Tag Archives: hydrochloric acid

The discomforts of indigestion are so common in today’s society that indigestion is almost considered normal. The fact that over 2 billion dollars are spent each year on antacids is proof of this. Rather than using drugs to suppress symptoms, wouldn’t it be wiser to remove the causes of indigestion? Food combining is based on the theory that different food groups require different digestion times.  Digestion is helped the most by using foods which have roughly the same digestion time. When you eat proteins like poultry, fish, meat, and eggs, your stomach secretes hydrochloric acid and the enzyme pepsin to break down the food in a highly acidic environment. When you eat starches like potatoes or bread, your stomach secretes the enzyme ptyalin (also known as salivary amylase) to create an alkaline condition. If you eat proteins and starches together, they tend to neutralize each other and inhibit digestion. The … Continue Reading