The key to clear glowing skin is rooted in your digestive system. A dysfunctional gut not only causes hormonal imbalances and acne, but it also accelerates aging at a micro level. In this lesson, we will address the issue of poor digestion.

Our bodies need to break down food properly in order to fully absorb all of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and antioxidants that our meal has to offer in order for our skin to look its best. We could be eating the healthiest diet on the planet but if we can’t breakdown and absorb our meals properly, we won’t be getting nutrients we need to stop breakouts internally and to sustain the youthfulness of our skin. Practically every mineral and vitamin that we get through food helps the skin in some way – for example, Vitamins C and E are a must for collagen formation and repair, while zinc helps prevent breakouts. 

The culprit behind poor digestion is often linked to low stomach acid levels. Without enough stomach acid, whatever you are eating now won’t be broken down enough to go through the complete process of digestion. 

Clinical research has shown that an estimated 40% of acne patients also suffer from low stomach acid. This means that many of those who suffer from acne are not able to properly breakdown food and absorb nutrients as needed to support their bodies.

Symptoms include: bloating, gas, heartburn, acid reflux, nausea, chronic fatigue, constipation, and having undigested food in the stool.

Surprisingly, the latest research has found that low stomach acid is more to blame than too much stomach acid for symptoms associated with indigestion like heartburn and acid reflux. When you don’t have enough stomach acid to kill bugs and pathogenic bacteria from food, you will likely get an overgrowth of the harmful bacteria in the digestive tract, leading to other symptoms like nausea, gas, and bloating.

Causes for low stomach acid include: chronic stress, nutrient deficiencies, antibiotic overuse, high carb/sugar intake, eating too quickly, and taking anti-acid medications.

Stomach acid helps absorb nutrients like magnesium, zinc, and selenium – which are often deficient in acne patients as multiple studies have shown. So the link is clear.

To help increase your stomach acid levels, chew food your more before swallowing, stop eating when you are feeling 80% full so you don’t overwhelm your body with more food than it can handle at one time, limit processed foods & sugars, and take digestive enzymes to help break down food and absorb nutrients in your food. If you decide to take digestive enzymes, consult with your doctor on dosage and time frame.

If you want to test whether you have low stomach acid levels, I have instructions to download below that will show you how. 

The most powerful thing you can do for low stomach acid is take a Betaine Hydrochloride (HCL) supplement with pepsin, which is a digestive enzyme, right before meals with protein. This is very strong supplement and if you plan to take this supplement, please consult with a doctor because the dosage varies from person to person and misuse can damage the stomach lining.

Again, there is no standard HCL dosage. It’s very personalized, so please check with your doctor first before taking this supplement daily.

Featured photo by Haute Stock