Have you ever thought about how powerful our stomach is and what it can possibly do? The stomach has some fascinating effects on wood, metals, and other different particles.
For the most part, acid can turn a piece of metal into a fizzing liquid, but do you know that your stomach acid can do the same thing? Well, as weird as it sounds, your stomach acid can dissolve small pieces of metal; it’s even strong enough to burn a hole right through the skin.
For starters, stomach acid, which is also known as gastric acid, contains sodium chloride, potassium chloride, and hydrochloric acid. In fact, the concentration of hydrochloric acid alone varies between 5,000 and 10,000 parts per million.
I was wondering how to measure the strength of acids. Essentially, the PH scales from 0 to 14. 0 is the most acidic, 7 is neutral, and 14 is the most alkaline or non-acidic.
What about stomach acid? The level of acid in the stomach is typically between 1 and 3, which is very acidic. The strength of stomach acid is similar to that of battery acid, making it much stronger enough to eat through steel or a piece of wood.
The good thing is that our stomach acid protects us from all the viruses and bacteria that find their way into the body via the mouth, noise, and food we eat. Thanks to the stomach acid, the germs don’t stand a chance to survive.
What prevents this powerful acid from eating through us? Well, your stomach’s epithelial cells protect you from the destructive power of the acid. These cells produce a solution of mucous and bicarbonate that coats the stomach lining. For those who don’t know, bicarbonate is a major element (base) that neutralizes stomach acid.
What’s more, the mucous produced by epithelial cells creates a physical barrier between the walls of the stomach and the acid it produces.
It’s good to know that these cells renew themselves every three to four days, so you can be sure that your stomach lining will always stay safe.
ARNOLD