Each area of the body operates within a specific pH range. The normal blood pH range is between 7.3pH and 7.45pH. The pH inside the cell is generally about 7.4pH. However, some of the organelles inside the cell operate within their own specific pH range.
As shown in the picture, different segments of the GI, gastrointestinal, tract operate in their own pH range. Different digestive enzymes are activated and deactivated in specific pH ranges along the GI tract. As an example pepsin, an enzyme that breaks down protein, is activated in the stomach in a very acid pH environment. When the pH rises out of the desired pH for activation, pepsin stops working.
The stomach is designed to operate in an acidic environment, 1.5 to 3.0 pH. You may recall from an earlier page, if the pH in the stomach rises above 4pH there is a release of stomach acid to bring the pH back into the correct range. Note that the small intestines operate in a neutral or slightly alkaline pH range, 6.5pH to 7.5pH. And the colon, or large intestine, has a lower, or slightly acid, pH. (The colon is where one beneficial bacteria, acidophilus, resides in the GI tract. Acidophilus literally means "acid loving")
When food is eaten, digestion begins in the mouth, the teeth grind the food to a pulp and mix it with saliva which contains digestive enzymes that immediately begin to break down starch. When the food is swallowed it enters the acid environment of the stomach. The very acid pH is needed to activate the enzymes that breakdown protein.
(Note: meats are mainly protein, meat is where we get vitamin B12, the acid environment responsible for activating protein digestive enzymes is also required for intrinsic factor release. Intrinsic factor has to bind with B12 in order for the B12 to be absorbed. It's a very ordered system.)
The muscles of the stomach continue to pulverize the food, mixing it with stomach acid producing a liquid gastric acid, digestive enzyme, and food mixture, called chyme. Bile salts and pancreatic juices intermix with the chyme in the duodenum to bring the chyme to the correct pH for safe transit through the small intestines.
Speculation:
Many people with fibromyalgia, and a growing number in the general
populace, suffer with a condition called "acid reflux". What I
suspect is happening is this:
The stomach is designed to handle a very acid environment. The small intestine is designed for a neutral or slightly alkaline environment. The pH of the chyme must be raised from acidic to the correct pH for the small intestines. This is acheived by bile salts from the liver and fluids from the pancrease mixing with the chyme in the duodenum, the area at the beginning of the small intestines.
Suppose that there is more acidic chyme in the stomach than there is sufficient bile or pancreatic fluid to neutralize. If the stomach allowed the chyme to move forward it is possible that the acidic chyme could damage the small intestines, causing ulcers.
Remember premise #1: the body is designed to survive.
The stomach holds the chyme until it is safe to move it forward. In time the valve at the top of the stomach may become damaged and then when you lie down the chyme, still being held in the stomach, drains back into the esophagus. This is a potentially serious condition since the esophagus is not designed to handle long term exposure to acidic material.
In time the body realizes that it does not have enough of the needed substances to neutralize the very low stomach acid so the stomach produces less acidic gastric juices. Now a condition is beginning to develop that the system is unable to properly digest proteins, or release intrinsic factor.
The very acid pH of the stomach acid is also a defense mechanism, it kills many of the undesirable bacteria that may be ingested. If bacteria gets past this first line of defense in the stomach it could cause inflammation in the intestines which may lead to a leaky gut situation, where molecules of foodstuff can enter the system through ways other than the designed pathways.
If some of the proteins that were not completely broken down, get into the system via a leaky gut, the system, unable to identify these larger protein particles, launches an immune system attack on them as undesirable foriegn entities. This may be a possible scenario responsible for food allergies that many people experience.
Related Links |
| The pH Factor: The Real Silent Killer |
| Hypochlorhydria |