Indigestion, Heartburn and Low Zinc Levels

When you think indigestion most of us don’t think about zinc.  We may think about the pain and bloating, or the taking of antacids etc, but what actually is one of the causes of indigestion?  It’s time to start thinking about zinc.

Before we get too far along it’s important to know that for most people with indigestion the problem is not enough acid which is contradictory to what many of us have been traditionally told.  If you do a little research you’ll quickly come to see this.  In fact there are over 16,000 articles in the medical literature showing that suppressing stomach acid does not address the problem. It only temporarily treats the symptoms.

So what are the root causes?  We need to think in terms of deficiency, excess, imbalance and toxins.  Here we’ll be speaking about zinc deficiency and imbalances as one of the main contributors to heartburn and indigestion.

The chart illustrated is from Dr Igor Tabrizians excellent textbook titled Visual Textbook Of Nutritional Medicine.

Notice first of all that we need zinc to produce acid.  It’s that simple.  If we don’t have enough zinc or if we can’t use it then we will have trouble producing enough acid and we need the acid to deal with food and digestion.  Remember LOW acid is the main issue not high acid.

There is more however.  Notice that a proper level of stomach acid is responsible for stimulating the pancreas to release picolinic acid.  We need this picolinic acid to bind to trace elements like zinc, chromium, selenium and manganese.  The end result is that if we are low in zinc then we are low in picolinic acid and we will then have even MORE issues in absorbing any zinc we get in the first place.

Zinc also plays a role in the lining of the stomach.  When we are low in zinc the lining of the stomach that secretes acid is thinner than it should be and produces less acid.  Both of these issues are not going to be helpful with digestion or ulcers.

The evidence is pretty clear that zinc is very important for indigestion and heartburn.  The evidence is also very clear that many of us have zinc deficiency.  One of the best ways to look for this is with the use of a hair tissue mineral analysis.  It will give you a level of zinc but almost as importantly it will tell you if you can even USE the zinc you have.  You see things like mercury and copper have the nasty biochemical property of blocking zinc meaning you may have the zinc present but you can’t use it so you will still be suffering from a zinc deficiency.  It will be a functional deficiency not an absolute deficiency.

So there you have it.  Think Zinc!

Talk to us to organise your hair mineral analysis or email us with any questions.

Dr. Todd Lizon  B.P.H.E., D.C.