestion

Digestive problems account for a massive $250-million annual sales of over-the-counter medication and are the most commonly medicated conditions after the common cold. We used to believe that people over the age of forty routinely lost 50 per cent of their ability to secrete stomach acids. But my own experience has convinced me that these days, just about everybody is suffering from insufficient stomach acid. Worry, stress and the pressures of our fast-paced life tend to decrease stomach acid - and who among us has escaped the consequences? So let's take a closer look at why stomach acid is so important - and how low carb diets work to deplete it.

When you first decide to eat your lunchtime salad, your brain sends out a signal, alerting your entire digestive system to start producing the fluids, acids and enzymes that enable you to break down the food into its various components and absorb the nutrients you need.

Just thinking about food gets your system going. Smelling and seeing food is the second step. The sight of that crisp Romaine lettuce and the smell of that pungent garlic-lemon dressing literally make your mouth water - or, to put it scientifically, the prospect of food induces the production of saliva (what the kids call 'spit').

Your saliva is a major part of the digestive process, as it contains amylase, an enzyme that breaks down starches. Saliva also contains an element known as epidermal growth factor, which stimulates the growth of liver cells. Saliva helps you chew and swallow your food, which passes from your mouth down into your esophagus, a long tube that leads into your stomach.

Meanwhile, thinking about eating has triggered the flow of hydrochloric acid (HCI) in your stomach. By the time your food actually reaches the end of its esophageal journey, your stomach is full of HCI, ready to dissolve the food.

Hydrochloric acid is a remarkably powerful substance. Outside your body, it could literally burn a hole in the tablecloth or eat right through an iron nail. Within your stomach, HCI acts as a natural antibiotic, your first line of defense against toxic invaders. I don't want to alarm you, but if you had a microscope, you could see that even the healthiest lunchtime salad is simply crawling with bacteria. It's HCI that neutralizes those organisms, along with yeast and Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria associated with gastric ulcers.

Drinking too much water, particularly cold water, during a meal or within two hours after it, disrupts the function of stomach acid. So does eating under stress, or quickly, or without sufficiently chewing your food. And if you're under enough stress for a long enough time, your overall production of stomach acid will drop to a dangerously low level. Insufficient protein, a shortage of A and B vitamins, a lack of zinc, and not enough iodine or salt can also deplete your HCI levels.

Low-carb dieters don't have to worry about too little protein or salt, of course. Quite the opposite. By overloading their systems with protein, they've given their stomachs an impossible challenge. Few stomachs can keep up with the enormous amounts of protein that low-carb dieters take in - and undigested food, indigestion and constipation are the results.

You also need HCI to absorb calcium, magnesium and iron. All the calcium supplements in the world won't prevent osteoporosis if your stomach acid levels are too low. Likewise, no iron supplement you'll ever take will enrich your blood if you don't have enough stomach acid to absorb this vital nutrient.
About the Author

Fast weight loss is certainly possible, but unless you follow a healthy eating pattern and change your lifestyle, your quick weight loss dream with crumble and turn to dust. Get my free diet tips and newsletter and start losing weight for good today.

Microscope $11.95 Microscope

MICroscope $7.99 MICroscope

Microscope, Usb Powered Microscope $66.99 MICROSCOPE, USB POWERED MICROSCOPE

Spencer $19.99 Spencer - Premium Poster

2-Way Microscope $49.95 2-Way Microscope

Darwin's Microscope $39.99 Darwin's Microscope - Photographic Print

Campani's Microscope $39.99 Campani's Microscope - Giclee Print

Descartes Microscope $39.99 Descartes Microscope - Giclee Print

Hertel's Microscope $34.99 Hertel's Microscope - Giclee Print

Solar Microscope $79.99 Solar Microscope - Premium Photographic Print

The Microscope $46.08 No Synopsis Available

Student With Microscope $24.99 H. Armstrong Roberts Student With Microscope - Photographic Print

Microscope Lab Max $40.95 Microscope Lab Max

Microscope Set with Carrying Case $50.95 Microscope Set with Carrying Case

Deluxe Microscope Set $76.95 Deluxe Microscope Set

Telescope and Microscope Kit in Silver $27 Telescope and Microscope Kit in Silver

Microscope Set in Black Multi $30 Microscope Set in Black Multi

Carson / MICROSCOPE ZPIX / MM-640 $69.01 Carson - MICROSCOPE ZPIX - MM-640

CP355/V355AF Microscope Adaptr $46.99 AVerVIsion CP355/V355AF Microscope Adapter

Fiberinspector Mini Video Microscope $1271.99 FIBERINSPECTOR MINI VIDEO MICROSCOPE

Digital Microscope Mono, Compact $54.99 Digital Microscope Mono, Compact

Spencer Tracy $39.99 Spencer Tracy - Photo