Let’s put an end to the idea that stomach acid is the enemy, because for many people, that belief is doing more harm than good.
Here’s the reality: without enough stomach acid, your body cannot properly break down and absorb nutrients, no matter how clean your diet is. You could be eating all the right foods and still end up undernourished at a cellular level.
For most people, the issue isn’t excess acid, it’s insufficient acid. When levels are too low, digestion slows down. Proteins aren’t fully broken apart, and key vitamins and minerals like zinc, iron, calcium, and B12 don’t get released or absorbed efficiently. Over time, this can leave you feeling low on energy despite doing “everything right.”
Low stomach acid also changes what happens to your food once you eat. Instead of being properly broken down, it can sit in the stomach and begin to cause impaired digestion with potential to bacterial overgrowth activity. This creates gas and pressure, which many people mistake as a sign of too much acid. In reality, it’s often the opposite. At the same time, this environment can allow unwanted bacteria and pathogens to survive when they normally wouldn’t.
There’s also a deeper cycle at play. Your body needs zinc to produce stomach acid, but it also needs stomach acid to absorb zinc. If you’re already low, this creates a loop that becomes harder to break over time. On top of that, acid production depends on proper hydration and minerals. The process itself is energy-dependent, and when you’re depleted or dehydrated, your body simply can’t keep up with the demand.
Stress adds another layer. Your vagus nerve is what signals your body to begin digestion, but when you’re rushed, distracted, or anxious, that signal gets dampened. You can be eating the right foods at the wrong state and your body won’t respond the way it should.
So before assuming that symptoms like bloating or reflux are caused by too much acid, it’s worth considering that low stomach acid may be part of the picture. When digestion isn’t working efficiently, the body gives early signals, like feeling heavy after meals, dealing with gas or discomfort, or not feeling fully satisfied.
The good news is that this is something you can support:
Start by slowing down your meals and actually giving your body the space to enter a “rest and digest” state. Even a few deep nasal breaths before eating can make a difference. Paying attention to your food, the smell, the taste, the experience, this helps trigger the initial phase (the cephalic phase) of digestion that many people skip entirely.
Including naturally bitter foods like arugula or ginger can also help stimulate digestive function. And while salt has been overly demonized, your body does rely on chloride from salt to produce stomach acid, so avoiding it entirely can work against you.
In some cases, additional support like digestive enzymes or HCL supplements may be helpful, especially if symptoms are more persistent.
At the end of the day, your gut isn’t broken, it’s often just under-supported. When you give your body what it needs at the start of digestion, everything that follows has a much better chance of working the way it’s supposed to.
By Mauro Simonetti ND
