Stomach Acid and Stress. It’s Not What You Think.

A patient recently told me that her doctor, after prescribing a double dose of Nexium, said there is a connection between stress and stomach acid – and there definitely is one, but it’s actually not what you think, or what medical doctors believe and understand.

They typically say that stress causes an increase in stomach acid leading to an erosion of the mucosal tissue causing ulcers in the stomach and upper part of the small intestine.

This is absolutely physiologically incorrect.

Here’s the low down on how stress affects stomach acid:

Stomach acid GOES down with stress.

Lets repeat.

Stomach acid GOES DOWN WITH STRESS.

Stress diverts blood away from the gut to feed the muscles and the brain so the body can run away or fight to survive the threat. Digestion is not an essential function when it comes down to acute survival. The body prioritizes the threat / stress by sending it’s blood flow and resources to the organs and tissues which help the body survive.

In fact, the secretion of ALL the digestive enzymes and juices decreases with stress.

Stomach acid (HCl) is one of the signals that closes the sphincter between the esophagus and the stomach. In medical gobbledee gook lingo we call this the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). When the LES is closed, digestion typically functions well, and we don’t see problems such as indigestion, acid reflux, or heart burn.

Lets review:

Stress leads to decreased blood flow to digestive system including the stomach…
which leads too lower HCl…
which impedes the signal to close the LES…
so the stomach stays open…
and what little acid is in the stomach comes up and irritates the esophagus causing heart burn, reflux and indigestion.

That’s the real story about stress and stomach acid. Wait there’s more.

With stress there is also less protective mucus production so the acid that IS in the stomach can injure the fragile lining of the gut, furthering the digestive distress and inflammation, causing ulcers, poor nutrient absorption, and ultimately weight gain.

MDs provide acid blockers to relieve heart burn, just like the extra this doc prescribed to this patient.

Here’s what happens when we take medications such as Nexium:

Proton pump inhibitors purposefully lower stomach acid…
which decreases the ability of our digestive system to properly digest our food (we need HCl to break down proteins, help us absorb certain nutrients, and kill organisms that may be sneakily hanging out in our hotdogs…
leading to poor digestion…
impairing nutrient absorption…
and causing irritation and inflammation in the gut.

This causes increased reactivity to foods, and increased weight. When I work with my patients so much of what we’re doing is working to heal and repair digestive function.

There is an old naturopathic adage:

A healthy gut means a healthy body.

More drugs is not the answer. Doubling the dose will not lead to healing, but further problems.

Decreasing stress through deep breathing, meditation, yoga, and saying, “No!” to too many commitments, eliminating reactive foods (which are just a different type of stress to the body) are the ways to decrease the inflammation to allow the gut to heal.

And subsequently the body heal, happily.

In certain instances I would support the digestion with certain mucilaginous herbs such as slippery elm, marshmallow and deglycinerized licorice to sooth and protect the mucus membranes in the stomach. I might also recommend bitter herbs to help the body produce it’s own digestive juices – including stomach acid – to support proper food digestion.

To your healthy, thriving, delightful digestion and life,

Laara Dalen July 10, 2015, 1:22 pm

I recall, perhaps incorrectly(?), that stomach acid triggers some hormone in the intestine to trigger production of red blood cells. Is this correct? Also a question- I permitted my gallbladder to be removed- a stupid mistake- …. Any suggestions or diet adjustments to compensate…. as there are no stores of bile for digestion etc…. Thanks
- Dr. Tonia Winchester July 10, 2015, 4:03 pm
  
  Hi Laara!
  
  I think you may be thinking of pernicious anemia – this is an autoimmune B12 deficiency caused by destruction of the cells in the stomach that produce intrinsic factor which is required for B12 absorption.
  
  However, if stomach acid is low, the detachment of B12 from the molecules to which it is bound, is less efficient and this can also lead to a B12 deficiency.
  
  With regards to the cholecystectomy (the most over done and under needed surgery) I’d suggest looking into the bitters as they stimulate bile production as well.
  
  If you’re feeling like you need more support , ox bile can be taken with meals. I’m not a big fan of digestive enzymes, because my belief is we shouldn’t for the body to digest something it doesn’t want to.
  
  That being said, there is times when it is required, and yours might be one of them. Of course this is not medical advice and is just here for educational purposes. 😉
Sandra October 28, 2016, 9:20 pm

I was surprised to read this …every other article says that stress increases acid and thins the gastric lining.I agree that the meds prescribed are not the answer,but why does my stomach burn so badly between meals if it is not irritated by acid?
- Dr. Tonia Winchester, ND October 31, 2016, 1:32 am
  
  Hi Sandra!
  
  Thanks for reaching out with your question. I know it can be a tricky one to wrap your head around. Stress does a number of things to the digestive system including decreasing stomach acid production as well as decreasing protective stomach mucous production. The low acid prevents the sphincter at the stop of the stomach from closing so the low amount of acid in the stomach can move in to the esophagus and cause heart burn. If it is your stomach that is burning and not the chest it might be an ulcer because of the decrease in protective mucous, so I would get that checked out. Hope that helps!
Joretha Taljaard March 19, 2017, 3:04 pm

Hi Dr. Tonia, how do you treat low stomach acid if you have been diagnosed with stomach ulcers? Can hypochlorhydria be a genetic defect and why is so many medical practitioners still in the dark when it comes to the digestive system? I’m from South Africa, so far the doctors I have seen act if I am insane when I explain my situation with stomach acid.
- Dr. Tonia Winchester March 22, 2017, 6:23 pm
  
