A nutritionist has explained how a simple test can help measure stomach acid levels, an important 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 been viewed 32 million times on the platform, is intended to give participants an idea of what their stomach acid levels are.
If these levels are too low, you may experience bloating, bloating, constipation and heartburn.
“I know I failed this test when I worked on my gut health, but with time, consistency and the right strategies you can do it,” Ms McDonald said in the video, which has 1.2 million views .
Meg McDonald, a holistic nutritionist, posted a video on TikTok last month detailing the baking soda test, which she says can help measure stomach acid levels
Baking soda has been shown to relieve indigestion, but there is no research to prove 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 should do this first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, otherwise the results will not be accurate,” she said.
After drinking the mixture all at once, she recommends setting a timer to see how long it takes before you start burping.
“A little burp isn’t really what we’re looking for,” Ms. McDonald said. “We look for consistent burping or a really good burp.”
“This shows us that baking soda combined with the acid in your stomach should create a gas that causes you to burp. So if burping doesn’t occur before the two-minute mark, your stomach acid is probably low.”
“Stomach acid is a really important part of digestion that gets depleted when we take a lot of acid-suppressing medications or when we’re under high levels of stress.”
Stomach acid, which is primarily 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, leading to abdominal pain, bloating, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, acid reflux and heartburn.
While prolonged use of antacid medications can lead to a lack of stomach acid, this risk may increase if you are over 65 and have certain infections.
A main cause is infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), which usually does not cause any symptoms.
However, when symptoms do occur, they include stomach pain, nausea, loss of appetite, and bloating.
Although the burp test is making a resurgence on TikTok, it has been used as a home test for several years. Baking soda has been shown to relieve indigestion, but there is no research to prove whether the stomach acid test is accurate.
Typically, doctors measure stomach acid through a Heidelberg test, which involves swallowing a radiofrequency 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 is producing.
Low stomach acid can be treated with vitamins such as iron and calcium if a patient is deficient in these, or with hydrochloric acid supplements.