Insufficient stomach acid is much more common than lack of intrinsic factor, but lack of intrinsic factor is not rare.

Insufficient stomach acid either results from or causes (or both) the stomach lining to deteriorate, which makes loss of the ability to secrete intrinsic factor more likely.

All, do remember that stomach atrophy, loss of sufficient acid, etc., often result even though an individual has not done anything (antacids, etc.) to cause it. Often it is autoimmune related.

rose