GASTRIC JUICE, n the digestive secretions of the gastric glands in the stomach, consisting mainly of pepsin, hydrochloric acid,

rennin, and mucin.

Definition

antacids actually may be doing more harm than good in that they may be hindering part of the digestive process. Additionally, it is thought that some food allergies are related to partially digested proteins passing through the intestinal wall. Since antacids decrease the effectiveness of pepsin, thereby increasing the number of partially digested proteins that can pass through to the intestine, it may be that antacids actually may increase the risk of food allergy development.
Function of Rennin Enzymes Rennin is a coagulating enzyme produced in the inner lining of the abomasum (the fourth/true stomach) of the milk-fed calf. It is also produced in the stomach of a goat or lamb. Some alternative sources of chymosin are plants, especially thistles and nettles and microbes like fungi and yeasts. Being a proteolytic enzyme, major function of rennin is to curdle milk. Rennin enzymes are produced in abundant amount immediately after the birth. Its production gradually decreases and is replaced by the digestive enzyme, called pepsin. Rennet is known to play an important role in coagulation and curdling of milk. Milk is separated into liquid or whey and semi-solid or yogurt. Curdling of milk is essential for the proper digestion of milk proteins in the stomach. If milk is removed immediately from the stomach in its undigested state, then young mammals won't benefit from the milk proteins. Coagulation of milk by rennet allows it to remain for a longer time in the stomach. The stomach is the organ that is an important part of the digestive system. This is the organ that is responsible for digesting the food that is carried from the mouth to the stomach through the esophagus. The enzymes that are present in the stomach which digest the food require an acidic pH to function properly. This is where the hydrochloric acid in stomach comes into play. The main function of hydrochloric acid in stomach is to provide an optimum pH for normal functioning of the enzymes

Pepsin is a digestive enzyme that is released in the stomach as pepsinogen. The release of hydrochloric acid stimulates the release of this basic form of pepsin. When pepsinogen is exposed to the hydrochloric acid in the stomach, the pepsinogen unfolds and breaks into pepsin.

Function

The main function of pepsin is to break down proteins that are found in foods such as meat and eggs into smaller pieces (polypeptides). It breaks down proteins only at certain points, so the protein is not digested completely to the amino acid level. In order for that to occur, the food has to pass into the intestines, where other enzymes complete the digestion process.

Antacids and Pepsin Function

Pepsin requires a low pH level in order to function. Antacids, however, raise the pH level of the gastric juices to a level that is not optimal for pepsin to work. Since pepsin is needed in order to break down proteins into polypeptides, those who take over-the-counter or prescription

present there. For example, hydrochloric acid helps convert pepsinogen to pepsin, which is responsible for breaking down proteins in the stomach. Given below is the normal concentration of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, along with information of what happens when there is over secretion and under secretion of hydrochloric acid. How Does the Stomach Prevent Itself from Digestion? Did you know that the pH concentration of hydrochloric acid in stomach is as low as 1 to 2? This pH is low enough to melt solid metal! So how does the stomach protect itself from self digestion? Well, the stomach protects itself from the strong acid as there is secretion of a thick mucus protective layer which prevents the acid from harming the cells of the stomach. Furthermore, sodium bicarbonate buffering aids in preventing damage to the cells of the stomach. Low Hydrochloric Acid in Stomach As mentioned earlier, the hydrochloric acid in the stomach has many important functions, and thus, when there is decreased secretion of it, it leads to many problems. Decreased production of hydrochloric acid is known as hypochlorhydria, whereas complete absence of hydrochloric acid is known a achlorhydria. This decreased production of hydrochloric acid can occur due to vitamin and nutrient deficiency. There are many symptoms of low hydrochloric acid in the stomach, like offensive smelling stool (due to the presence of undigested food), delayed gastric emptying, upper abdominal bloating and general flatulence, drowsiness after meal, frequent hunger pangs, etc. Furthermore, a decrease in the levels of gastric acid also lead to increased susceptibility to infections of the gastrointestinal tract, as the hydrochloric acid also the property of being a disinfectant. Thus, all these symptoms point towards decreased secretion and production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. The treatment for hypochlorhydria or achlorhydria involves including food

items that will either assist in the digestion process or will stimulate the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. These food items include cayenne pepper, vinegar, digestive enzyme supplements, etc. Too Much Hydrochloric Acid in Stomach Excess amounts of hydrochloric acid in the stomach can lead to a lot of health problems. This condition arises in certain diseases like Zollinger-Ellison syndrome and hypercalcemia. Excess of gastric acid occurs when there are increased gastrin levels, which is responsible for instigating the cells into secreting more gastric acid. This condition leads to symptoms like stomach aches and stomach ulcers. Furthermore, other stomach acid symptoms include pain in the stomach due to the presence of excessive acid, which makes the person lose his or her appetite. Eating spicy food also further aggravates the pain in such cases. For stomach acid relief, the treatment is to take antacids, either in the form of solutions or drugs and medicines. However, for cases where there is persistent over secretion of hydrochloric acid, it is best to consult a doctor and get the condition properly diagnosed and treated.