Digestion and your Bones

You are not necessarily what you eat, but you are what you absorb!

In order to liberate the minerals in our food for absorption there must be adequate stomach acid.  Stomach acid is also necessary for protein digestion (and remember that bones are half protein).  A lack of stomach acid, known as hypochlorhydria, will lead to poor mineral absorption, poor protein digestion, and can contribute to overall acidity in body tissues.

Low stomach acid may be due to:

• lifestyle – eating quickly or mindlessly (so the digestion isn’t completely activated).
• medications – clearly meds that decrease stomach acid such a PPIs (omeprazole, pantoprazole) or antacids (famotidine, TUMs, Rolaids) will cause hypochlorhydria in an effort to ease heartburn symptoms. But they meant for short-term use only. Long-term use is a known risk factor for poor bone health.
• reduced acid production due to a lack of the nutrients required to produce it.

With poor digestion a catch-22 then can develop. We need minerals such as zinc in order to MAKE the stomach acid that helps us to absorb minerals, and we need amino acids from well-digested proteins to MAKE the enzymes that break down our next meals into amino acids, simple carbs, fats, and minerals.

If there are acids entering the tissues then body must pull minerals from the bone in order to buffer them.  This sets the stage for bone loss since the body has to prioritize the pH of the blood (if blood becomes too acidic we die; if blood becomes too alkaline we die!).

Consider how wood or coal or other materials burned for fire (heat energy) leaves ash behind. Similarly, as food is digested, or burned for chemical energy to fuel the body, it leaves behind various types of residue or “ash”.

Shifting a diet towards alkaline ash foods, and improving stomach acid levels along with other aspects of digestion, helps to push the body towards bone deposition rather than bone breakdown.

Assessing stomach acid levels is easy.  Whether you have digestive issues or not, if you are concerned about bone health let me know.  The sooner an imbalance is addressed the faster it is to resolve.

Take action:

Eat mindfully (no computers, phones, driving, etc.), chew well, and use herbs and digestive supplements as needed before a meal to maximize your absorption of both amino acids and minerals.

The juice of half a lemon, or 1-3 tsp of raw apple cider vinegar in some water before a meal will improve mineral uptake from the diet by increasing the acidity of the stomach.

Bitter herbs such as dandelion root or citrus rinds before a meal stimulate the secretion of stomach acid and enzymes.  So have the lemon juice AND the zest in a little water before eating.

Work on identifying and treating the underlying cause of any heartburn or reflux symptoms so that acid-reducing or acid-blocking medications can be minimized.

If you have a family history of osteoporosis and current digestive symptoms then there is no time like the present to support the present you and the future you in one fell swoop!