The HCl (hydrochloric acid) point and its significance for metabolism and immunity
Ulrike Nigmann, Naturopath, Wetter
THE PROBLEM OF ACID ACCUMULATION
Dear colleagues,
For years we have listened to interesting papers on mycoses, parasitosis, viral infections, rheumatism even cancer, where chronic acidosis constituted the underlying condition. Additional symptoms may include: lack of concentration, chronic fatigue and even exhaustion, neuralgia, herpes of varying severity, chronic conjunctivitis, “allergies”, inflammatory mucosal changes, caries, brittle hair and nails, palpitations, heartburn, loss of appetite, indigestion, pain in the muscles and joints, arthrosis, osteoporosis, itching, abnormal blood pressure, menstrual or fertility disorders, cellulite, oedema, weight problems, weakened resistance, circulatory disturbance with risk of infarction, apoplexy or thrombosis (Dark field tests reveal erythrocytes clumped together in roll formation, loss of substance by erythrocytes, fibrin).
Children are increasingly presenting with the above symptoms. We must therefore endeavour to find the causes of these disorders so that we can offer appropriate treatment – if necessary, on a long term basis. (Perhaps the ideal method of pension provision in the form of “anti-aging medicine”).
I took this list of the “most frequent causes of acid in our modern lifestyle” from issue no. 3/00 of the Swiss chemists’ journal “für uns – vita sana” two years ago:
uric acid from eating meat
lactic acid from excessive physical exertion
tannin from coffee and black tea
sulphuric acid from pork
intestinal decomposition
acids from analgesics (acetylsalicylic acid)
hydrochloric acid from stress, anxiety, anger
nitric acid from salted meat products
nicotinic acid
sugar and white flour, refined oils and fats
excessive alcohol consumption
E-smog, earth’s radiation
This means there is an imbalance between acid intake on the one hand and acid processing and release on the other. In simple terms, this is represented by:
1. increased acid intake (animal proteins, sugar, food intake not in line with biorhythms with fermentation and decomposition in the intestine, eating too quickly) – F. X. Mayr sends his regards – etc.
2. reduced base intake (potatoes, domestic organically treated vegetables are becoming less and less popular, the nutritional value of foods we eat is changing as a result of excessive use of fertilizers and acid rain)
3. reduced acid excretion – this cannot simply be due to “lack of exercise” and “renal functional impairment” as I have also observed the phenomenon of acid accumulation in extremely active children who do not have a TV at home. I regard base preparations purely as emergency preparations which should only be given in short courses (due to the additional strain on the kidneys) yet, as such, have a part to play in all practices using natural remedies.
You are all familiar with the vitamin and nutrient points in our computer manual which were first introduced by Sissi Karz and are therefore named after her in our circles (albeit not totally correctly). I used to work with them fairly regularly, for they provide additional information on organ dysfunction; for example, vitamin B, magnesium, iron deficiency can indicate mycosis, molybdenum, chromium, manganese deficiency can indicate impaired utilisation of protein by the pancreas, etc.
And yet I could find no plausible explanation for this “choking up of the inner world” which increases rapidly with age, especially after the menopause, and which I regard as acid accumulation.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE HCL POINT
When, 2 years ago, I read the announcement about a seminar on “Functional diagnosis of the digestive system” to be given by the American nutritional specialist, Gray Graham, my curiosity was aroused. As emerged later, this seminar had a lasting effect on the work of my practice and the success of my treatment. “Functional diagnosis” works with nutrient points, specially selected food supplements and a pain scale. The technique should be learnt properly through a course offered in Germany. The contact address is given in the appendix.
The first thing that struck me was that the hydrochloric acid point occurs at almost the same position in both tables, namely the one printed in the computer manual which you are all familiar with and the one from “Functional diagnosis of the digestive system”. The point should be sensitive to pressure according to “Functional diagnosis”.
I noticed a number of things when using this test method:
1. The HCl point lies in an area and not in the same precisely defined point for everyone. (See depiction in Appendix 2. I apologise to those who hold a different opinion but this has been my – kinesiological – experience!)
2. Even if the HCl point is disturbed, not every patient experiences this. Some are very insensitive (I then press neighbouring or other disturbed points – obviously with the same hand – to activate in the patient the feeling of “something being different”). With some patients I have the impression that they “don’t want to have anything” … and so I work with kinesiology because I can rely on my testing.
It took a while for me to realise that this was one of the key points for so called “hyperacidity”. Even patients with heartburn often have insufficient hydrochloric acid due to attempted overcompensation by the border cells. Hydrochloric acid is needed to activate protein digestion by the enzyme pepsin. Insufficient stomach acid leads to disorders throughout the entire digestive tract as bile and pancreatic juices are not summoned in the correct proportion.
Symptoms of hydrochloric acid deficiency:
pressure in the epigastrium and feeling of fullness
flatulence
cravings or appetite for sweet food, occasionally also for strong-flavoured foods like sausage etc., which lures more acids however.
