What is a Hydrochloric Acid (HCL) imbalance, and how do I fix it?

Hydrochloric acid (HCL) is an acid produced primarily in the stomach that helps your body to break down, digest, and absorb nutrients such as protein. It also eliminates bacteria and viruses in the stomach, protecting your body from infection. Every time we come to ingest food, the HCL has to fire up, and the overstimulation of continuous eating maybe lowering the production of HCL. It can also mean that your diet is too rich in protein or that you over snack. It may also be due to a food poisoning situation or a recent cold/virus/bacteria which your body may be fighting off, lowering the production. It may also be due to historic diagnosed medical conditions from your medical professional. 

Decreasing your protein consumption by 10% and replacing it with more vegetables/fruits or plant-based proteins can be easier to digest and help rebalance HCL. You may wish to increase your HCL 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 HCL can also help.