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Forget The Clever Ads: It’s Acid You Need, Not An Antacid!he health enthusiasts have been saying it for decades: "You are whatyou eat." The problem is that they are wrong! You are not what youeat; you are what you absorb, and the best diet on Earth will notsustain health if an important ingredient is missing: stomach acid.

That's right, acid. In this case, it's hydrochloric acid. You cannot absorbnutrients that are vital for health if this essential part of your digestivesystem is destroyed by antacids, or if you were born with a tendency to lowstomach acid, or if your stomach has been damaged by junk food, alcohol,tobacco, stress and drugs.

If you fall for the propaganda of the drug companies, you are being connedinto believing that "excess acid" must be neutralised. This is a blatant, self-serving lie! A seven-billion-US-dollar lie, to be exact: that is the amount thedrug companies earn every year selling their profoundly damaging antacidsand acid-suppressing drugs. Each year the profits soar; drugs for stomachand upper digestive system problems are the largest-selling medicines in theUnited States.

The professional journal Orthopedic Surgeon said this: "Antacids, drugswhich so many people take frequently, are so dangerous that they wouldhave been removed from the market if the drug cartels were not so strong. Ithas been known for decades that they deplete the bones of between 130 and300 mg of calcium each time they are consumed. They contain aluminum,and also contribute to Alzheimer's disease."

Nature didn't put acid into our stomachs so the drug companies couldearn billions suppressing it. Nature put it there for a compelling reason: itis absolutely necessary for health. Our stomach acid is so strong that it canreduce the toughest steak into meat soup in about an hour. Imagine whathappens to that steak when it hits an acid-deficient stomach: indigestion,malabsorption, and sometimes unpleasant and antisocial symptoms such asbloating, burning, gas and belching—not because of too much acid, butbecause of too little. Because there are few warning symptoms, malabsorptioncan occur over many years, leading to slow starvation. This results incrumbling bones, degenerative diseases, acute and chronic infectionscaused by germs that are easily killed by normal stomach acid, and cancer.

Yes, even cancer, and it's logical when you think about it. When yourstomach has a normal acid level, it is able to kill invading micro-organismsand break down dangerous food additives; but, if your stomach lacks thisvital element, additives can turn into cancer-causing nitrosamines.

Hypochlorhydria: Low Stomach Acid My first encounter with stomach acid taught me a lesson I shall never

forget. During the 1960s I lived in Europe, and after six months ofinjudicious pasta-gorging in Italy I became exhausted. The doctor I

WWHYHY SSTOMACHTOMACH AACIDCID ISIS

EESSENTIALSSENTIAL FORFOR OUROUR HHEALTHEALTH

A lack of stomachacid can cause

indigestion,malabsorption,bloating andultimately

degenerativediseases, acute andchronic infectionsand even cancer.

This deficiency canbe overcome with asimple hydrochloric

acid treatment.

by Elaine Hollingsworth © 2000–2012

Extracted and edited from chapter 3 of her book

Take Control of Your Health andEscape the Sickness Industry

Website:http://www.doctorsaredangerous.com

T

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consulted had no idea what to do, so I drove myself toLondon and collapsed. Friends brought in a doctorwho took my pulse and told me it was a dangerously lowten! Then he asked who my next of kin was, and I knew Iwas in deep trouble. Tests were done, and the diagnosiswas pernicious anaemia. Then I had to take B-complexvitamins, have iron injections and eat lots of red meatfor two months—and I saw zero improvement.

Finally, presumably because he was afraid I'd die onhim, my doctor drove me to a Harley Street specialist. (Iwas too weak to get there on my own, but can youimagine a doctor doing that today?) The first thing thisold-school physician said was, "Have you triedhydrochloric acid?"

I had not exhibited the classic symptoms ofhypochlorhydria, though I do remember asking mydoctor when I was 16 why my fingernails peeled, why Isquinted badly in sunlight and why I had nightblindness. He would have known if he had taken thetime to crack a basic medicaltext. He didn't, though, andmerely suggested that I learn tolive with it. These and otherhealth problems I had wereclear signs of the need foradditional acid, and this mancould have saved me years ofproblems which culminated in aclose encounter with death.Virtually all physicians aremaking the same mistake today.

The Harley Street specialistunderstood immediately. Heprescribed a potent form of hydrochloric acid drops.These had to be diluted and sipped through a glassstraw to avoid tooth enamel damage. The potion had tobe drunk prior to each meal, and after two weeks I wasfighting fit. I have taken hydrochloric acid (fortunatelyin capsules now) ever since.

