Gastric acid is so strong, why does drinking dirty water cause diarrhea? | Ronggelao Ke

As the leader of biological evolution, many organs of human beings are worth savoring. For example, our stomach. Only when we have a good appetite can we enjoy everything. This is also the basis for enjoying life.

Speaking of a strong stomach, we cannot avoid gastric acid. Simply put, gastric acid is hydrochloric acid. The pH value of free gastric acid in an empty stomach is between 0.9 and 1.8. In comparison, the pH value of vinegar is generally between 2.6 and 3.8, and the pH value of lemon is about 2.0 to 2.5. First of all, gastric acid can digest food and can digest whole pieces of food into chyme, so that after entering the small intestine, the human body can absorb the nutrients of these foods. Secondly, gastric acid can provide a suitable acidic environment for the decomposition of protein and convert the calcium and iron in food into a form that is better absorbed. Finally, gastric acid has a certain defensive effect and can eliminate bacteria, fungi, parasites, etc. that enter the stomach. It can be said that gastric acid provides an important protective barrier for the human body.

No, if stomach acid is so strong, why do people still have diarrhea? Nothing is absolute, and it depends on the situation. After all, stomach acid is hydrochloric acid, not hydrofluoric acid and aqua regia. If you eat a large amount of bacterial contaminants at one time, such as spoiled and unclean food, a small amount will escape the cleaning of stomach acid, especially food in a clumping state that has not been fully exposed to stomach acid. Not to mention humans, zoologists have also recorded cases of vultures, whose stomach acid is stronger than that of humans, being killed by carnivorous bacteria, clostridium, and botulinum toxin in rotten meat.

In addition to eating unclean food, drinking unclean water is a major culprit of diarrhea. When people do not eat, there is very little gastric acid in the stomach because there is no food that needs to be "digested". At this time, secreting gastric acid is not just a self-inflicted problem. Therefore, bacteria and other "dirty things" in the water are unlikely to withstand the "cleaning" of gastric acid, and naturally it is easy to get diarrhea. This situation was particularly common in ancient times, mainly because people in ancient times did not have the hygienic concept and habit of boiling water for disinfection before drinking, and even if they did, there was not enough fuel to boil water. In modern society, the hygienic concept of paying attention to food safety has become popular, and it is also very easy to obtain safe and hygienic water sources, so the diarrhea caused by drinking unclean water has been greatly reduced.

Some people may worry that stomach acid is so "acidic" that it will "burn" their stomach. Instead of worrying about stomach acid burning the stomach, it is better to worry about stomach acid damaging other parts such as the esophagus. According to an analysis study published in 2020, the overall prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease in the Chinese population is 7.69%. In other words, about 100 million Chinese people are suffering from the discomfort caused by gastroesophageal reflux.

Gastroesophageal reflux is actually a chain reaction caused by stomach acid not staying in the stomach. The refluxed stomach acid will first damage the esophagus, causing pain behind the sternum, also known as "heartburn", and then flow back into the mouth, causing sore throat, hoarseness and coughing. In some special cases, stomach acid refluxed into the throat can also affect the lungs, causing coughing and wheezing, and developing into a chronic cough.

Why does stomach acid flow back up? The most direct reasons are mostly related to diet. Eating fatty foods, smoking, drinking, and drinking beverages containing caffeine and carbonated drinks may aggravate acid reflux. In addition, emotional problems are also an important factor. Some studies believe that there are some complex two-way communication signals between the digestive tract and the central nervous system. Neurons help the brain control the digestive process; the information transmitted back by the digestive tract affects the brain's perception and emotional state. For example, anger, tension, anxiety, and stress, which are common emotional problems among modern people, may affect the health of the stomach. People often say that the stomach is an organ controlled by emotions. There is a saying that goes - I get so angry that my stomach hurts. This summary is really on point.

People who have irregular work and rest schedules and are under great pressure often suffer from stomach problems, which is also the reason. So to protect our stomach, shouldn’t we also start by relaxing?