  Hi Joretha, Thanks for your question. I would need to take the full case to be sure of how to move forward in a safe and effective direction, but there are lots of herbs that can heal the ulcer, and then I would work on getting the stomach and sphincter functioning properly. The proper food choices and stress reduction plays a huge part in this. Genetics is a small part of this – it’s mostly epigenetics – how our lifesyle and environment affects how those genes are expressed. Unfortuneately your experience with doctors is not an uncommon one. It’s all about putting the body back into healing mode, addressing the root causes and not treating the symptoms.
Mrs. Irwin July 1, 2017, 3:58 am

Hello Dr. Tonia: After seeing several doctors, I was told that my unexplained cough was caused by acid-reflux. At the beginning, I had no complains of acid. 6 months later since the cough started, I started to have regurgitations which are very alarming. My endoscopy was OK and showed a slight irritation of the esophagus with a slight hiatal hernia. I was put on Pepcid ac then switched to Prilosec (neither worked) and I am now on Zyrtec twice a day which I only started yesterday. I only agreed to take meds in order to get rid of my cough (which has been going on for 10 months). Also, regurgitation horrifies me. I have two questions if you don’t mind: 1- Please explain why meds do help some people if the low acid is to blame? Second; how can regurgitation happen while elevating my head or being upright? I need some hope that my problem can be solved. Thank you so much.
Mrs. Irwin
jo August 4, 2017, 11:05 pm

Hi Dr Tonia,
i have acid reflux with chest pain and sour taste in mouth for 5 months now. i did stool and endoscopy and came back negative. i am on 30 mg prevacid in morning and 15mg at nite for two months already. my symtoms did not get worst but the sour taste in mouth after every meal did not go away. it last 30 to 1 hour. sometime i would have food comes back up when i burp and have chest pain when i talked after eating. do i have low or high stomach acid? i took 1 tablet of enyzmes 3 months ago it gave me a burning in my stomach and indigestion for 5 days.

thanks
Lekecia October 1, 2017, 12:28 am

I need help. I have been dealing with gastroenteritis. After a long round of antibiotics. I have tried everything under the sun. My stomach burns bad! I bought dgl it burns my stomach, I bought aloe vera also burns. Carafate isn’t working much. The only thing that swe may to at least allow me to rest and eat something is bone broth, however the acid reflux, indigestion and bloating is worse than the burning almost. I had my gallbladder removed 7 yes ago and also had a subsequent bowel leak. I’m not sure if this is the reason I cannot digest the bone broth but if you could give me any suggestions it would help. My gastrodoctor”s recommendations are not working.
- theia March 2, 2018, 12:44 pm
  
  I’m not a doctor but sounds like the bacteria in your gut are imbalanced due to all the antibiotics. You may also have bile reflux which is different to acid reflux alone. I’m without a gallbladder as mine had abnormal cells and stones and could not be saved. I am better than before but always need to eat with care due to the lack of gallbladder and several other pre existing conditions. Antibiotics do upset my stomach – I had to have a lot due to a joint replacement – it is part of the surgery to use strong antibiotics. I hope you can find an answer to manage your symptoms.
Tom January 28, 2018, 2:03 am

I read your article just wanted to ask when I get stressed out i have alot of mucus i bring from my stomach
Akash February 10, 2018, 2:08 am

I have been having a problem for the last 10years of my life almost everyday. When I sleep at night I hear lots of stomach noises and burning sensation especially at empty stomach. The next day I have bouts of loose motions 2-3 times after waking up. Sometimes the no of trips are much higher. The more I sleep the more symptoms get worse. I don’t have any heartburn or pain.
bpaul April 19, 2018, 2:02 am

Hi Dr, Tonia,
I have 2 questions and want to reference an NCBI paper here about stress induced reduction of gastric acid. My question is that we need stomach acid only in the presence of food in order to digest it, so why should it be there all the time? And if we don’t eat until stress subsides and acid levels return to normal, we should be OK, right? The article in the link states that reduction of stomach acid during periods of stress has a ‘protective’ role.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC26223/
- Dr. Tonia Winchester, ND April 19, 2018, 7:37 pm
  
  Hi Paul!
  
  Thanks for your question. I’ve been thinking about it over the last day. First, yes…” if we don’t eat until stress subsides and acid levels return to normal, we should be OK?” That is a very logical insight. However, when we watch humans behave (when I interview my patients) I find out this is often not the case. People are not relaxed when they are eating. They are stressed. They are eating at their desks, or in front of the news, or their drama filled social media, or in their car, racing to their next stress-filled apartment. So sadly we’re not commonly enjoying a relaxed, casual meal with loved onces and soft, gentle music playing in the background, as we chew slowly, and laugh, and be present with what we’re actually doing. If this is your routine, then I commend you. But… in my work I just don’t see that as the norm. In terms of your question about the article lower stomach acid during stress is protective. Everything is about protection during stress. During stress we need the resources to fight or flee the stressful situation. Digestion is no longer an essential function. The body diverts it’s energy, blood flow, resources to escape the stressor. The other problem with this is that we’re not great at escaping stress anymore as humans. We sit in it. We sit in it. We sit in it. I hope that all makes sense. Thanks again for your question!

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Stomach Acid and Stress. It’s Not What You Think.

This is absolutely physiologically incorrect.

Here’s the low down on how stress affects stomach acid:

Lets review:

Here’s what happens when we take medications such as Nexium:

And subsequently the body heal, happily.

Find Joy & Energy Again with Brain-Based Reprogramming & Coaching.

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Stomach Acid and Stress. It’s Not What You Think.

This is absolutely physiologically incorrect.

Here’s the low down on how stress affects stomach acid:

Lets review:

Here’s what happens when we take medications such as Nexium:

And subsequently the body heal, happily.

Find Joy & Energy Again with Brain-Based Reprogramming & Coaching.

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Post Categories

Children's Book: Marci's Gift.