The most important supplement you’ve never heard of: Betaine HCl

HCL might be the most important supplement that you’ve never heard of. HCL (hydrochloric acid) is produced in your stomach and is essential for optimal gut health and digestion. HCl is responsible for breaking down and absorbing nutrients… specifically protein. Supplements come in because stress down regulates the production of stomach acid! If you’re experiencing high levels of stress and have low levels of HCL, your body will have a difficult time digesting protein and in turn have a difficult time assimilating nutrients. Have you ever heard the saying, you aren’t what you eat, you are what you absorb? This essentially means that you can be eating an impeccable diet, but if you have low levels of stomach acid, you aren’t actually reaping the benefits of your nutrition.

Try this test at your next meal to assess your HCL levels. Eat half of your meal and then take 2 capsules of Betaine HCL. Wait a couple of minutes to see if you feel a burning sensation in your throat. If you feel something, don’t worry, drink some water and it will pass. If you don’t feel anything, add another capsule in your next meal. Keep adding another capsule until you feel the burning sensation. (I recommend not going any higher than 5. At that point you know your HCl is low.) Once you feel it, you’ve found your necessary dosage. Overtime, you will be able to drop your dosage as your natural levels of HCL increase. When I started I was taking 4 capsules (1800mg) in the middle of each meal.

Overtime, I am now down to just 1 digestzyme in the middle of each meal (200mg of HCL). It is important to remember that stress downregulates your body's production of HCL. So if you are under a lot of stress, you might need to supplement with HCL indefinitely (or quit your job!).

Live Virtuously,

AB