Antacids

=ANTACIDS = = = =IB Objetive = State and explain how excess acidity in the stomach can be reduced by the use of different bases.

What is an antacid?
An antacid is basically any substance, which can be a base or a basic salt, that neutralizes stomach acidity.

===Basic Overview of Digestion  ===

The way digestion works is the bre﻿akdown of foods into molecules that can be utilized by individual cells in the body. Even though digestion involves many mechanical actions, much of the digestive process takes place in the stomach, which scientifically is a muscular bag which can hold between 2 and 4 litres of food

A stomach is structured by walls which are lined with a layer of cells that secrete mucus, pepsinogen (a precursor for the enzyme pepsin that breaks down proteins into peptides), and hydrochloric acid, which are known as gastric juices. The hydrogen ion concentration of the hydrochloric acid that the stomach walls secrete normally lies between a pH value of 1.5 and 2.5. The mucus that the walls secrete give protection from the hydrochloric acid but problems can arise if the stomach lining is damaged or when there is an excess of acid.

The pain or discomfort caused by excess acid is known as indigestion, which may be caused by alcohol, smoking, anxiety, or sometimes from eating certain types of foods. Strong medicinal drugs like ibuprofen, which is an analgesic, can also irritate the stomach lining or thin layer of mucus. Antacids are introduced here because they are used to fight excess stomach acid. Doctors recommend to take the antacid between one and three hours after eating because food typically stays in the stomach for up to four hours after a meal.

Antacids are basically simple bases, such as metal oxides, hydroxides, carbonates, or hydrogen carbonates. As there is an excess in acid during indigestion, the antacid works as a neutralizer in order to prevent inflammation, relieving pain and discomfort and finally allow the mucus layer and stomach lining to re-create. Common examples of antacids include aluminum hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate and calcium carbonate.

This would be an example of a reaction between the antacid and the acid

Side Effects of Consuming Antacids
Even though the antacid sounds like no harm, it may sometimes have side effects. Although relatively harmless, the magnesium compounds in the antacids can cause diarrhea, whereas the aluminum compounds can cause constipation. Aluminum compounds can also interfere with the absorption of phosphate from the diet causing possible bone damage if the antacids are taken in high doses over a long period of time. Also, sodium hydrogen carbonate produces carbon dioxide gas, which may cause bloating and belching.

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