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There is a simple and practical way to test
whether or not one needs
stomach acid supplementation (betaine HCl with pepsin) and even
estimate how much one needs. A kind doctor gave me this method to share
with
the readers of the TLDP. It is
so easy and almost instant, one can use the method during meal
times to ensure the correct dose of
betaine
HCl with pepsin at each meal. Place your hand just underneath your
sternum (in the center of-your chest) in-between your ribs. Move
your finger an inch down (to the center of your diaphragm) and
about one inch to the left, next to the left edge of the rib cage.
Press
in deeply, and if you feel pain or tenderness, you need more stomach
acid (or betaine HCl with pepsin). The more tender it feels, the
greater the problem. Return to the point one inch below your sternum,
and then again move your finger about an inch, this time to the
right. Press in firmly.1 If the spot is tender, you need
to take pancreatic or combined enzymes about a half-hour before, or
at least
two hours
after, meals.1,2
If the central point (one inch below your sternum) or pancreatic
point are sensitive, but the HCl or stomach point is not, you probably
should
not be taking betaine HCl. You need to stop taking it and see if
either of those points continue to be tender. Make sure that your
diet is
high in organic sodium and potassium, as in fresh vegetable juices
(organically grown, if possible). If any of the reflex points are
unmistakably tender, it would be wise to make an appointment with
a physician who
is skilled in natural medicine to have the tests and the guidance
you need, For example, you may need to be tested for specific nutrient
deficiencies, heavy metals, celiac disease, or infections such as
H.
Pylon.3 (Simply by taking a gram of mastic gum daily for
two weeks, 99% of H. Pylon can been eliminated.4) With
positive changes, such as the avoidance of allergenic food, your
tissue levels of minerals,
vitamins, amino acids, and fatty acids can be restored.3,5,6 Enzyme
systems, cells, tissues, and organs can then repair themselves, and
you will in all likelihood no longer need betaine HCl.4,5,6 When
none of the reflex points are even faintly tender, your digestion
has been
fully restored.1,6
Do not rely on this test if you are not really sure that you are
able to find or feel these reflex points. Some people have lost the
ability
to feel them.3 If you suspect that you have a digestive
problem, without delay ask a nutritionally knowledgeable doctor to
give you the Heidelberg
capsule test (which shows the stomach’s exact pH) or the Comprehensive
Digestive and Stool Analysis (which shows how well food is being
digested). Digestion is of foremost importance. No other therapy
works when long-term
low stomach acid has not been corrected.6 Remember not
to take anti-inflammatory medicine when you take betaine HO. Cortieosteroids,
aspirin, or non-steroidal,
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (e.g., Motrin
or Advil) irritate, and can even further damage, the gastrointestinal
tract.7
Acknowledgment
I would like to thank Dr. Mark-Charles Berquist, DC, ND, for informing
me about these helpful reflex points. Also read Judy Kitchen's Digestion and Inflammatory
Disease
Correspondence
Judy Kitchen
3637 Serra Road
Malibu, CA 90265 References
1. Functional Evaluation of Digestion, Berquist, Mark-Charles,
DC, ND, Fax: (715) 392-5669.
2. Kitchen, Judy. Alkalizing diet for anemia, TLDP. October 2004;255.
3. Communication with the readers of the TLDP.
4. Dean, W. Acid indigestion: fight it with more acid. Vitamin
Research News. August 2004;18(7).
5. Rogers, Sherry. No More Heartburn. New York: Kensington Books;
2000.
6. Personal experience.
7. Wright, Jonathan V., Lenard, Lane. Why
Stomach Acid is Good For You. New York: M. Evans and Company, Inc.;2001.
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