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What is a Pepsin imbalance, and how do I fix it?

What is Pepsin?
Pepsin is an enzyme that is created by the pancreas and works to breakdown carbohydrates. 

High blood sugar can lead to an imbalance of pepsin and insulin in the body. The end result if this goes untreated can lead to a condition called Hyperglycemia

What is Hyperglycemia?
Hyperglycemia is an excess of glucose in the bloodstream, often associated with diabetes mellitus.

Pepsin specifically acts on the proteins in meat, eggs, dairy products, nuts and seeds. 

What are the benefits of Pepsin? 
  • Promote healthy stomach pH
  • Enhance protein and vitamin absorption
  • Reduce symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
  • Reduce symptoms of food allergies
  • Reduce symptoms of gallstones
  • Support heart health
  • Fortify joints
  • Reduce symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
  • Improve asthma symptoms
  • Protect the liver

Pepsin is an endopeptidase (enzyme) that breaks down proteins into smaller peptides. It is produced in the chief cells of the stomach lining and is one of the main digestive enzymes in the digestive systems of humans and many other animals, where it helps digest the proteins in food. Pepsin also works hand in hand with HCL. It may be that your diet is too rich in protein, or there is a tendency to over snack. Every time we come to ingest food, the HCL and pepsin have to fire up, and the overstimulation of continuous eating may be lowering the production of pepsin and HCL. It may also be due to historic diagnosed medical conditions from your medical professional. 


Decrease your protein consumption by 10% and replace it with more vegetables/fruits or plant-based proteins, which can be easier to digest. You may wish to increase your pepsin production by consuming apple cider vinegar 30 minutes before food (1 teaspoon of raw apple cider vinegar mixed with 3 tablespoons of pure alkaline water) which also has been known to kill off bacteria. Opt for a digestive enzyme containing pepsin can also help.