The acidity of the partially digested food (called chyme) entering the small intestine signals the intestine to secrete bicarbonate ions, which neutralize the acid, creating an alkaline environment in the small intestine. Not only that, but when the food does move along, it, too, should be acidic. Stomach acid is supposed to take care of the proteins, enzymes do some initial work on the fats and carbohydrates, and then the food is supposed to move along. Food isn't supposed to sit in your stomach forever. Your stomach needs to be highly acidic not just in order to properly denature proteins, but also because the acidity signals other enzymes (such as gastric lipase, which is an early step in digestion of fats) to perform their functions, and these enzymes function optimally in an acidic environment.ДЄdditionally, the stomach is supposed to be highly acidic so that the denaturing of proteins can occur relatively quickly, and your food can be passed along for the rest of your digestive tract to go to work on it. When proteins are denatured, the enzymes in your small intestine that break them down into individual amino acids or small groups of amino acids (called peptides) have better access to them and are able to break them down properly. Job #1 of your stomach acid is to untangle these strands - a process called denaturing. Think of proteins as strands of Christmas lights: multiple cords that are all tangled up.

But the breakdown of proteins and fats begins in your stomach, and the primary conductor of the digestion orchestra is your stomach acid. The chemical breakdown of carbohydrates begins in your mouth, thanks to enzymes in your saliva. Not only is your stomach supposed to be acidic, but it must be acidic. The pH of your empty stomach is only slightly less acidic than battery acid! It's a logarithmic scale, so a pH of 6 is ten times more acidic than a pH of 7, and a pH of 5 is a hundred times more acidic than a pH of 7, so you can see that even when the pH of your stomach rises in the presence of food, it's still highly acidic! To give you a better sense for this, lemon juice has a pH of about 2 and vinegar's pH is around 2-3. The pH scale measures acidity: 7 is neutral, lower than 7 is acidic, and higher than 7 is alkaline. During a meal, when food is in the stomach, the pH rises to 4-5. Between meals, an 'empty' stomach has a pH of about 1-3, usually around 2. If only we could eliminate stomach acid altogether, we would have a permanent cure for reflux and indigestion, right? It's been portrayed as something to reduce as much as possible, or, better yet, completely neutralize. Owing to the high incidence of acid reflux and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), stomach acid has gotten a bad reputation. With this in mind, might there be a role for a ketogenic diet in addressing reflux? Stomach Acid 101

Why does it cause so much trouble for so many people?ДЇor the people who suffer from acid reflux, finding a natural remedy would be most welcome, because reflux can make eating - one of life's simple pleasures and joys - into a painful experience people dread.

Stomach acid has launched an all-out attack on people's digestion and quality of life, inching its way up into the esophagus and causing the pain and irritation commonly referred to as 'heartburn.' But stomach acid is a natural, normal, essential thing.

If television commercials for prescription and over-the-counter antacids are any indication, acid reflux has reached epidemic proportions.

Evidence Shows that Carbohydrates Aggravate GERD.

Alternative Approaches for GERD & Acid Reflux.

Conventional Advice for GERD & Acid Reflux.

Acid relux diet