Doctor's Best Betaine HCI Pepsin & Gentian Bitters, Digestive Enzymes for Protein Breakdown & Absorption, Non-GMO, Gluten Free, 120 Caps, Original Version

For years, I lived on the world’s most boring menu: freshly cooked meat (frozen immediately, because histamine intolerance is extra like that), rice, broccoli, yams, apples, blueberries, turmeric, butter, oregano, and salt. That’s it. No snacks. No desserts. No joy. Even with this microscopic menu, I woke up most mornings flirting with anaphylaxis. Add in chronic SIBO, a two-year run with mastitis in both breasts (despite never having kids), and vitamin deficiencies that refused to budge, and I was basically one weird symptom away from being a side plot on Grey’s Anatomy.Then came the glamorous stool test. While collecting samples (truly living the dream), I noticed something weird—many of the pills I’d been taking were coming out completely intact. I took this poop mystery to several doctors, and one of them—a naturopath—finally said, “Well, if all your pills are showing up in your stool, it probably means you have almost no stomach acid.”Okay, pause. No stomach acid? That sounded bad so I went down a rabbit hole tried Doctor’s Best HCl Betaine, and I’m not kidding—within two days, everything changed:I could eat food again. Real food. Fake food. All the food. None of the near-death drama.The chronic mastitis? Gone. (Apparently, there’s something called the “gut-breast axis,” but don’t ask me to explain it.)The SIBO that had been making me miserable for years? Not anymore.And the vitamin deficiencies that kept popping up on blood tests? They finally started improving.I thought fixing my stomach acid would just help my digestion, but it turns out, low stomach acid doesn’t just mess with your stomach—it messes with everything. Without enough stomach acid, you can’t break down proteins, absorb nutrients like B12, magnesium, and iron, or keep your gut bacteria in check. And it doesn’t stop there. Like I said, it's a whole rabbit hole.Naturally, I started obsessively Googling. That’s when I stumbled on a medical book from the 1800s, which said that if you went to a doctor back then with symptoms like IBS, bloating, diarrhea, or food intolerances (all things I'd had for YEARS), the first thing they’d assume was wrong was that you didn’t have enough stomach acid!Um, what?Their solution? Lemon juice, apple cider vinegar—basic stuff to kick-start acid production. Simple, effective, and very unmodern. Today? Doctors will slap you with antacids faster than you can say “gut-brain axis,” making the problem worse for so many people.It wasn’t until much later—after Doctor’s Best gave me my food back and my vitamin levels normalized—that I learned how stomach acid is connected to GERD (which I’ve never had) and a bunch of other issues I did have. After that, I talked to a GI specialist who knew the term for “low stomach acid” (hypochlorhydria) but had no idea how to treat it. Her solution for GERD? Surgery to tighten the esophageal valve—a valve that literally depends on stomach acid to close. Make it make sense.Here’s why Doctor’s Best is now my ride-or-die:It Works: Thanks to the added bitters, I get results with a smaller dose than other brands I’ve tried (and trust me, I’ve tried a lot).Gelatin Capsules: When I take cellulose capsule HCl supplements, they don't work.. unless I open them bc my body doesn't make enough acid to open cellulose. These are the ONLY HCl betaine in gelatin that I've ever seen.Affordable: It’s more effective than pricier options, so my wallet is as happy as my stomach (and my milk-ducts).Here’s how I used it:Start with one capsule per meal.Add one capsule at each meal until you feel a slight burning sensation. (If that happens, I ate more food, drank some milk, and you was fine.)Back off by one capsule, and that’s your sweet spot.Some people can taper off once their stomach acid normalizes, but I haven’t been able to do that yet... Between my underlying conditions (Lyme, mold toxicity, and MCAS) I might never be a free-spirit eater again.And because Amazon doesn’t love sweeping medical claims: I’m not a doctor, and I can’t guarantee this will work for everyone. Health is deeply personal and nuanced. But if you’re like I was—desperate, exhausted, and stuck on a bland, depressing diet—this might be worth looking into. For me, this has been one of the three most important supplements I've found (and I've tried hundreds) -the others are benfothiamine and molybdenum.