In 1970, a progressive doctor friend in Los Angelestold me that hydrochloric acid in the stomach is sovaluable that every antacid preparation should beprohibited by law. He also told me something that hasproved extremely valuable to the people I've advisedduring the many intervening years: doctors in thosedays often wouldn't prescribe hydrochloric acid withoutfirst inserting a tube through the nose and then downinto the stomach to test the acid there. When Iexpressed horror, he laughed and said that thisprocedure was not necessary; that the easiest way todetermine if supplementation is needed is by taking atablet with a meal. If you don't need hydrochloric acid,there will be a slight burning in the stomach, which iseasily neutralised by drinking plenty of water.

There are now other tests. A hair mineral analysis,which measures macro and trace minerals, is an option.If five or more minerals are deficient, particularly those

known to be poorly absorbed in low acid states (e.g.,calcium, zinc and iron), low stomach acid is indicated.Another test consists of a chemical analysis of the stool,with a search for undigested proteins. A well-trainediridologist can also diagnose lack of stomach acid.

Note that the pH system is a scale for measuring theacidity or alkalinity of a given environment (in this case,your stomach). The scale goes from zero to 14.0; 7.0 isneutral; below 7.0 is acid; above 7.0 is alkaline.Normally, the acid level in your stomach is about pH 2.0or 3.0.

The Heidelberg capsule is recommended by somephysicians. This is a tiny pH sensor and a radiotransmitter compressed into the size of a large vitamincapsule. It is swallowed, tethered to a long thread, andremoved from the stomach once the results have beenrelayed by radio signal to a receiver. This is expensiveand unappealing, and does not take into considerationthe hourly changes in the pH of the stomach. But Big

Medicine and Big Pharma love itbecause it is "scientific" andprofitable.

Then there is the "try-it-and-if-you-don't-burn-you-need-it"method. It's quick, it's cheap,and the result is immediate. Itis not, however, scientific,although (as noted earlier) aphysician told me it wasaccurate and safe.

Warning: this test must notbe attempted by anyone whohas a peptic ulcer or is using

any kind of anti-inflammatory medication. This includesaspirin, ibuprofen (e.g., Advil, Motrin), corticosteroids,(e.g., prednisone), Indocin, Butazolidin, or any otherNSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). Wisepeople shun NSAIDs anyway, considering that, as DrJoseph Mercola reported on his website Mercola.com,"[i]n 1993, of 140,000 hospital admissions forosteoarthritis, 25,000 deaths were directly attributed tohigh dosage or prolonged use of NSAIDs".

If you are taking any drugs, check with your physicianbefore experimenting with hydrochloric acid. There areso many dangerous drugs being prescribed and heavilymarketed, with new ones coming along frequently, and Imay have omitted some that interact badly withhydrochloric acid. Please remember that any anti-inflammatory medications can cause stomach bleedingand ulcers. Combining them with hydrochloric acidincreases this risk. People on cortisone, even in sub-replacement doses, need to approach hydrochloric acidcautiously, with professional advice. If supplementationproves necessary, it is safer to take hydrochloric acidwell separated from cortisone.

In all the years that I have been involved with naturalhealth, I have not encountered anyone who didn't

The Harley Street specialistunderstood immediately.He prescribed a potentform of hydrochloric

acid drops.

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benefit from taking supplemental acid. So many thingstrigger this lack: the unrelenting stress that most of uslive with; junk food; antibiotics; smoking, or exposure tosecond-hand smoke; heavy consumption of grains;vegetarianism; age; extremely alkaline diets; etc. Yet,most people are unaware of stomach acid, except whentelevision commercials blare out Big Pharma–inspiredwarnings about "excess acid".

Monitoring dosage of hydrochloric acid can be tricky.Results, of course, are a good guide. If bloating, gas,etc. have been problems, these should abate quickly. Ifyou have longitudinal lines on pale, soft fingernails,with supplementation the lines should slowly fade andthe nails should strengthen and become pink. Lifelesshair and skin problems should also improve over time,as should a general sense ofwellbeing.

In cases of long-termunderproduction of stomach acid,regaining health is not as simple aspopping a few pills. A knowledgeablenaturopath is needed for detectivework: he/she can order a hair mineralanalysis, which is extremely useful.Your iron level could be badlydepleted, leading to exhaustion. It isimportant, though depressing, to seeif your dentist has poisoned you withmercury. Are your B vitamins and/oryour enzymes hopelesslydepleted? Once the truth isknown, measures to correctimbalances can be taken.

