- Bryan Cranston from "Breaking Bad"
laughingly walked out of the Tony Awards a few years back
proclaiming he was so bloated, he couldn't take it anymore.
And if you've been feeling the same way,
you've probably heard of the potential benefits
of taking Betaine HCL and pepsin in supplement form.
But what are they, how do they help with digestion,
and which one is best for you?
Well, in this video, I'm going to show you
exactly what they both help with and how they differ,
so you can finally understand which one is worth trying.
(upbeat music)
Hi, I'm registered dietitian Richelle Godwin,
and I've been a big fan of HCL and pepsin for many years.
And that's because these two ingredients
can really help to reduce the feeling of bloating,
along with the gas and indigestion
that we often get when eating hearty, protein-rich meals.
So whether you like to eat steak dinners like Homer Simpson
or chicken salads like a Kardashian,
HCL and pepsin can offer fantastic digestive support.
But I guess you're wondering,
why do we even need them in the first place?
In other words,
why can't our stomach digest these foods by itself?
Well, although indigestion has many causes,
one of the main causes is inadequate levels
of hydrochloric acid, aka HCL, in the stomach,
something you might also see referred to
as low stomach acid.
I'll explain how this weakens
and slows your digestion in a minute.
But first, let's take a quick look
at what causes low stomach acid.
So the major things
that can cause your HCL levels to decline
include the normal aging process,
use of antisecretory medications
like proton-pump inhibitors,
which work to block acid production,
as well as use of simple acid neutralizers,
like chewable antacid tablets,
which contain ingredients such as calcium carbonate.
Plus, low stomach acid can even be due
to stomach infections, like H. pylori,
which is thought to affect roughly 50%
of the worldwide population
and nearly one in three Americans.
No wonder so many of us
often feel like we're carrying around a mini food baby
after eating our meals.
With all of this in mind, the question becomes,
what role does HCL and pepsin play in all of this?
Well, while all parts of the gastrointestinal tract
are important for digestion and absorption,
things really get rolling in the stomach.
Despite its cutesy tummy nickname,
your stomach is actually incredibly strong and powerful.
Not only does the stomach
physically churn food into smaller pieces,
but it also contains an acidic mixture of gastric juices,
which is made up primarily of HCL and pepsin,
and they do the heavy lifting of digestion in the stomach.
And, boy, are they powerful.
In fact, just before we move on,
here's two quick fun facts for you about gastric juice
to illustrate just how powerful it is.
So first of all, did you know that the pH
of the gastric juice in your stomach is 1.5 to 2.0,
meaning very acidic,
and that if it ever came in contact with your skin,
it would cause severe chemical burns.
Pretty crazy, right?
Thankfully, of course, our stomach is lined
with protective mucus to ensure the gastric juice
doesn't burn a hole straight through.
And now the second fun fact,
and our research team at Essential Stacks
actually picked this one up
while reading the 15,000-word study
we've mentioned earlier for you,
and we just had to share it with you.
So it turns out snakes share the same level
of acidity in their gastric juices as us humans.
And as the researchers noted,
a snake's gastric juices allow them to digest whole animals
from start to finish without any chewing.
So hopefully you can now appreciate
just how powerful and helpful gastric juices are
and exactly why HCL and pepsin
are so important for digestion.
Now, with all of that out of the way,
let's look at specifically why Betaine HCL
can be helpful for your digestion.
So the first thing to know is that Betaine is a substance
that is extracted from veggies like spinach or beets,
and Betaine HCL is the acidic version of this ingredient.
In geek speak, it is the hydrochloride salt of Betaine.
And when taken as a supplement,
it can function similar to your stomach acid,
aka hydrochloric acid or HCL,
meaning it is a fantastic supplement to take
to boost digestion in the stomach via your gastric juices.
For example, in this 2013 study
of people with low stomach acid,
1,500 milligrams of Betaine HCL
was found to lower gastric pH 5.2 to 0.6,
meaning the gastric juices became very acidic
and effective at digesting food.
