This might explain all your symptoms

Part 1: Medicine got stomach acid completely backwards

This may be one of the most important and influential pieces of information you read for your health. No. I’m certain it will be.

And before we get too deep into it, can I ask you a favor to please share this article with as many people as you can. You could save someone's life—and I don’t take that statement lightly.

With love,

Alex

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Many people—especially those with chronic health issues—actually have low stomach acid (hypochlorhydria), not too much.

I know what you’re thinking: “But what about acid reflux?”
Yep, them too. This is easily one of the most misunderstood topics in mainstream medicine.

I’ve been keeping up with the literature on this for over a decade, mostly because I had low stomach acid and reflux—specifically GERD—myself. And when unexplained chronic symptoms hit you at 17, it tends to shape your future. I went on to study biomedical informatics for the next six years and eventually landed in biotech working on cancer vaccines. (A story for another day.) But after recently losing my mom to cancer, I've come full circle—back to my first love: holistic and functional medicine. Only this time, I’m bringing years of research experience—without the blinders of institutional dogma.

I may not have an MD in front of my name, but I was trained to be an investigator. An investigator of human health—and truth; what a scientist is supposed to be. So I share my theories, my research, and my findings with you here: some I’ve been gatekeeping far too long, and others you’ll watch unfold in real time.

With that said, let’s dig into it.

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The gatekeeper of digestion

Stomach acid is crucial for breaking down food, absorbing nutrients, and killing ingested microbes​. When hydrochloric acid (HCl) levels are too low, digestion and nutrient absorption become compromised, and bacteria that should be destroyed can instead flourish, especially in places they shouldn’t be.

Stomach acid jobs:

• Breaks down protein so your body can actually use it.

• Signals your pancreas to release digestive enzymes—which are vital for breaking down food and absorbing nutrients

• Triggers your gallbladder to release bile for fat digestion (and no simply not digesting fats is not a weight loss hack lol—undigested fats passing into the colon can cause issues like diarrhea, bloating, and malabsorption of fat-soluble vitamins).

• Keeps bacteria, parasites, and pathogens from surviving the stomach and making their way into your intestines.

• Unlocks nutrients like iron, zinc, calcium, and B12.

• Regulates motility—aka how fast food moves through you.

• Influences your microbiome, immune response, and gut lining integrity.

Sounds like having sufficient HCl is pretty important.

So what happens to us when our stomach acid is too low?

Health issues that can arise when stomach acid is too low:

Gastrointestinal disorders

• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO): Low acid allows bacteria to proliferate in the small intestine.

• Gastritis: Inflammation of the stomach lining.

• Atrophic gastritis: Chronic inflammation leading to loss of gastric glandular cells.

• Achlorhydria: Complete absence of stomach acid production.

Neurological and cognitive Issues

• Fatigue and brain fog: Low stomach acid impairs the absorption of B12 and iron, leading to anemia and neurological symptoms like fatigue and cognitive difficulties. ​

• Neuropathy: Vitamin B12 deficiency, often due to inadequate stomach acid, can cause tingling, numbness, or burning sensations in extremities. ​

• Mood disorders: Deficiencies in B vitamins, including B12, are associated with depression and anxiety.

• Cognitive decline: Chronic use of acid-suppressing medications, which reduce stomach acid, has been linked to vitamin B12 deficiency and potential cognitive decline. ​

Musculoskeletal and nutritional deficiencies

• Osteoporosis: Impaired calcium and magnesium absorption.

• Muscle cramps and weakness: Due to electrolyte imbalances.

• Vitamin B12 deficiency: Can cause anemia and neurological issues.​

Immune and autoimmune disorders

• Increased susceptibility to infections: Due to decreased pathogen-killing capacity.

• Autoimmune diseases: Conditions like Hashimoto's thyroiditis and lupus may be exacerbated.

• Allergies and food sensitivities: Poor protein digestion can lead to immune reactions.​

Skin conditions

• Acne and rosacea: Linked to gut imbalances.

• Eczema and psoriasis: May be exacerbated by nutrient deficiencies.

• Hair thinning and brittle nails: Due to poor nutrient absorption.​

Hematological issues

• Pernicious anemia: Resulting from B12 deficiency.

