Treating low stomach acid: New Available Test
Wondering if low stomach acid is at the root of your digestive issues? Here, our gut health experts present an exciting new blood test for low stomach acid. Learn who it’s for, and how it may help you in resolving gut dysfunction.
Resolving bloating, IBS or digestive issues can be notoriously tricky without the use of functional gut health tests and the root-cause.
In our 15years of helping professionals recover from gut issues we’ve learned this: The key to resolving gut issues permanently, is to identify the root-cause, and why things aren’t working as designed.
Driven by a passion for healing digestive issues at the root, we’ve scoured the market to source state-of-the-art gut health tests that move our clients away from digestive stress - step by step.
Here, we’ll discuss a unique stomach acid test: Pepsinogen-1.
SYMPTOMS, CAUSES AND HELP FOR IBS AND BLOATING
PRACTICAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TEST AND SCIENCE
OTHER TEST OPTIONS AND FURTHER HELP
SYMPTOMS, CAUSES AND HELP FOR IBS AND BLOATING
How can you tell if you have low stomach acid?
Low stomach acid symptoms: The Clinical Presentation
Here’s the thing;
Lists of symptoms can be very un-helpful.
To make this list more helpful and specific to you, we’ve added our own clinical observations next to each symptom, so you can work through it like a low stomach acid quiz:
Indigestion (food ‘repeating’ or sits in stomach. Quite indicative)
Acid reflux or heartburn (some types of reflux)
Intolerance to high fat meals (most cases will experience this but not always know)
Failure to absorb nutrients: Restless legs, hair loss, fatigue: Common, but can also indicate SIBO
White covering on tongue or changes to oral mucosal lining after eating: less common/noticed
Rosacea and SIBO type symptoms: also have other causes so not a good indication
Still unsure if stomach really is an issue for you? Take our FREE 2 min Gut Root-cause review
How much stomach acid should we have?
Our stomach carefully regulates production which varies in response to what’s in your meal, and in between meals. Animal protein for example, needs more acid and so the stomach will (or should) increase production - so stomach acid not designed to be constant.
This makes testing more complex.
What is a stomach acid pepsinogen-1 test
Pepsinogen makes stomach acid (or rather, it tells the stomach to make the acid), but 1% escapes to the blood where it can be measured.
Will a stomach acid test help you end your IBS or acid reflux?
So - the process of digesting food involves many other steps beyond the stomach acid. So only measuring stomach acid does not tell you everything.
However, being ‘upstream’ from the rest of digestion it has a serious knock-on effect on more ‘downstream’ digestion, such as the microbiome, SIBO, leaky gut and so on. So when it’s not 100% - it really matters, and can be the missing link for many. Left unaddressed, other therapies may be only partially effective.
Therefore due to it’s key importance for the rest of the gut - we think it’s justified to pay close attention.
What causes low stomach acid: Clinical Presentation
The ‘risk factors’ we’ve observe in treating many many (mostly) women are;
Levothyroxine use / history of Hypothyroidism
Nutrient deficiencies - made worse over time (due to problems absorbing)
High stress/chronically over active nervous system? Potential unknown factors?
PPI medication! May seem obvious but is often forgotten about. The role of PPI’s are to significantly to shut off symptoms of GERD. What does this mean for you if you take PPI’s and you have heartburn without them? Get in touch HERE with a few details about your case for more personalised recommendations. We hope to make a more detailed article on this in the future.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TEST AND SCIENCE
How accurate is a stomach acid test?
See ‘is it based on science’ below
How is the stomach acid test carried out
A quick blood test drawn in Central London (off Oxford Street) in just 10minutes. You can also seek a local phlebotomist near you.
Since blood tests are so useful, we often throw in a few other very important biomarkers that most people desperately need, but don’t get tested for. Examples are insulin (easy weight loss) and/or Vitamin D. This makes your test super valuable and provides many additional benefits.
Is it based on science?
In functional medicine, we try and utilise emerging research - less robust scientifically, but we don’t want to keeping you waiting decades to get you the help you need.
There won’t be much interest for use of this test in the NHS, as their clinical model is more centred around diagnosing serious disease.
What we’re interested in in OUR clinic, is whether there is a ‘weakness’ or gap in digestive function. We want to understand where there is imbalance so we can begin to resolve IBS, SIBO, bloating or constipation. This is a KEY first step, and ignoring this will give poor results long term. Being free of uncomfortable and stressful digestive complaints for life is of course what we all want.
In research, so far the test has been used in recognised gastric disease such as stomach ulcers and Helicobacter pylori, where it’s shown to be a highly accurate identifier of gastric atrophy in response to H.P infection (meaning - the H.P bacteria is suppressing the stomach from producing stomach acid). REF REF
PRACTICAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE TEST AND SCIENCE
How accurate is a stomach acid test?
See ‘is it based on science’ below
How is the stomach acid test carried out
A quick blood test drawn in Central London (off Oxford Street) in just 10minutes. You can also seek a local phlebotomist near you.
Since blood tests are so useful, we often throw in a few other very important biomarkers that most people desperately need, but don’t get tested for. Examples are insulin (easy weight loss) and/or Vitamin D. This makes your test super valuable and provides many additional benefits.
Is it based on science?
In functional medicine, we try and utilise emerging research - less robust scientifically, but we don’t want to keeping you waiting decades to get you the help you need.
There won’t be much interest for use of this test in the NHS, as their clinical model is more centred around diagnosing serious disease.
What we’re interested in in OUR clinic, is whether there is a ‘weakness’ or gap in digestive function. We want to understand where there is imbalance so we can begin to resolve IBS, SIBO, bloating or constipation. This is a KEY first step, and ignoring this will give poor results long term. Being free of uncomfortable and stressful digestive complaints for life is of course what we all want.
The technical bit
In research, so far the test has been studied in Helicobacter pylori, where it’s shown to be a highly accurate identifier of gastric atrophy in response to H.P infection (meaning - the H.P bacteria is suppressing the stomach from producing stomach acid). See study HERE. More references available on request.
OTHER TEST OPTIONS AND FURTHER HELP
What are your other test options for low stomach acid?
This is a big topic, so we will be making an article series on this - you can see the article topics below.
Make sure you sign up to receive more on this important topic, straight from our experts and the research.
Upcoming articles to help you with low stomach acid related gut health symptoms:
Stomach acid tests: Complete review of testing options
Detailed look at relationship between low stomach and digestion/IBS
You’ve had H.Pylori treatment: Why are you not feeling better
Need more help deciding if you need this test?
Don’t allow this complex topic to lead you down a google rabbit hole - reach out to our experts to gain clarity in 5mins:
Tell us a bit more about your case and symptoms and we’ll guide you for faster results.