For decades, I have felt like avoice in the wilderness. But twoprominent American doctors,Jonathan V. Wright, MD, and LaneLenard, PhD, have written asuperb book, Why Stomach Acid IsGood For You [M. Evans & Co.,2001], which should be on thedesk of every health professionalwho cares about his or herpatients. I highly recommend it for those of you whothink you may have "acid indigestion" and have beentaking drugs to suppress it. It outlines, in careful detail,exactly what to do in order to heal your stomach fromthe damage these dreadful drugs have done to it. Oncehealed, you can take what you need—hydrochloricacid—to ensure that you will regain your health andstart absorbing the nutrients you desperately need.

The Apple Cider Vinegar Remedy Many people are born with low stomach acid, or they

develop it in childhood. Of course, in a perfect world,children would have an abundant supply of hydrochloricacid—but observe the average supermarket trolley

stuffed with appalling junk, dangerous soy products andthe worst kind of oils. Small wonder that our kids havemalabsorption due to lack of stomach acid, plus all theother illnesses caused by the amazingly unhealthfuljunk that their poor little bodies have to metabolise!Small wonder that they have diabetes, asthma, recurringinfections of all kinds, anaemia, parasites, coeliac(celiac) disease and miserable skin conditions. DrsWright and Lenard explain in their book how thechildren who are brought to their Tahoma Clinic in Kent,Washington, get over these dreadful afflictions byimproving their diets and supplementing theirhydrochloric acid.

A distraught mother told me that her four-year-oldson had had diarrhoea since he was born and had never

had a normal bowel movement. Themany doctors who examined the boy,and gave him drugs, were of no useand she was eventually advised to seea specialist to have a camera insertedinto the child's anus. Thisexamination would be followed, nodoubt, by a painful, damaging andunnecessary operation.

When I enquired about his othersymptoms, the mother told me thathe was anaemic and had Giardia. Iknew immediately what the problemwas: lack of hydrochloric acid.

It's hard to comprehend howthe doctors could have missedwhat every first-year med studentshould know! The first suspectwhen anaemia is diagnosedshould be the stomach acid level,and the first thing to look forwhen parasites are suspected is,you guessed it, hydrochloric acid.

Because I'm not a doctor andcan't take the responsibility ofprescribing, I suggested an old-fashioned, safe remedy: aspoonful of apple cider vinegar in

a glass of water, taken half an hour prior to meals. Itworked, and the boy is now normal for the first time inhis life. But for a little apple cider vinegar, thisdefenceless child might have been irreparably damagedby unnecessary medical procedures. When the mothertold the doctor that her boy was now well because ofthis remedy, he said, "Oh, don't be ridiculous!"

Warning: do not give a hydrochloric acid pill to a childwho could get it caught in his/her throat, or who is tooyoung to tell you if his or her tummy gets warm from it.

In another instance, a miner from Western Australiarang to thank me for this remedy, which he read aboutin the fifth edition of my book. He said that for 20 yearshe had complained about symptoms after eating, and

The first suspectwhen anaemia is diagnosed

should be thestomach acid

level, and the firstthing to look for when parasites

are suspected is, you guessed it,

hydrochloric acid.

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none of the doctors had given him the slightest help.The last one told him that he should be glad he was stillalive! Because he was in the outback, he couldn't get toa store, but he tried the vinegar and for the first time in20 years his symptoms were gone!

These are commonplace stories, and the help I canoffer people is not because I'm a genius but becauseestablishment doctors are taught about drugs, notnature and common sense.

As mentioned above, when hydrochloric acidsupplementation is not feasible, a tablespoon of applecider vinegar in a glass of water, taken 30 minutes beforemeals, will often relieve some, or even all, symptoms.As Drs Wright and Lenard say in their book: "This issupported by the common practise insome cultures of treating gastricdiscomfort with lemon juice orvinegar. But this is not ideal.Unfortunately, even though symptomsmay be improved, actual nutrientdigestion and assimilation are notimproved nearly as much as withhydrochloric acid replacement."

Trying vinegar first is an excellentway to decide whether or not you needto take hydrochloric acid. Be cautiouswith lemon juice, as it can erode toothenamel. Further, both lemon juiceand vinegar can exacerbate Candidaalbicans.

Drs Wright and Lenardrecommend starting with onecapsule of betaine hydrochloricacid after the first few bites offood. If no problems are noted,increase the dose to two capsulesin the early part of the meal.Then, provided there is noburning in the stomach, increaseagain after a few more days,spreading the additional capsulesthroughout the meal.

Amounts of hydrochloric acid in tablets vary fromcountry to country. Judicious experimentation isnecessary before finding your dose. If, for example, ittakes five capsules to achieve the warming, drop back tofour capsules with each meal of the same size.Eventually, once the stomach has "righted" itself, fewerwill be needed. We have found that most people dowell eventually on one or two capsules with eachsubstantial meal. For those who are subject to urinarytract infections (UTI), be aware that overdosing withhydrochloric acid can irritate the bladder.

