Demystifying stomach acid: Its dual role in stomach health

Author: Ren Qingling

Unit: Shanxi Bethune Hospital

Gastric acid is an often overlooked but vital substance in our body. It is like a double-edged sword, playing a dual role in our digestive system, providing strong support for the normal digestive process, but also causing various health problems when the secretion is unbalanced. Understanding the mystery of gastric acid has far-reaching significance for maintaining our digestive health.

Normal function of stomach acid (positive role)

Gastric acid, whose chemical name is hydrochloric acid, is an important substance secreted by the stomach and plays an irreplaceable positive role in maintaining gastric health.

1. Digestion Helper

Gastric acid can activate pepsinogen and convert it into active pepsin. Pepsin is like a pair of scissors that can break down the protein in food into small peptides and amino acids, which is a crucial step in the digestion of food. For example, when we eat a piece of steak, gastric acid begins to be secreted, activating pepsinogen, thereby starting the digestion of the protein in the steak and preparing for further digestion and absorption in the small intestine.

Gastric acid can also help dissolve some minerals in food, such as calcium and iron, making them easier for the body to absorb. For example, the iron in spinach is converted from a difficult-to-absorb form into absorbable ferrous ions under the action of gastric acid, which helps prevent iron deficiency anemia.

2. Fight against germs

Gastric acid constitutes the first line of defense for the human stomach. The highly acidic environment in the stomach (pH is usually between 1 and 3) is an extremely harsh living environment for most microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi that enter the stomach with food. It can prevent them from multiplying in large numbers in the gastrointestinal tract and causing infection, thereby protecting our body from a variety of gastrointestinal infections.

Dangers of stomach acid imbalance (negative role)

However, when the secretion of gastric acid is out of balance, it will cause many problems for gastric health.

1. Excessive stomach acid

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is caused by excessive gastric acid secretion, which increases the pressure in the stomach and may cause acidic substances to reflux into the esophagus. The esophageal mucosa does not have an acid-resistant protection mechanism like the gastric mucosa. Gastric acid reflux can cause damage to the esophageal mucosa, resulting in symptoms such as heartburn, acid reflux, and chest pain. Patients often feel heartburn after meals or when lying down, because gastric acid reflux stimulates the nerve endings of the esophageal mucosa.

It is easy to cause peptic ulcers. Excessive gastric acid will continuously erode the gastric mucosa or duodenal mucosa, destroying the protective barrier of the mucosa. If the self-repair ability of the mucosa cannot keep up with the erosion speed of gastric acid, ulcers will form. Patients with gastric ulcers often feel upper abdominal pain after eating, while patients with duodenal ulcers often feel pain when they are fasting. This is related to the stimulation time and mechanism of gastric acid on the mucosa in different parts.

2. Too little stomach acid

Affects food digestion. Too little gastric acid can cause pepsinogen to not be fully activated, thus affecting protein digestion. Patients may experience symptoms of indigestion, such as abdominal distension, belching, loss of appetite, etc.

Long-term hypochlorhydria may also affect the absorption of nutrients such as vitamin B12 and iron, leading to poor nutrient absorption, because inadequately digested food cannot be effectively absorbed in the small intestine, which may cause health problems such as weight loss and anemia. Long-term hypochlorhydria may also cause atrophic gastritis.

Too little stomach acid increases the risk of gastrointestinal infection. Due to the decreased bactericidal ability of stomach acid, more pathogens may pass through the stomach and enter the intestines smoothly, causing intestinal infection and symptoms such as diarrhea and abdominal pain.

How to maintain normal gastric acid secretion

1. Adjust your eating habits

Maintaining a regular diet and eating at regular times is the key. Try to eat at the same time every day, which helps regulate the stomach's biological clock and keeps the secretion of gastric acid regular. For example, eating at around 7 a.m., 12 p.m., and 6 p.m. every day will help the stomach develop a habit and start preparing to secrete gastric acid for digestion at the corresponding time.

Avoid overeating and excessive hunger. Eating too much food at one time and being hungry for a long time will disrupt the normal secretion rhythm of gastric acid. Eat every meal on time and eat until you are 70% to 80% full. This can meet the body's energy needs without putting too much burden on the stomach.

2. Reasonable diet

Avoid eating too much irritating food. Spicy, greasy, overly sour or overly sweet food, as well as strong tea and coffee, may affect the secretion of gastric acid. For example, excessive consumption of chili peppers may irritate the gastric mucosa and cause abnormal gastric acid secretion. Eating some foods rich in dietary fiber, such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains, can help maintain the normal function of the stomach and indirectly promote the normal secretion of gastric acid.

3. Improve your lifestyle

Maintaining a regular work and rest schedule, avoiding staying up late and overwork, and exercising appropriately will help strengthen your physical fitness and gastrointestinal motility. Learn to regulate your emotions, maintain a good attitude, and avoid long-term mental stress, anxiety, depression and other emotional states, as these may affect gastric acid secretion.

Quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption. Nicotine and alcohol in tobacco can damage the gastric mucosa and interfere with the normal secretion of gastric acid. Quitting smoking and drinking in moderation can help protect stomach health and maintain normal gastric acid secretion.

4. Rational use of drugs

If medication is needed, it should be done under the guidance of a doctor to avoid abusing nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, hormone drugs and other drugs that may affect gastric acid secretion. For patients who have already developed gastric acid-related symptoms, they should follow the doctor's advice to use acid-suppressing drugs or gastric acid-promoting drugs for treatment and never take medication on their own.

Gastric acid plays an indispensable dual role in our health. We should pay attention to its role and maintain normal secretion and balance of gastric acid through a reasonable diet, a healthy lifestyle and correct medication. Only in this way can we allow gastric acid to continue to play a positive role in the digestive process, protect our health and enjoy a good life. If gastric acid-related health problems occur, you should seek medical attention in time for accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.