A nutritionist has told how a simple test can help measure stomach acid levels, a key indicator of gut health.
Meg McDonald, a holistic nutritionist, posted a video on TikTok last month explaining the baking soda test. The test, which has 32 million views on the platform, is designed to give participants an idea of where their stomach acid levels are.
When these levels are too low, bloating, gas, constipation and heartburn can occur.
“I know I didn’t pass this test when I was working on my gut health, but with some time and consistency and the right strategies you can,” Ms McDonald said in the video, which has been viewed 1.2 million times.
Meg McDonald, a holistic nutritionist, posted a video to TikTok last month describing the baking soda test, which she says can help measure stomach acid levels
Baking soda has been shown to soothe digestion, but there is no research showing whether the stomach acid test is accurate
In the video, Ms. McDonald pours half a cup of water into a glass and adds a quarter teaspoon of baking soda.
“You’ll want to do this in the morning on an empty stomach or the results won’t be accurate,” she said.
After drinking the mixture in one go, she recommends setting a timer to see how long it will take before you start burping.
“A small farmer isn’t really what we’re looking for,” Ms McDonald said. “We’re looking for consistent belching or a really good burp.”
‘What this shows us is that baking soda combined with the acid in your stomach should create a gas that makes you belch. So if the burping doesn’t happen within two minutes, your stomach acid is probably low.’
‘Stomach acid is a very crucial part of digestion and gets depleted if we take a lot of acid-blocking medicines or if we are under a lot of stress.’
Stomach acid, which consists mainly of hydrochloric acid, helps the body break down food. The stomach lining secretes this naturally, but if levels are too low it can be difficult to digest food, resulting in abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, acid reflux and heartburn.
Although long-term use of antacids can lead to low stomach acid, the risk may be higher if you are over 65 and contract certain infections.
One primary cause is Helicobacter pylori infection (H Pylori), which usually does not result in symptoms.
However, if symptoms do occur, they include abdominal pain, nausea, loss of appetite, and bloating.
Although the burp test has seen a resurgence on TikTok, it has been used as an at-home test for several years. Baking soda has been shown to soothe digestion, but there is no research showing whether the stomach acid test is accurate.
Doctors typically measure stomach acid through a Heidelberg test, which involves swallowing a high-frequency capsule. Patients then drink a baking soda solution and the transmitter measures how long it takes for stomach acid levels to change. This shows how much acid the stomach produces.
Low stomach acid can be treated with vitamins such as iron and calcium, if the patient is deficient, or with hydrochloric acid supplements.