The pH of stomach acid has a range of fluctuation. When the body is fasting, the pH of stomach acid is between 0.9 and 1.8. As food enters the stomach and gastric juices are diluted, the pH rises to about 3.5.
Gastric acid itself is a biological hydrochloric acid that can have some antiseptic and antibacterial effects. When pathogens that enter the stomach with food encounter gastric acid, the acid breaks down the cell walls of the pathogens, causing the pathogen cells to rupture or dissolve, and presenting an antibacterial effect.
Gastric acid activates pepsinogen in the stomach, converting it to pepsin. Pepsin is the main enzymatic substance that facilitates the digestion and breakdown of food. When stomach acid enters the intestine, it also promotes the secretion of bile, pancreatic and intestinal fluid, which facilitates the absorption of trace elements such as iron and calcium in the small intestine.
Too much or too little stomach acid can cause discomfort in the body. The first thing you need to do is to make sure that you have a good idea of what you are doing. Reduced gastric acid may also be a sign of malignant diseases such as atrophic gastritis and gastric cancer. Excessive secretion of gastric acid can easily erode the gastric mucosa, causing damage to the gastric mucosa and causing peptic ulcer, gastritis, reflux esophagitis, cholecystitis and other digestive system diseases, and patients are prone to acid reflux, heartburn, stomach pain, stomach bleeding and other clinical manifestations. Patients need to develop good eating habits to ensure the normal secretion of stomach acid.