• Iron-deficiency anemia: Reduced iron absorption leading to fatigue and pallor.

Metabolic and endocrine disorders

• Thyroid dysfunction: Low stomach acid can impair iodine absorption, affecting thyroid health.

• Hypoglycemia: Blood sugar imbalances due to impaired digestion.​

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But isn’t the problem too much acid?

Most people assume so. But I might just change your mind.

The silent epidemic of hypochlorhydria

Everyone is walking around with lower-than-optimal levels of stomach acid. And it’s a huge problem—not just for digestion, but for everything downstream: nutrient absorption, microbiome health, hormones, skin, immunity, even your mood.

And NOBODY is talking about it. At least not how it should be, imo.

Why? Because our entire medical ideology around stomach acid is completely backwards.

We’ve been trained to fear “too much acid.” But what if… you don’t have enough?

The medications we call “safe”—casually prescribed or picked up over the counter for pain, anxiety, allergies, reflux, birth control, infections—are silently suppressing stomach acid even more.

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What is driving this epidemic of low stomach?

This is what we haven’t connected the dots on yet as a society:
The following drugs and conditions can either directly suppress HCl production or gradually destroy the cells responsible for producing it:

• NSAIDs (ibuprofen, aspirin, naproxen)

• Proton Pump Inhibitors (like Prilosec and Nexium)

• H2 blockers (like Pepcid)

• H. pylori infection

• Antibiotics (gut flora disruption can affect parietal cells)

• Laxatives

• Hormonal birth control pills

• Anticholinergics (Benadryl, Dramamine, etc.)

• Antidepressants and antipsychotics

• Benzodiazepines and sedatives

• Chemotherapy and radiation

• Hypothyroidism

Let’s look at how these cause the very thing they’re often prescribed to prevent (or indirectly cause) leading to recursive loops.

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1. Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)

Examples: Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), Naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), Aspirin (Bayer, Ecotrin), Diclofenac (Voltaren, Cambia), Indomethacin (Indocin), Meloxicam (Mobic), Ketorolac (Toradol), Etodolac (Lodine), Piroxicam (Feldene)

You'll often hear that NSAIDs increase stomach acid, causing GERD or ulcers. But that’s an oversimplification.

The real problem isn't too much acid—it's that NSAIDs destroy your protective stomach lining, making it vulnerable to whatever acid is already there. Even normal or low levels of acid can cause damage when the mucosal barrier is compromised or worn away.

A few loops that can happen:

Loop 1: NSAIDs → Gut Damage → Hypochlorhydria

1. NSAIDs block prostaglandins which help maintain your mucosal lining (in both your stomach and intestines)

2. Without sufficient mucosal lining, inflammation and ulceration can occur damaging parietal cells in the stomach lining

3. Parietal cells make HCl, so their damage reduces stomach acid output → hypochlorhydria.

Loop 2: Hypochlorhydria → Incomplete Digestion → Inflammation → More NSAID Use

1. Low stomach acid means improper breakdown of food, especially proteins, leading to, fermentation in the gut, gas and bloating and nutrient deficiencies

2. This triggers low-grade inflammation, joint pain, headaches, or fatigue

3. You use more NSAIDs to manage these symptoms

4. NSAIDs further damage your gut lining and stomach → worsening hypochlorhydria

See where this is going?

Loop 3: Hypochlorhydria → SIBO/IBS → NSAID Use for Pain → More Gut Damage

1. Stomach acid is our main barrier in preventing bacterial overgrowth

2. Without it, bacteria that should be killed in your stomach survive and colonize the small intestine leading to SIBO

3. SIBO can cause bloating, diarrhea, and even systemic symptoms like fatigue or muscle/joint pain

4. You then take NSAIDs for pain or inflammation, worsening your gut health

5. Gut lining damage can lead to leaky gut, immune dysregulation, and more chronic inflammation which damages the very cells making HCl

Loop 4: NSAIDs → Leaky Gut → Immune Overactivation → Autoimmunity → More GI Symptoms

1. NSAIDs contribute/lead to increased intestinal permeability (hello leaky gut!).

2. Antigens(foreign molecules like food particles pathogens etc) leak through your gut lining, triggering the immune system

3. Over time this can lead to autoimmune activity (hashimoto’s, RA, etc)