What is the common link between low blood levels of calcium, protein, albumin, vitamin B12, urea nitrogen with osteoporosis and heart burn with or without a positive test for H. Pylori?
The answer is Parietal Cell damage. Parietal cells are the little cells in your stomach that are supposed to produce hydrochloric acid (HCL) and a carrier chemical called Intrinsic Factor. Autoimmunity Reviews in 2007 reported a higher than normal incidence of Parietal Cell Auto-antibodies (PCAs) in patients with Gluten Sensitivity and Celiac Disease (da Rosa Utiyama et al).
Mechanisms of Disease
- HCL is needed to maintain an acidic pH in the stomach between 1 and 3. When HCL is not available the pH of the stomach becomes alkaline, which can often lead to heart burn. (Most doctors believe the opposite and thus give acid blocking drugs to patients with heart burn). When the environment of the stomach becomes alkaline, minerals such as calcium and others are not able to diffuse across the gastric membrane into our blood stream, and thus the low blood levels.
- As the alkaline solution mixes with the food and enters into the small intestine, the pancreas, that joins this portion of the intestine, does not release the enzymes necessary to break down and absorb proteins. A total protein below 6.9 in the blood is a clue that this is an issue.
- An alkaline gastric environment eventually leads to an acidic internal environment in the body’s attempt to buffer the alkali. The pH of the urine becomes acidic, i.e., 5.0-6.0. The body uses calcium as a buffer against the acidity and thus goes after the largest pool of calcium, which is the bone. This causing leaching of calcium in the bone leading to osteopenia and osteoporosis.
- Intrinsic factor is a carrier molecule necessary to carry vitamin B12 across the stomach lining into the blood stream. Therefore, low intrinsic factor translates into low vitamin B12 that may lead to a particular type of anemia known as pernicious anemia or megaloblastic anemia.
- Finally, since the pH of the stomach is no longer acidic, the natural antibiotic properties of the HCL will no longer be in affect. This situation allows overgrowth of Helicobacter Pylori, which is considered a class I carcinogen of the stomach by the World Health Organization. H. Pylori can further lead to increasing heart burn, ulcers and “leaky gut.” H. Pylori produces an enzyme called Urease, and that is what causes the low blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in some patients. Another clue to the mystery.
Diagnosis and Treatment
After proper diagnosis, preferably by a Functional Medicine physician, treatment is simple. Replacing what is missing is the best strategy. Increasing the acid in your stomach can be achieved with either Betaine HCL or with apple cider vinegar. Ask your health care provider for proper dosing. Ultimately, continue to remain Gluten free and enjoy your great health.