Hcl and Sodium Bicarbonate
Hi Ted, My autistic son is on Behtaine HCL- which I understand 95% autistic kids have low HCL. I am interested in the health benefits from sodium bicarbonate- but am concerned about giving it at meals as you mentioned because of the HCL issues. Cna you help with this? Carolyn
Dear Carolyn: The secret is the timing. The stomach acid pH can vary widely throughout the day from about 2 - 7. If you are not hungry the stomach acid can be 6-7 and if it very hungry or digesting food it can be about pH of 2.
The body will need the most stomach acid when it needs to DIGEST FOOD, but the stomach WON'T NEED a high stomach acid when it doesn't need to digest.
I can take both HCl and baking soda without neutralizing one or the other. If i want to reduce my pH urinary acid and at the same time I want to increase my stomach acid, what I would do is take baking soda for example 1/4 teaspoon + citric acid 1/4 teaspoon. The pH of this is rather closer to neutral more than anything else (about 7) so it is very much like water. When the baking soda is taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach usually the stomach pH is near neutral and I will be thirsty for water, rather than the food.
When I do take it the stomach will drain the water to the intestines where the bicarbonates and citrates are stored to be used whenever digested foods that are acid in nature needs to be neutralized. Therefore, if betaine is taken I would take it within minutes before eating or during eating or right after eating to help digest the food. This way I get the best of two worlds, alkaline body with a strong immune system and a strong stomach acid necessary to digest the food.
This is what I have been doing. And this is also why vitamin B complex is taken best along with food, the vitamin B6 component is also HCl and it helps the digestion of foods too.
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