The Relationship Of Amino Acids And Indigestion
February 25, 2008 by Steve Pallovy
Seventy five percent of the body is made up of the building blocks of life, also known as amino acids, which are required for every bodily process. There are twenty necessary amino acids and ten of them are produced from what we eat, while the others are produced naturally.
To list just a few of the twenty amino acids, one should note that histidine is essential for the regrowth of tissue, lysine assists with the absorption of calcium, leucine keeps control of blood sugar, methionine breaks fat levels down, and phenylalanine works on the functions of the nerves and memory.
When our digestive system is out of whack, we suffer in several ways. Acid reflux, heartburn and indigestion can be an unpleasant side effect of improper digestion. While it’s widely believed that acid reflux comes from overproduction of hydrochloric acid, recent research suggests that indigestion can actually be caused by the underproduction of this acid.
In the case of underproduction of acid, also known as achlorhydria, undigested protein sits in our stomach, essentially rotting away. Bloating, burping and discomfort follows - sometimes forcing acid or food back up the esophagus. Disgusting, isn’t it? If you have bad breath, burp excessively after eating, feel heavy after eating, experience nausea, diarrhea or constipation, then these may be tell-tale signs that food isn’t being broken down properly into the amino acids you need to feel your best.
The reasons why your digestive system may not be working properly are plenty. Your body may not be picking up the chemical signals which promote body waste removal, amino acid absorption and protein and mineral uses.
Body chemical imbalance could be due to stress or a strong regime of physical exercises taking the whole of your body’s attention away from other needs. Age is another factor to take into consideration. Hydrochloric acid production is much lower in an older person than in a younger one. Your digestive system can also be affected by an inadequate diet, eating disorders, or a lack of good sleep.
Top selling medications such as Prilosec appeal to us with the promise of stopping stomach acid production and thus relieving the pain. However, while drugs offer instant relief, it is temporary and does not tackle the underlying problem. After all, food digestion is a natural process in the body and if it is not taking place, amino acids we need will not be produced from the foods we eat.
For this reason many people take supplements of amino acids to control their digestive processes. These supplements can kick start the removal of wastes from the body and control the production of stomach acid and the absorption of minerals. We need to remind ourselves that our bodies will not perform as designed without the proper nutrition.
About the Author:
Steve Pallovy has done research and written articles on nutrition and dieting for several years. Learn more about the importance of amino acids at Simplygreatnutrition.com
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