What Does HCl Do in the Digestive System?

HCl is hydrochloric acid. The gastric juices in your stomach contain HCl, which is produced by the hormone gastrin once food arrives in the stomach.

HCl helps digest the food you eat, kill potentially harmful bacteria and break down proteins in your food. (Curious about how such a potent acid can be helpful? The mucosal lining of your stomach wall protects it from this potent acid.) When acid levels fall below optimal levels, it can disrupt the delicate balance of bacteria in your gut, which impacts protein digestion and absorption of certain nutrients, including vitamin B12, calcium, iron and magnesium. In addition, HCl is needed to convert pepsinogen into pepsin, an enzyme that requires a low pH level in the stomach to do its work.

HCl and pepsin are absolutely critical to digestion and nutrient absorption. However, levels of gastric acid naturally decrease as we age. But without enough gastric acid, gut-related issues may occur (including occasional heartburn and microbiome imbalances).*

People commonly opt to neutralize gastric acid or inhibit its secretion, but that can impact digestion and nutrient absorption as well as the microbiome.

Betaine HCl is a compound that increases acid levels so your stomach can naturally digest properly.* In our formula, we add enzymes to support gentle digestion, along with MucoSave, a combination of prickly pear polysaccharides and olive leaf biophenols, to soothe the stomach lining.*

It supports and maintains a healthy mucosal system in the stomach.* Made from extracts of prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus indica) and olive leaves (Olea europaea), MucoSave has been shown to exert positive effects on the stomach lining, providing a necessary buffer for the acidity of digestion.* This duo has been used traditionally for centuries.