Author Topic: Pepcid VS Apple Cider Vinegar  (Read 3804 times)

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Offline Pookie

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Pepcid VS Apple Cider Vinegar
« on: September 24, 2014, 09:56:30 PM »
Warning:  I am NOT a fan of acid-blockers, for many reasons, so this post will be biased.  There may be some occasions when you need to take an acid-blocker, but I don’t agree that they should be used regularly if at all possible.  I don’t believe in treating the symptom while not addressing the cause.  Ok, I’ll get off my soapbox now.   :D
 
Pepcid:  Man-made over-the-counter drug used to block stomach acid.  Not for long-term use.
 
Apple cider vinegar (with the “mother” in it):  Natural liquid produced from apples used for a variety of health benefits, including digestion.  ACV is acidic.  It may wear away tooth enamel.
 
What may help really distinguish between the two is a discussion about stomach acid, or hydrochloric acid (HCl).  HCl has 3 purposes in the stomach:
 
1.      Digest/break down protein (so the digestive enzymes can do their job to get the nutrients to the cells)
2.      Break down minerals, e.g. calcium, magnesium, etc. from food for absorption
3.      Protect the body against most bacteria/micro-organisms in food
 
The body needs salt (chloride) in order to produce stomach acid, and it produces less HCl as we age.  The symptoms of too much stomach acid (acid reflux, nausea, etc.)  are also the symptoms of not having enough HCl  (http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/04/25/news-flash-acid-reflux-caused-by-too-little-acid-not-too-much.aspx).  Eating carbs triggers digestive enzymes in the mouth and stomach, but meat protein triggers the stomach to produce HCl.
 
Without enough stomach acid:

1.  Your body doesn’t get as much of the vitamins/nutrients in the food, which over time can lead to various deficiencies.
2.  You get reduced mineral absorption.  For someone with osteoporosis, that’s not good, because you’re not getting the calcium, magnesium, boron and other minerals you need for strong bones.
3.  Your body doesn’t get B12, which is only found in animal products.  HCl breaks down the meat so that B12 can be absorbed in the intestines.  It is recommended that people who have gastric bypass receive B12 shots for life so they don’t become deficient in this vitamin, which is essential for neurological and heart health.  (A good book on this is "Could It Be B12?  An Epidemic of Misdiagnoses."  I have written a bit on this in another part of PFK.
4.  You are more vulnerable to micro-organisms in the ingested food
 
So given all of that, let’s look at ACV vs. Pepcid again:  Pepcid SHUTS DOWN the body’s production of stomach acid.  ACV is acidic, so when ingested, it adds more acid to the stomach.  (FYI, when food leaves the stomach and goes into the intestines, it is combined with bile so it can be made alkaline.)
 
So take a Pepcid, or any acid blocker, and you reduce the absorption of minerals, make it harder for your body to digest what you’ve eaten, and reduces your body’s ability to kill bacteria that you’ve ingested with your food.
 
Use ACV (only if needed) internally, and you assist/improve your body’s digestion and nutrient absorption, and help kill the bad stuff that came in with your food.  By the way,  if you’re concerned about ACV affecting your tooth enamel, humans can also take a supplement called betaine hydrochloride, which triggers production of HCl.  It's available in health food stores.  I would NOT recommend giving betaine HCl to cats.
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Pepcid VS Apple Cider Vinegar
« Reply #1 on: September 25, 2014, 10:14:33 AM »
I am currently using ACV (raw organic with the mother, Bragg brand)  In an effort to help offset any damage to tooth enamel I feed two (canned) small meals, one with the ACV in it, and then immediately follow with another portion with no ACV.

Another option would be: after the small ACV meal, give the cat a piece of raw meat to eat instead, but this particular cat only eats Rad Cat raw. (and of course balancing that piece of meat has to be taken into consideration)

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