Description

The digestive process takes place as food passes through the gastrointestinal tract, which consists of the mouth, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine. Betaine hydrochloride (C₅H₁₂NO₂Cl) is a source of hydrochloric acid, a naturally occurring stomach acid that helps break up fats and proteins for further digestion in the small intestine. Gastric (stomach) acid also aids in the absorption of nutrients through the walls of the intestines into the blood.

Gastric acid also helps protect the gastrointestinal tract from harmful bacteria. A normal level of gastric acid in the stomach—100,000-1,000,000 times more acidic than water—is sufficient to destroy bacteria, but a low level increases the likelihood and severity of certain bacterial and parasitic intestinal infections. One study showed...