Sufferers are deficient in zinc and vitamin B1. (Are these the people who tend to get bitten by mosquitoes?)
At this point, I have to declare that I also experienced cravings for sweet (or salty) foods during pregnancy – the mother’s stomach does not function adequately for two.
Symptoms of hydrochloric acid – pepsin deficiency:
coated tongue
bad breath
pressure in the upper abdomen “as if food was lying on the stomach like a stone”
belching
hypoglycaemia
hypotension.
This results in deficient pancreas enzyme function with the following symptoms:
malodorous flatulence (sweet or smelling of bad eggs)
discomfort in the upper abdomen
undigested food particles in the stool
pain in the lower abdomen, more intense before the period in younger girls and women. Older women and men frequently experience pain in the front of the thigh. Symptoms of disorders of the liver and gall bladder:
pressure in the upper abdomen accompanied by belching
bitter metallic taste in the mouth, tongue with materal impressions of teeth
tongue frequently coated yellow and even black
flatulence
dry skin
pain at the back of the head, over the shoulders, particularly pronounced on the right in the scapular angle
pain between the shoulder blades, in a semicircle in the right lower chest, less commonly on the left (gallbladder meridian)
occasional “ischialgia” on the right, also towards the right groin, occasionally also on the left
pain in the sacro iliac joint on both sides
pressure and even pain throughout the head
lateral migraine
spots in front of the eyes
dizziness (“liver dizziness”)
pain in the joints, especially knee and hip.
The fact that even our forefathers drank “bitters” such as Jägermeister, enzian brandy or liqueur, etc. shows that the problem of the stomach’s acid dysfunction (achylia) is not new or even confined to Germany. Cynar, Fernet branca, Ouzo, Pernod, Suze, Campari are examples reflecting the international scale of the problem. Beer drunk as an aperitif stimulates the functioning of the stomach, as does green tea. I believe the increase in this dysfunction is also attributable to the fact that bitter substances are constantly being bred out of plants (see chicory which used to be added to a mixture of half milk, half water to remove the bitterness). Radicchio, purslane, rucola (rocket), endive, dandelion are not really the most popular salad leaves on our dining tables! There is not much appetite for the French starter “artichoke” here in Germany either.
In addition, I have also been finding an increased incidence of functionally impaired mucous membranes starting in childhood, stemming from tuberculin infection – this is particularly harmful to the mucous membranes –, continuing high consumption of cow’s milk and dairy products, which are also increasingly being sought in forms suitable for children, numerous vaccinations which aggravate this mucosal impairment (this includes the whooping cough vaccination, in particular, as well as the various tuberculosis vaccinations and tests.). Colourings, preservatives, additives have a synergistic effect resulting in “neurodermatitis” ranging from very mild and infrequent skin abnormality to the complete picture, since the kidneys have to withstand the same overloading as all the other organs.
In older people the skin and mucous membranes not only lose their elasticity but also fail to function properly. The failure of these cells which have not been working correctly for some time leads to an accumulation of various disorders resulting in increasing tissue hyperacidity (with accompanying body odour). And obviously mycoses then follow
After I had begun treating patients’ stomachs with orthomolecular substances recommended by the Nutritional Therapy Association – namely hydrozyme and HCl plus –, some experienced severe heartburn and nausea so that I had to think of something else. I tend towards the view of G. C. Stahlkopf who regards general indigestion as “sclerosis of the digestive glands, general choking up of the blood and lymph and circulatory disturbance” and treats it accordingly (Regenaplexe 33/5, 79a, 39a, 211a, 510a, 809, 79, 506c, 100/1). As bioresonance therapists, we attempt to get the flow system going again using individualised basic therapy, i. e. guiding the degenerative tendencies towards the patient’s normal state.
I made up a test set of the usual Amara (bitters) which in my patients corrected the HCl point – and that’s not all!
You will find my personal combination which is not complete in the appendix.
manganese
normalises blood sugar, pre-vents histamine release from cells
* necessary for carbohydrate and li-pometabolism, part of the enzyme per-oxide dismutase deficiency: growth disorders, abnormal bone formation
chromium**
deficiency leads to diabetes if accompanied by zinc deficiency
** depends on carbohydrate intake. The higher the intake, the more re-quired to satisfy needs. Relatively poor bio-availability, consequently easy to treat deficiency
molybdenum***
in old age deficiency leads to hy-peruricaemia, hypoferric anae-mia [potency problems]. Man-ganese serves to prevent caries through absorption of fluorides in the intestines.
***The effect has not been definitely proven, probably eliminates sulphides from foodstuffs
vanadium
supports insulin, intervenes in sugar metabolism
In addition to the disturbed HCl point, these patients are often deficient in:
Once the HCl point was corrected, functioning of the thyroid – and also the suprarenal gland – was suddenly corrected kinesiologically. Therefore, this point which is usually silent and generally overlooked actually represents a key to the immune system.
