Here's the scenario: I'm enjoying the good life, minding my own business, when someone slips me the gluten equivalent of a Mickey Finn, and I'm suddenly back in that old familiar rut, where no matter what I do, the reaction just seems to drag on and on. Every day, I think, "tomorrow I'll be ok", but when tomorrow arrives, I'm still in the rut.
Ok, the last time that happened to me, I started suspecting a pH imbalance, due to the fact that every time I would eat meat, within an hour or two, I would notice more bloating, and what felt like gas pains, which seemed to slowly subside over time, but then I would eat again, and the routine would start over again. So the next time I got to a HF store, I picked up a small bottle of Betaine Hydrochloride tablets, (600 mg).
This morning, after getting tired of being stuck in this rut for about a week, I downed one of the tablets, along with my breakfast of leftover grilled pork country ribs, and lo and behold, only a very slight hint of gas pains, presumably meaning that I needed a slightly higher dose. Anyway, I'm optimistic, and I intend to try this acid supplement with every meal, for a while, to see where it goes.
Betaine Hydrochloride creates hydrochloric acid, after it gets to the stomach, and is beneficial for digestion, if the normal acid level is low.
There has been a lot of discussion about how neutral pH levels are desirable in the colon. The fact of the matter is, though, that digestion should be virtually complete by the time the effluent reaches the colon. Basically, all the colon is supposed to do is to extract water from the waste material. However, if digestion is not completed upstream, then the colon can, (and will), attempt to provide supplimental digestive proceedures, when necessary. Most of these "emergency" digestive proceedures involve fermentation, which results in the undesirable symptoms of excess gas, bloating, etc. For example, if lactase is insufficient to break down any lactose that has been ingested, then the colon will finish breaking down the complex sugars into simple sugars by fermentation, and most of you know what that experience is like.
Anyway, the point is, if everything else works properly, then the colon's job is a heck-of-a-lot easier, and our social manners are a lot more tolerable. For everything else to proceed optimally, the digestive process has to begin with an acid level, in order for the whole parade to start out on the right foot. Otherwise, once something gets out of step, it stays out of step until it gets to the colon, and the buck stops there. At least that's my take on it.
I took another tablet with my noon meal, and I'm feeling better and better. So far, so good.
Love,
Tex
