How we’re different
Patients with persistent digestive symptoms often go through multiple tests that look at structure, blood markers, or transit time. None of them measure how much acid your stomach is actually producing, or how quickly it recovers after a challenge. That is what makes the Heidelberg test different. Here is how it compares to every other method available.
| Method | What it measures | Key limitations | Real-time? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heidelberg pH Capsule | Gastric pH and reacidification capacity via bicarbonate challenge | Requires practitioner visit; not yet widely available | ✓ Yes |
| Other methods | |||
| Upper endoscopy with biopsy | Visual inspection of stomach lining and tissue structure | Shows structure, not function. A normal scope does not mean normal acid. | ✗ No |
| Bravo pH Capsule | pH in the esophagus over 2 to 4 days | Measures reflux in the esophagus, not acid production in the stomach | Esophageal only |
| SmartPill | Transit time and pH through the entire GI tract | Passive transit. No challenge protocol. No longer commercially available. | ✗ No |
| Serum pepsinogen / gastrin | Blood markers that suggest cell damage or gastric stress | Indirect. Shows damage, not how much acid you are making right now. | ✗ No |
| Nasogastric aspiration | Acid collected through a tube in the nose | Invasive. Uncomfortable. Largely abandoned in clinical practice. | ✗ No |
| Baking soda challenge | You time a burp | No data. No measurement. Not clinically validated. | ✗ No |
| Betaine HCl challenge | You swallow acid and see if you feel warmth | No quantitative data. Subjective. Unreliable. | ✗ No |
Every other method on this list measures something around stomach acid: the structure of the lining, markers in the blood, acid in the wrong place, or a subjective feeling. The Heidelberg test is the only commercially available method that measures gastric acid secretion itself, in real time, through a standardized challenge protocol.
See if the Heidelberg test is your next step.