Price is affordable and quality is good

Let me start with my weight journey. There will be TMI. So stop reading now if you don't want to read that. I am giving my honest review along with my medical struggles.Four years ago I ate extremely healthy exercised 2 hours 5x a week, which I had been doing for 3 years already. I suddenly gained 15 lbs while eating healthy and exercising. I decided to go to a nutritionist I told her what I ate and how much I exercised, but she didn't believe me. So I stopped meeting my nutritionist because she said, "as we get older our metabolism gets slower... " I was 28 at the time, I did not accept her explanation because my weight gain was sudden within a month. At the time I was eating small meals 6x a day along with my protein shakes. I kept that diet but I kept struggling to lose weight, I tried keto with intermittent fasting before my pregnancy and I was able to lose 10 lbs. After my pregnancy I had gained 13 lbs. I tried keto and intermittent fasting and I was not able to lose a pound! I also was diagnosed with choleostasis of pregnancy and after having my baby I had gallbladder issues, not being able to digest fat with constant diarrhea. Of course I could not do keto anymore because of my gallbladder. So I researched leaky gut and candida. My symptoms were stomach cramps after eating, heartburn, bad breath even after brushing teeth, No headaches or stomach growls after not eating for a long period of time, no hunger, indigestion and diarrhea after consuming fats, constipation , mild nausea,heartburn, diagnosed with pre-diabetes, unable to lose weight even while eating healthy and exercising, low energy/ tired, unable to concentrate . At first I thought I had hypothyroidism but after doing research I realized my issues started with my gut. So I figured I had low stomach acid after researching with multiple naturopath doctors (These doctors actually want to heal you, not make money off of you like your regular doctors by prescribing meds that don't solve anything but just mask the symptoms.) During the year I suddenly gained weight I was on antibiotics for a tooth ache and yeast infections, and constantly on steroids for swollen tonsils and strep throat, metformin, and I was also on birth control which I attribute my health issues to. All those medications caused my stomach acid to diminish which consequently contributed to my pre-diabetes, inability to lose weight, sudden weight gain, stomach issues and tiredness. I have been able to lose 2lbs with this supplement the first time I took it, 3 capsules before my meal along with digestive enzymes. So far I have lost 5 pounds in 3 days and I am not changing my diet ( but I do eat whole foods and 90% healthy) or exercising.Please don't give up on your health journey, don't believe your doctor just because they have degrees, they are not taught to heal you, they are trained to prescribe medications that cause more issues at the end. Do your research. At the end no one can force you to take that medication, so personally I blame myself for being ignorant and just believing everything my doctors said. I know better now. Good luck and I hope your medical issues get resolved.

I’ve been using Doctor’s Best Betaine HCI Pepsin & Gentian Bitters for a short period, and while it’s too early to see significant results, my initial impressions are positive.Effectiveness: Early signs suggest that it may be helping with my digestion, particularly with protein breakdown and absorption. I’ve noticed a slight improvement in how I feel after meals, but it’s too soon to confirm any major benefits.Usage: The capsules are easy to take, and the recommended dosage is straightforward. Incorporating them into my daily routine has been hassle-free.Ingredients: The combination of Betaine HCI, Pepsin, and Gentian Bitters is promising. Knowing that it’s designed to support digestive health gives me confidence in its potential effectiveness.Quality: The product is non-GMO and gluten-free, which is important to me. The quality seems good, and the ingredients are well-chosen for their intended purpose.Value: With 120 capsules in the bottle, it offers a decent value for the price. It’s affordable, and if the long-term benefits prove true, it will be well worth the investment.Conclusion: While it’s too early to make a definitive judgment, Doctor’s Best Betaine HCI Pepsin & Gentian Bitters shows promise as a digestive aid. I’ll continue using it and monitor for further improvements.

Works great for low stomach acid condition. Easy to swallow capsule, works quickly and effectively.