To be more precise, this means that impaired function observed – not only physically but in laboratory tests – in the thyroid, suprarenal gland and sexual organs is frequently attributable to dyspepsia and can be remedied by correcting the stomach point. (In this connection I am reminded of a comment by Gray Graham who, in his understated manner, said that, in nine out of ten cases, by stabilising the gastro-intestinal tract, he no longer needed hormones.) Since, as naturopaths, we are not permitted to prescribe hormones, this is the way that, despite this restriction, we can help the majority of childless couples keen to have a child. I have already produced a considerable number of children in this way! Phytotherapeutic and orthomolecular substances are available to support the thyroid, suprarenal gland and lower abdomen.
By way of explanation for those not yet totally familiar with the 5 element theory and to recap for others:
Heart/small intestine/circulation and hormonic system make up the element fire and the body first tries to correct disturbances within the element. This means that a disturbance in the small intestine (fungi, parasites, allergens, etc.) first spreads to the heart (frequently cardiac irregularity), circulation (hypo or hypertonia) and hormonic system (menstrual disorders, fertility problems, poor sperm quality) before acutely disturbing stomach/spleenpancreas/ and nervous system or chronically disturbing gallbladder/liver/joints and lipometabolism. The same applies with the element “earth”, in that dysfunction in the stomach first affects spleen/pancreas and nervous system, before spreading acutely to the lungs, large intestine, skin, connective tissue, and, in the longer term, acutely to the kidneys, bladder, allergy and lymph and chronically to the small intestine, heart, circulation and hormonic system and, in the longer term, chronically to the gallbladder, liver, lipometabolism and joints – the typical combination for the symptoms of neurodermatitis.
The problem is that the symptoms in the element “earth” have disappeared by the age of 25 at the latest so that knowledge of these backgrounds which will allow us to help in the short term comes solely from good accurate EAV testing – For me, this means that I correct the HCl point, test and check kidneys, suprarenal gland, thyroid, check the acid base balance using kinesiology – this is how I have discovered the BICOM optima®l treatment for the patient for the particular day.
I now test and check all chronic disorders, from neurodermatitis to rheumatism to circulatory disturbance, at this point, apply all the substances found – tested out – either at the HCl point or the chronic tissue point using programme 192 and 198 and then test and check how much of the substances found the patient still requires. I then prescribe these and like to add a tea prescription as well if the indication is appropriate:
Liver tea:
dandelion root 50.0
milk thistle 50.0
pussy toes (antennaria dioica) 30.0
1 dessertspoonful in 200 ml boiling water, allow to draw for 10 minutes.
Drink luke-warm after the evening meal.
Pancreas tea:
bean pods 30.0
birch leaves 30.0
wild garlic 30.0
2 dessertspoonsful in 1⁄2 litre boiling water, allow to draw for 15 minutes.
4 x per week luke-warm before the evening meal.
To return to neurodermatitis: For those of you who see your patients each week, the following programs would be appropriate following testing and depending on patient symptoms:
degenerative gastric affection 910 / 463
stomach pain (hyperacidity) 461 / 442 / 861
disturbed gastric secretion 827 / 241 / 211
disturbed pancreas reduced 580 / 935
secretion
acid-base balance 812
disturbed carbohydrate 819 / 530
metabolism
pyloric complaints 461 / 464 / 200
convulsive pain 710
intestinal flora 561 / 562
regulating bowel function 565 / 460
improving bowel function 930 / 830 / 960
stimulating enterogastric action 840 / 420
improving food decomposition in 447
small intestine
intestinal treatment 560 / 445
I hope I have been able to convey some of the enthusiasm which gripped me when I experienced the effect the point had on the whole body.
I wish you every success with the knowledge which hopefully you have gained.
LITERATURE
Dietl, H., Ohlenschläger, G.: Handbuch der orthomolekularen Medizin [Manual of orthomolecular medicine]
Hietkamp, Dr. Silke; Schüssler, Dr. Friedrich: Handbuch der REGENA-Therapie Band I [Manual of REENA therapy Vol. I]
Martin, Michael: Gastroenterologische Aspekte in der Naturheilkunde [Gastroenterological aspects in naturopathy]
Niestroj, I.: Praxis der Orthomolekularen Medizin [Practising orthomolecular medicine]
Pflugbeil, Dr. med. Karl: Vital plus Schunke, Kuhlmann, Lau: Orthomolekulare Medizin [Orthomolecular medicine]
Company literature from
CERES
Hevert
ISO
Nestmann
Pascoe
Working papers of the “Nutritional Therapy Association”
BICOM computer therapy manual
APPENDICES
Appendix 1: “Gastro-intestinal medication” table
Appendix 2: Functional diagnosis table
