What is stomach acid? What are the functions of stomach acid?

We eat a variety of foods every day, so when food enters the stomach, the stomach begins to digest the food through peristalsis. In the process of digestion, it also needs the help of a substance called "gastric acid", which has a certain corrosiveness. However, too much or too little gastric acid is very bad for human health. So, what are the functions of gastric acid?

Gastric acid plays an extremely important role in the digestion of food.

(1) Hydrochloric acid can activate pepsinogen, converting it into pepsin and providing a suitable acidic environment for pepsin to function.

(2) Kills bacteria in the stomach that enter with food and water.

(3) When gastric acid enters the small intestine, it can also promote the secretion of pancreatic juice, bile and intestinal juice, which helps the small intestine absorb substances such as iron and calcium.

(4) Break down the connective tissue and muscle fibers in food, denaturing the protein in food and making it easier to digest.

(5) Feedback inhibition of gastrin secretion by gastric sinus cells.

Too much or too little stomach acid can cause adverse symptoms

Too little gastric acid secretion or iatrogenic gastric acid secretion can often cause symptoms of indigestion such as abdominal distension and diarrhea; but if the gastric acid secretion is too high, it is also not good for the human body. Excessive gastric acid has an erosive effect on the gastric mucosa, causing gastric inflammation or ulcers. There are also trace amounts of magnesium, phosphorus and calcium in gastric juice. The cations and anions in gastric juice and the anions and cations in the blood affect each other. If a large amount of vomiting occurs and a large amount of gastric juice is lost, it can cause electrolyte disorders and acid-base imbalance in the human body. Therefore, making the acidity in the stomach appropriate is the key to ensuring the normal gastric mucosa.