Gut Health Basics - Stomach Acid (HCl) and Stress
Gut Health Basics
Stomach Acid (Hcl) and Stress
Struggling with bloating, reflux, or slow digestion?
Often the issue isn’t too much stomach acid. It’s too little. Here are natural ways to support healthy stomach acid so your gut can do its job.
Start your meals with a bitter boost.
Herbal bitters, arugula, parsley, basil, thyme, oregano herbs, ginger, or even a few drops of lemon in water can help wake up digestion. Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is a favorite bitter boost I use often. (See below.) More often than not, our liver and gallbladder can use a little help here. Our bile is often too thick and is referred to as “bile sludge”. This can happen for many reasons. Those bitters are important here because the liver loves bitter foods! Bitter foods help to thin out bile. Bitter is better!
Stay hydrated… but sip, don’t chug.
Too much water during meals can dilute stomach acid. Drink most of your fluids between meals. Include hydration drinks that contain magnesium, potassium, and calcium salts. Also, a simple way to support stomach acid might be as simple as drinking warm drinks vs. cold drinks. Our body temperature is 98.6 degrees. It makes sense that our body does not like cold drinks necessarily. Check out this blog post here!
Add apple cider vinegar with the mother before meals.
1 tablespoon of ACV in water before your meals may gently support stomach acid production. If it find it is painful, this may be a sign of an ulcer. I urge you to see your provider for proper care of this.
Include mineral-rich foods.
We often forget about how important these little guys are. Zinc, magnesium, and other trace minerals are needed for proper stomach acid production. Think pumpkin seeds, leafy greens, and mineral-rich salts.
Include prokinetic-rich foods and herbs.
Prokinetic foods and herbs are foods that help to stimulate natural gut motility, or movement, thereby promoting better digestion. These foods include ginger, peppermint, and fennel. Healthy fats like olive oil and avocado oil. Fermented foods like Greek yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, and even kombucha. Lastly, fiber-rich foods from fruits and vegetables and whole grains.
Slow down and relax when you eat.
Rushed meals weaken the digestive response. Being in a stressed state will literally stop the flow of blood to the gut, impairing digestion. Instead, it sends the blood flow to our limbs, legs and arms, so we can run away from the tiger. Get it? This is fight or flight mode. So, take a few deep breaths before eating to activate “rest and digest.” Digestion begins at the very thought of eating. Try 4-7-8 breathing as you are preparing your food. Take time to say your prayer and feel gratitude before diving in to your meal. Sit proper and chew thoroughly and slowly. This may seem almost silly, but it is vital to our gut health overall!
Get enough protein and eat in proper food order.
Your body releases more stomach acid when meals contain adequate protein. When we eat our protein first, this will produce more stomach acid to help handle the rest of your meal. This will in turn create better motility and less fermentation in the small intestine where we don’t want it.
Reduce chronic stress.
Stress lowers stomach acid. There is so much information and study on this topic. Chronic stress lowers our vagal tone, puts us in a chronic state of fight or flight, affects the HPA-Axis (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis that plays a crucial role in regulating stress response by releasing cortisol), contributes to hypothyroidism, and promotes constipation. This all leads to higher anxiety, poor sleep, brain fog, and burn out. Gentle walking, deep breathing, humming or singing, gargling, or taking short breaks throughout the day help to reset digestion. Sleep is important, too. Sleeping is the time we give to allow our body to heal and repair, and good gut bacteria helps us to get more restful sleep. Making sure or trying to improve sleep with consistent bedtimes offers help in reducing chronic stress and ultimately improving gut health in the long run.
Healthy stomach acid means better nutrient absorption, fewer digestive struggles, and a stronger gut barrier, all done naturally. Let’s talk more about this stress on our gut health and digestion.
Stress and Gut Health
Stress has a direct, powerful impact on gut health, and the effects can show up quickly. Here’s what happens when your body stays in “fight or flight” too long.
1. Stress lowers stomach acid
Low stomach acid leads to
• bloating
• indigestion
• reflux
• poor absorption of nutrients
This also allows more unwanted microbes to survive and move into the small intestine, increasing the risk of SIBO. Gut motility along with proper break down of fats and carbs seem to also be an issue here. May be helpful to be mindful of liver and bile function.
2. Slows digestion (or speeds it up too much)
Stress pulls blood away from the digestive tract, which can cause:
• delayed stomach emptying (gut motility)
• constipation
• or the opposite, rapid transit and diarrhea
3. Weakens the gut barrier (“leaky gut”)
Stress hormones like cortisol which makes the intestinal lining more permeable. This allows undigested particles and toxins to pass through, triggering inflammation and food sensitivities. This also leads to nutrient deficiencies.
4. Disrupts the gut microbiome
Chronic stress reduces beneficial bacteria and allows opportunistic or pathogenic bacteria to grow. This shift alone can contribute to IBS, SIBO-like symptoms, and immune issues.
5. Increases inflammation
The stress response activates inflammatory pathways that can worsen:
• reflux
• gastritis
• autoimmune flares
• IBD symptoms
• overall gut discomfort
6. Tightens GI muscles
Muscles in the digestive tract can spasm under stress, leading to:
• cramping
• urgency
• gas
• uneven motility patterns, leaving foods to ferment in the small intestine instead of the large intestine where it should be
7. Makes you more sensitive to pain
Stress amplifies signals in the gut–brain axis, meaning:
• small amounts of gas feel painful
• bloating feels more intense
• normal digestion feels like discomfort
This is a big factor in IBS.
8. Affects appetite and food choices
Stress can cause:
• overeating
• undereating
• craving sugar or simple carbs
All of which affect microbial balance and blood sugar stability.
Stress doesn’t just “upset your stomach”, it alters digestion, gut bacteria, nutrient absorption, inflammation, and the gut lining itself. Supporting the gut often starts with supporting the nervous system, slow breathing, gentle movement, sunlight, better sleep, and intentional mealtime habits.
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