Dangers of Acid-Suppressing DrugsHas your heart specialist warned you, as Drs Wright

and Lenard say, that "[l]ow production of hydrochloric

acid and pepsin in the stomach is associated withhardened arteries, high cholesterol, high triglycerides,high blood pressure, and even obesity—which can spelltrouble for your heart"? Probably not; he and hiscolleagues are too busy handing out statin drugprescriptions and performing bypasses to think of suchsimple, noninvasive and inexpensive remedies.

What about your internist? Has he mentioned thatthe western world's near epidemic of parasites is due, inlarge part, to acid-suppressing drugs? If not, educateyourself by heeding what Drs Wright and Lenard say intheir excellent book, that low stomach acid leaves usprey to "salmonella, cholera, dysentery, typhoid andtuberculosis, not to mention garden-variety heartburn,

diarrhea, constipation, bloating,flatulence and parasites".

I lived for three years in Haiti, wherepeople were plagued by parasites andwhere "cures" that didn't work oftendominated dinner partyconversations. I didn't know thenthat the hydrochloric acid I hadbrought with me, and took religiously,was the only reason I'd escaped thisunpleasant fate. Later, during theyears I lived in Africa, India and SriLanka, I was able to spread the wordaround and help lots of sufferers.

More from Why Stomach Acid Is GoodFor You: "…there is no doubt thatacid suppression promotesbacterial overgrowth and thatbacterial overgrowth promotesproduction of carcinogenicnitrosamine compounds. Thereis also no doubt that acid-suppressing drugs increase theprogression and severity ofatrophic gastritis in people withH. pylori infection, and thatatrophic gastritis is a major riskfactor for gastric carcinoma."

That's cancer. What about those who say, "Yes, but I've got reflux

and/or GERD and have to take acid-suppressing drugs"?I say, "Wrong!" Even though the acid-suppressing drugsmay reduce symptoms, they are like throwing petrol ona fire, and will eventually create severe diseases.

Reflux (where acid flows back into the oesophagus)and/or the more serious gastro-oesophageal (oresophageal) reflux disease (GORD, or GERD) are notcaused by too much acid, but by too little. If you haveGORD/GERD, don't call it "acid indigestion". Better, callit "lack of acid indigestion". This is how it works. Whenyou eat, if your hydrochloric acid is low, your stomachwill hold food longer and whatever hydrochloric acid ispresent will mix in with the food. Your stomach will

36 • NEXUS www.nexusmagazine.com AUGUST – SEPTEMBER 2012

…whenhydrochloric acidsupplementation is not feasible, a tablespoon of

apple cider vinegarin a glass of water,taken 30 minutes

before meals, will often relievesome, or even all,

symptoms.

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churn, but, because it doesn't have enough acid, insteadof emptying its contents into your small intestine itcauses some of the food to regurgitate into youroesophagus. Then, because your throat is not protectedagainst acid with the same mucosal barrier as yourstomach, your throat will burn. Thus the term"heartburn". If you treat this burning with antacids, theburning will stop but you will perpetuate the problemuntil you are a candidate for an operation. To avoid thisfate, provide your stomach with what it desperatelyneeds: hydrochloric acid with pepsin as well asacidophilus and digestive enzymes. However, don't dothis unless you carefully acquaint yourself with thecontraindications (e.g., don't take it if you have ulcers ortake NSAIDS). Give some thought to cutting out sugarand grains, which probably caused the problemoriginally.

If your physician has prescribed any of the protonpump inhibitors or H2 blockers such as Prilosec,Prevacid, Zantac, Pepcid and Tagamet, these probablywon't kill you outright butplease bear in mind thatPropulsid did just that until itwas forced off the market.

If your physician has taken theacid-suppression option insteadof telling you how to heal yourstomach naturally, you need tofind a physician who has notbeen hopelessly indoctrinatedby Big Pharma. He or sheshould have warned you thatthese are some of the mostdeadly drugs you can take.Prilosec, for example, virtually eliminates acid in thestomach around the clock. This means that necessaryassimilation does not take place, and you will slowlystarve.

If you have been advised to have surgery for this easilycorrected condition, ponder what Dr Joseph Mercolahad to say in Men's Journal, December 2002: "A surgicalsolution should have no role in the management of thispurely physiological problem, and future generationswill realize how foolish our current medical model hasbeen by trying to treat a primarily biochemical problemwith surgery."

