5 ms·
>stomach acid Apples and oranges. Unlike eating and excreting, the production (and destruction) of stomach acid doesn't change the body's overall pH. Rather,
by schiffern 4y ago
>stomach acid
Apples and oranges.
Unlike eating and excreting, the production (and destruction) of stomach acid doesn't change the body's overall pH.
Rather, the body produces acid by dumping alkalinity (specifically potassium bicarbonate) into the blood plasma.[0]
[0] https://teachmephysiology.com/gastrointestinal-system/stomach/acid-production/ https://teachmephysiology.com/gastrointestinal-system/stomac...
- CaptainNegative 4y agoExcretion is the key point. There's no conservation law for acidity in a system that can selectively excrete acids or bases as necessary, as can all individuals without serious metabolic conditions. If those who ate too few acids found a way to induce the excretion of too many of them, then they'd be in trouble.
- schiffern 4y agoI agree, it's not as simple as pH balance. The body is a complex adaptive system. However, the mere fact that the body can remove something doesn't mean it's healthy, or that it doesn't stress the excretory system. See: ethanol, for example.