The Fat Resistance Diet

Why You Need Stomach Acid

You need stomach acid for digestion of protein and absorption of minerals like calcium and iron. Stomach acid is also essential for preventing the growth of bacteria and yeast in your stomach.

Drugs that reduce stomach acid are among the most frequently prescribed drugs in the U.S. They fall into two categories:

• Proton-pump inhibitors like Prilosec, Prevacid, Nexium, Aciphex and Protonix
• H2 blockers like Zantac, Pepcid, Axid and Tagamet

Although these drugs can be effective at relieving symptoms like heartburn and abdominal pain, they may have serious long-term side effects, and the truth is that these symptoms are almost never caused by an excess of stomach acid. They are caused by breakdown of the normal mechanisms that protect your body from stomach acid while the acid does its job.

Regular use of acid-suppressing drugs is associated with increased risk of hip fractures, probably because of impaired calcium absorption. Taking acid-suppressors increases your risk of acquiring a food-borne intestinal infection or experiencing the overgrowth of bacteria in the stomach and small intestine. Overgrowth of bacteria in the stomach probably explains some other risks associated with regular use of acid suppressors: pneumonia, stomach cancer and vitamin B12 deficiency.

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