We observed amazing recoveries from this conditionat Hippocrates Health Centre, merely with ourdetoxifying diet. There is no question that poor dietcreates this condition. It is, therefore, good diet thatcures it. It is as simple as that, but this self-evidenttruth has not trickled down into the average doctor'ssurgery. Here is what you can do to alleviate thiscondition yourself: quit poisoning your body with junkfood; shun sugar; eliminate all grains until healed, andpossibly permanently; take acidophilus and digestiveenzymes; obtain vitamin D from the sun, food or

supplements; and drink plenty of pure water. Once yourstomach is healed, start taking hydrochloric acid asdirected above.

Be aware, however, that self-diagnosis is unwise.When in doubt, consult Wright and Lenard's WhyStomach Acid Is Good For You. It is a superb guide togetting well.

For those who wonder how it can be possible thatphysicians do not appear to know about this simpleremedy, consider this. Big Pharma:

• earns more than US$7 billion per year sellingantacids and acid-blocking drugs; • finances and controls the medical schools; • has a stranglehold on regulatory agencies such asthe US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) andAustralia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA);• donates huge amounts of money to politicians; • spends billions "romancing" doctors. Need I say more?

Detecting Nerve Blockage During the many years that

my book has been widelycirculated, I have receivedhundreds of comments frompeople whose digestive andother health problems havebeen significantly helped bytaking hydrochloric acid.

However, some have reportedthat they have been unable toget the diagnostic "burn signal"in the stomach, no matter howmany hydrochloric acid

capsules they take. In this instance, hydrochloric acidshould be discontinued until the problem has beendiagnosed and rectified, and it is usually caused bynerve blockage in the spine.

There is a simple test to discover if such a blockageexists. Get a bottle of nicotinic acid (not niacin orniacinimide) from your health food store. You may haveto send away for it, as this "flushing" version is notalways available in Australia and other countries (emailNew Zealand Nutritionals at enquiries@vita-fit.nz).Then, play it safe and start with one-half tablet beforebreakfast. This will produce a "niacin flush" if it is yourappropriate dose. If it does not, you will need to take abit more the next morning. Once the flush starts,observe to see if the red flush extends to your toes andfingertips. If it does not, it is an indication that youhave spinal nerve blockage and you will need to see aqualified chiropractor or osteopath. Dr John WhitmanRay, of Body Electronics fame, advised me that the firstcervical vertebra should be adjusted first. Then, onceyour spinal column is properly adjusted, hydrochloric

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There is no question that poor diet creates thiscondition. It is, therefore,

good diet that cures it. It is as simple as that…

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acid will be safe and effective, and,further, other nutrients that youingest will be carried out to thecellular level.

To illustrate how powerfulnicotinic acid is, it magnifies theeffects of any drugs andsupplements you are taking. Youwill need to watch your dosescarefully. For example, many peopletake large amounts of magnesium tocure constipation. They soondiscover, sometimes the hard way,that much less magnesium isnecessary, as the nicotinic acidcreates vasodilation, bringing nervesupply to the entire body, includingthe bowel. Bowels that have beensluggish for decades, some evenfrom childhood, suddenly startperking up and are able to movenormally without any help from

laxatives, which are the only helpoffered by establishment physicians.This combination is the finest curefor intractable constipation that Iknow about.

There are, of course,contraindications: do not takenicotinic acid if you have pendingsurgery, or if you have stomachulcers, or if you have diverticulitis.

As for dosage, expert advice wouldbe comforting, if you can find it. Ifnot, you will need to listen to yourbody. Some people find that theyneed to have the flush every morningfor a few days in order to assimilatenutrients. Others can manage onjust two or three times a week.

The only hydrochloric acid that Ican recommend is HippocratesDigestive Compound (betainehydrochloride and papain). It is notcalled "hydrochloric acid", due togovernment regulations. The health

centre is formulating it to myspecifications, because, until it didso, I was unable to find an effectiveformula that didn't containexcipients. For more details, pleasevisit the centre's website,http://www.hippocrates.com.au. ∞

About the Author:Elaine Hollingsworth is Director ofHippocrates Health Centre of Australia,located on the Gold Coast, Queensland. Aformer Hollywood film and TV actressunder the stage name Sara Shane, she hasbeen a health crusader since the early1950s. Elaine’s article “Iodine: ThePerfect Panacea”, published in NEXUS19/03, was extracted from her book TakeControl of Your Health and Escape theSickness Industry (Empowerment Press,2012, 12th edition; see reviews in NEXUS8/02 and 15/01).

For more information and to purchaseElaine’s book, DVD and CD, visithttp://www.doctorsaredangerous.com.

Why Stomach Acid is Essential to Our Health

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