Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and of life itself. They make up 75% of the body and are essential for every function in the body. Ten of the twenty essential amino acids come from the food we eat, while the rest are produced naturally in the body.

To list just a few of the twenty amino acids, one should note that histidine is essential for the regrowth of tissue, lysine assists with the absorption of calcium, leucine keeps control of blood sugar, methionine breaks fat levels down, and phenylalanine works on the functions of the nerves and memory.

When our digestive system is out of whack, we suffer in several ways. Acid reflux, heartburn and indigestion can be an unpleasant side effect of improper digestion. While it’s widely believed that acid reflux comes from overproduction of hydrochloric acid, recent research suggests that indigestion can actually be caused by the underproduction of this acid.

In the case of underproduction of acid, also known as achlorhydria, undigested protein sits in our stomach, essentially rotting away. Bloating, burping and discomfort follows - sometimes forcing acid or food back up the esophagus. Disgusting, isn’t it? If you have bad breath, burp excessively after eating, feel heavy after eating, experience nausea, diarrhea or constipation, then these may be tell-tale signs that food isn’t being broken down properly into the amino acids you need to feel your best.

There are several reasons why your digestive system may not function properly. Maybe your body is not receiving the signals of a chemical nature to encourage the removal of waste, the absorption of amino acids and protein and mineral usage.

Body chemical imbalance could be due to stress or a strong regime of physical exercises taking the whole of your body’s attention away from other needs. Age is another factor to take into consideration. Hydrochloric acid production is much lower in an older person than in a younger one. Your digestive system can also be affected by an inadequate diet, eating disorders, or a lack of good sleep.

Prilosec, which is a top selling prescribed medication, promises to relieve the discomfort by stopping acid production. This however, does not treat the underlying issues of putting right what should happen naturally. Even though drugs such as Prilosec may provide immediate relief, it does not address the fact that improper digestion prevents the production of essential amino acids in the body.

For this reason many people take supplements of amino acids to control their digestive processes. These supplements can kick start the removal of wastes from the body and control the production of stomach acid and the absorption of minerals. We need to remind ourselves that our bodies will not perform as designed without the proper nutrition.