Gastrointestinal - disorder of the digestion of animal proteins
August 29, 2014 | 40,00 EUR | answered by Dr. David Meyer
I have noticed that my stomach/intestines have a massive problem processing animal proteins.
After consuming animal proteins, I experience symptoms similar to poisoning, such as strong feelings of illness and severe headaches. These symptoms can last up to 2 days.
I have discovered that I do not experience these symptoms if I take a tablet of artificial stomach acid before and during meals (Betaine HCL, approximately 3000-4000 mg per meal).
I have been taking these tablets for about 3 weeks now and have observed that my intestinal muscles have become stronger since then.
I interpret this as my stomach/intestines being unable to properly process proteins without Betaine HCL, but at least somewhat with artificial stomach acid.
During bowel movements, I often notice that fish and meat are largely undigested.
I suspect that if the body is unable to process proteins, it leads to a severe deficiency in amino acids and other substances. This would explain why I feel so physically and mentally exhausted.
The best technique I have found is to cook a kind of broth. Boil chicken, fish, etc for 3 hours and then drink the broth. I then do not feel as exhausted the next day. I assume this is because I am providing the body with proteins in a way that is easily digestible.
Since artificial stomach acid helps with the symptoms, I initially suspected that I simply had too little stomach acid.
However, I had an endoscopy yesterday. I had stopped taking the tablet with artificial stomach acid for this purpose. The pH value was 2, indicating sufficient stomach acid. So it doesn't seem to be that simple.
Background:
I believe I have had this disorder since childhood. I have experienced severe poisoning symptoms since around the age of 47 (I am now 50).
Question:
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What could be the cause of the impaired digestion of proteins (even if there seems to be sufficient stomach acid) and what could be possible therapies?
Dear questioner,
I would like to answer your question in detail. For this, further information about your medical history, overall health condition, and any coexisting conditions would be helpful. Especially allergies and intolerances. I would also like to know about your typical diet.
You describe experiencing "poisoning symptoms" with headaches after consuming animal protein. Can you provide more details about the symptoms and their progression? Do you react to specific types of meat, or even milk, butter, and cheese? Perhaps just milk protein? You also mention that your intestinal muscles have become stronger. Medically speaking, this doesn't really make sense, as the intestines are not controlled by voluntary muscles and do not become stronger like a "bicep". Are you referring to your digestion in general, or has there been a change in your bowel movements?
You mention that you have had this "disorder" since childhood. What has been discovered about it so far? Have you avoided animal products your whole life? Have your kidneys been checked?
First of all, I can tell you the following:
You may have a food intolerance. Whether it is against animal proteins, meat, or specific types of meat still needs to be clarified. Often, as a patient, you know best what you can tolerate. Keeping a food diary could also be helpful in diagnosing the issue. A "meat allergy" is relatively new in the medical field. Some people's bodies produce antibodies against so-called "glycosylated proteins". There are different forms of intolerance, such as Type 1 Immediate Type, similar to hay fever. Some people are only sensitized to red meat, others to entire groups, known as panallergens. It needs to be determined what exactly you are reacting to. Maybe just milk protein? The stomach then reacts with passage disorders, and the release of histamines leads to diffuse symptoms of illness.
It is interesting that you have no symptoms after taking BetainHCL. Even though the stomach contains so much acid and thus so many H+ ions (acid) that taking an HCL capsule cannot really lower the pH value further (chemically/mathematically speaking), it seems plausible that certain proteins or substructures denature under acidic conditions and therefore no longer pose a "danger". Prolonged cooking can also help. This would make the diagnosis of a food intolerance more likely, especially since no pathologies were diagnosed during your gastroscopy, such as inflammation of the mucous membrane.
There are diseases where there is too little stomach acid or too few digestive enzymes, but with a specific course of the disease. Your stomach pH seemed normal. Has a test for Helicobacter Pylori (a bacterium that resides in the stomach) been conducted?
Of course, there are also diseases where the protein metabolism is disturbed, but these would have been noticed in childhood, otherwise they would have a much more dramatic course.
An allergist would potentially conduct a skin prick test, provocation test, and blood draw for you.
In general, you should avoid animal proteins or consume them in reduced amounts. Red meat, for example, is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer. Consuming processed meats, red meat, butter, etc. also leads to a higher intake of animal fats (saturated fats and trans fats), which are considered causative factors for cardiovascular diseases. Protein, like carbohydrates and fats, is an essential component of our diet. Soy and plant-rich foods can meet the human body's need for essential amino acids.
I hope this information is helpful to you for now.
Sincerely,
Dr. Meyer
