Stomach acid is very essential to the human body. The food that is consumed is acted upon in the stomach by an acid called gastric acid. It is broken down and digested to be absorbed by the body. At times, this gastric acid may cause problems leading to digestive disorders. If the level of gastric acid is more, it will result in gastric ulcers or heartburn. People begin to experience some discomfort in the chest region which may subside after taking antacids. It is a burning sensation that occurs periodically.
As a remedy, doctors prescribe antacids that help to alleviate the symptoms. It will neutralize the stomach acids and give temporary relief. Another class of drugs that help in controlling are Proton pump inhibitors. They are a group of drugs that help in reducing the stomach acid level.
They are widely selling drugs due to their outstanding effects, but have a major drawback in that they reduce the absorption of calcium by the body. As a result, the body is forced to take calcium from teeth and bones. This may lead to a condition called osteoporosis where the bones become brittle and prone to fractures.
The drugs stop our digestive system from digesting our foods in a timely fashion, and the longer your food stays in your stomach, the more stomach pressure and problems you will have. This leads to other medical problems like increased acidity level, etc.
Stress, anger and frustration are factors that lead to acidity and so is our diet. If we consume an acidic diet like meat and grains and not enough fruits and veggies our body will become acidic. Spicy foods can also negatively affect the digestion process and cause the stomach over-produce acids which can lead to gastritis and be very painful.
One of the tests for determining acidity is by using the litmus paper. This can be done at home. Litmus paper is available at all health food stores.
The normal value is around 7.3 to 7.4 which is slightly alkaline. The ideal time for carrying out the tests would be in the mornings and evenings.
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