Best of all, researchers found it occurred
within 30 minutes of administration and was well tolerated.
And given your food spends about four hours
being digested in the stomach, on average,
it means taking a Betaine HCL supplement with a meal
will work well in terms of timing.
And just before we look at pepsin,
it's worth reminding ourselves why stomach acid,
or HCL if you prefer, is helpful.
So from a digestion point of view,
HCL is very important for digesting proteins.
As described in this paper published
in the "International Journal of Molecular Sciences,"
HCL converts an inactive substance
called pepsinogen into pepsin,
and pepsin is a key enzyme that breaks down protein,
as we'll talk about more in a second.
Apart from digestion, HCL is also really important
for killing off any harmful microbes
that might have hopped on your food
for a ride down into your GI tract.
And if that wasn't enough,
HCL also encourages the flow of bile and pancreatic enzymes
to further help digest food.
And it also helps with the absorption
of a handful of nutrients,
including calcium, iron, folate, and vitamins B6 and B12.
So we just mentioned the pepsin is activated by HCL,
but what is it exactly?
Well, pepsin is a gastric enzyme
that primarily breaks down proteins from food,
which means you can kind of think of pepsin
like Thor's hammer for digestion.
And like with HCL, studies on pepsin supplements
have shown it can help people digest their food better
and even significantly decrease abdominal pain symptoms,
no doubt due to better digestion of proteins.
So which is better for digestion, HCL or pepsin?
Well, as you've seen, without hydrochloric acid,
we cannot activate pepsin.
And without pepsin, we can't digest our proteins.
This catch-22 situation
means that both Betaine HCL and pepsin
are vitally important for good digestion
and a happy stomach following a protein-rich meal.
In other words,
this isn't a Chris Rock versus Will Smith situation,
meaning you don't have to pick a side.
Instead, if you are currently struggling
to successfully eat high-protein meals
without succumbing to the couch or bathroom for hours after,
well, then taking a supplement
that combines Betaine HCL plus pepsin is a smart move
for supporting your digestion from all angles.
So if you're looking to choose
a high-quality HCL and pepsin supplement,
the top things to look for would be high dose of HCL,
as this is the star ingredient.
Anything from 400 to 600 milligrams will work really well.
And at this serving size,
it's easy to titrate your HCL amount up
if needed for a big meal.
In addition, you should check
that it uses the highest quality version of each ingredient.
And while the HCL in most supplements
is fairly similar in quality standards,
the same can't be said of pepsin.
Some brands use diluted pepsin, which you can usually tell
by looking at the concentration number
next to the ingredient on the supplement facts panel.
If it says 1:3,000 or 1:10,000, it is diluted.
By contrast, if it says 1:15,000,
it is pure, undiluted pepsin and in its most potent form.
If you want extra digestion support,
especially for the fats you eat alongside protein,
then try to find an HCL pepsin supplement
that also contains ox bile.
And finally, it is always a good idea
to check that the supplement is free of allergens
like gluten, dairy, and soy,
and, of course,
that it has been independently third-party tested.
Now, obviously we're biased here,
but if you want to try a HCL pepsin supplement
that meets all those quality standards,
you can consider Essential Stacks Upgraded Betaine HCL,
and you'll find a link in the description below.
But, importantly, you don't need to try our HCL.
Just make sure you buy one
that follows the same quality standards as ours.
Now we wanna hear from you.
What foods give you the most bloating?
Let everyone know by leaving a comment below.
If you enjoyed this video as part of our digestion series,
then hit the Like and Subscribe button
to make sure you never miss another video.
Our team of dietitians and doctors here at Essential Stacks
are so excited to continue researching
which foods and supplements help your gut health.
That way, you can save hundreds of hours of trial and error
and focus on what's best for your digestive health.
Thanks for watching, and see you in the comments.
Bye for now.
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