When your stomach is working normally,
you probably don’t think about it at all.
But when it starts acting up,
you can’t ignore it.
And right now,
it’s definitely speaking to you.
Because all of a sudden,
you have no stomach acid.
Your stomach is powerful.
And of all the digestive juices it produces,
hydrochloric acid is the most extreme.
This liquid form of hydrogen chloride
is also used in fertilizers,
fireworks,
rubber,
and steel.
If you inhale it,
you could suffer from
nose and breathing issues.
But this dangerous acid
is essential for your well-being.
And without it,
you’d be in big trouble.
So, we’re going to follow a piece of food
as it travels through your digestive system
and into your acid-less stomach.
But first,
let’s see what normally happens when you eat.
You bite into a delicious bagel.
Immediately, your stomach begins
to release gastric juices.
It uses three glands
in your stomach's lining
to create this acidic concoction.
As you chew and swallow your food,
it becomes what's called a bolus.
This travels down your esophagus
and into your stomach,
where it gets mixed with the gastric juices.
As I mentioned before,
this mixture is potent.
But luckily,
you have a protective shield
made of epithelial cells
in the lining of your stomach.
Without epithelial cells,
the gastric acid would eat away
at your stomach lining.
As extreme as stomach acid is,
it does four important things for your body.
First, it breaks down protein.
This is called proteolysis.
Second, it activates pepsin
which helps you digest the protein.
Third, it kills any harmful bacteria that hitched a ride on your food.
And finally,
your stomach acid sends a chemical signal
that moves the food
into your small intestine.
After the food moves
through your small intestine,
it goes into your large intestine.
And then,
well,
you know what happens next.
Your whole digestive tract,
from your mouth to your anus,
is vital for breaking down food.
But your stomach is the star
of your digestive system.
So, how would things change
if you lacked stomach acid?
You'd take a bite of that delicious bagel,
then chew and swallow it.
The food hits your stomach,
and then,
nothing happens.
There are no gastric acids
waiting to tear it apart.
The food just sits there,
growing bacteria that
could give you a nasty infection.
Proteins and other nutrients
wouldn’t be absorbed,
leaving you with nutritional deficiencies.
And the food might move into your intestine
too quickly.
It could come out whole at the other end.
Called dumping syndrome,
It's a symptom of low stomach acid.
Because you aren’t absorbing nutrients,
you’d suffer from a lot of issues.
The list is so long,
so let’s just say you’d have
terrible gas problems,
heartburn,
gastrointestinal infections,
and eventually neurological issues,
among other things.
You’d have to eat every two or three hours.
And you’d need to take small bites,
and chew your food thoroughly
to help your body digest it.
Or, you’d simply put
all your meals in a blender.
It wouldn’t be fun to drink your dinner,
but it would be easier
for your wrecked digestive system.
You’d also need to be careful
about what you eat,
and stay away from processed foods
to reduce inflammation.
And you'd need to take a ton of supplements,
although they might make you nauseous.
But even these steps wouldn’t get you back to normal.
Luckily, stomach acid doesn’t just disappear.
But not having enough stomach acid,
or hypochlorhydria,
is a common health issue.
Age,
stress,
processed foods,
and overusing antacid
can all cause problems for your stomach.
The good thing is
that you can always eat some ginger,
fermented vegetables,
or drink some apple cider vinegar.
They can reduce inflammation,
breakdown food,
and increase stomach acid,
giving you a happier digestive system.
It’s easy to take your body for granted.
But it works hard,
and we should all treat it
like the beautifully complex instrument it is.
Taking care of your body
could be as simple as
going to the bathroom
as soon as you feel the urge,
even if you’re on a long road trip.
But what if you held in your pee for a week?
Well, that’s a story for another What If.