Stomach acid is a digestive fluid formed in the stomach wall. With a pH between 1 and 3, stomach acid plays a key role in protein digestion by activating digestive enzymes, which together break down the long chains of amino acids of proteins. Stomach acid is regulated in feedback systems to increase production when needed, such as after a meal. Other cells in the stomach produce bicarbonate, a base, to buffer the liquid, ensuring a regulated pH. These cells also produce mucus - a viscous barrier to prevent stomach acid from damaging the stomach. The pancreas further produces large amounts of bicarbonate and secretes bicarbonate through the ductus pancreaticus to the duodenum to neutralize stomach acid entering the digestive tract.
The active components of stomach acid are protons and chloride. Often simplistically described as hydrochloric acid, these species are produced by parietal cells in the gastric glands in the stomach. Their secretion is a complex and relatively energetically expensive process. Parietal cells contain an extensive secretory network (called canaliculi) from which the "hydrochloric acid" is secreted into the lumen of the stomach. The pH of gastric acid is 1.5 to 3.5 in the gastric lumen of humans, a level maintained by the proton pump H+/K+ ATPase. In the process, the parietal cell releases bicarbonate into the bloodstream, causing a temporary rise in blood pH, known as an alkaline tide.
The highly acidic environment in the stomach lumen degrades proteins (e.g., food). Peptide bonds comprising proteins are labeled. The gastric head cells of the stomach secrete enzymes for protein degradation (inactive pepsinogen and in childhood renin). Low pH activates pepsinogen in the enzyme pepsin, which then promotes digestion by breaking the amino acid bonds, a process called proteolysis. In addition, many microorganisms are inhibited or destroyed in an acidic environment, preventing infection or disease.
Treatment BeterKlinic
BeterKliniek is the clinic for Integrative Medicine that bridges regular and non-regular medicine.
An van Veen (physician) and Michael van Gils (therapist) look for the cause of a condition or disease. That is where the treatment starts otherwise, as people often say, it is 'carrying water to the sea'. We call this cause medicine. Sometimes it is also desirable to treat the symptoms (at the same time). We call this symptom medicine.
Chronic disorders often have their cause in epi- genetics. You can schedule a free informative telephone consultation (phone number 040-7117337 until 1 p.m.) at BeterKliniek to discuss your symptoms so that we can provide you with further advice.
