How do you increase stomach acid naturally?

Digestive bitters have been used for hundreds of years in many forms to stimulate acid and enzyme production before a meal. Here are some tips for increasing stomach acid using bitters and other methods:

• Take 1 Tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar in 1/3 glass warm water between 5 – 15 minutes before each meal.

• Chew slowly. Try to put down your utensils in between each mouthful.

• Try to eat in a non-stressful environment. Encourage conversation during a meal to slow things down, and try to avoid eating on the run. Making sure you eat at a table, not standing or driving etc.

• Avoid drinking other fluids within 30 minutes either side of a meal (this dilutes your stomach acid)

• Eat 2-3 leaves of bitter greens prior to eating your main meals (select from spinach, beetroot leaves, dandelion leaves, chicory leaves).

• Including celery and black olives regularly with your main meals helps improve stomach acid production.

• If you are a meat eater, soak your meat protein in some lemon or lime juice, or tomato juice prior to cooking. This aids the breakdown of these proteins in the stomach.

• Including ¼ cup of sauerkraut with each of your meals containing protein not only helps improve the colonies of beneficial bacteria in the gut, but it also helps with protein digestion.

• The following teas are excellent for helping improve stomach acid: ginger, dandelion root, chicory, burdock. They also aid the liver and gallbladder in their production of bile acids, which help emulsify fats.

• Specific minerals are also beneficial to encourage the stomach cells to secrete hydrochloric acid. Of note is zinc, which is involved in over 300 different enzyme systems in the gut. The most potent non-meat source of zinc is pumpkin seeds. Try to add ¼ cup to your diet each day.