This question may seem obvious however my class never went over this particularly so I wanted to make sure I understand this concept.
How does too little acid cause gastric distress?
A. The pH of the stomach becomes so low that proteins are not digested properly.
B. Neutrality is achieved so proteins are not digested properly.
C. More than enough acid is present to digest proteins, resulting in inadequate digestion of proteins.
D. The pH of the stomach becomes so high that proteins are not digested properly.
I think the answer is D, as the acid level would decrease enough that nothing is digested. However I don't like the word 'so' as it is very vague.
Any help would be appreciated.
-Sydney
That's right. The pH is around 2 in the stomach. The acidic environment allows for the activation of pepsin so protein digestion can occur. If the pH is too high, pepsin will not be activated and protein digestion will be hampered.
Ok thank you, I've been sleep deprived and wanted to make sure I had the right answer.
To understand how too little acid causes gastric distress, let's break down the options and reasoning behind each choice:
A. The pH of the stomach becomes so low that proteins are not digested properly.
This statement suggests that low stomach acid (low pH) impairs protein digestion. However, this is not accurate. Stomach acid plays a crucial role in breaking down proteins, and low stomach acid would actually hinder protein digestion further, not cause gastric distress.
B. Neutrality is achieved, so proteins are not digested properly.
This choice implies that the neutralization of stomach acid prevents protein digestion. However, the stomach should not be neutral, as it requires an acidic environment for optimal protein digestion. Therefore, neutral pH would likely hinder protein digestion rather than cause gastric distress.
C. More than enough acid is present to digest proteins, resulting in inadequate digestion of proteins.
This statement suggests that excessive stomach acid impairs protein digestion and leads to gastric distress. However, too much stomach acid is not generally a common cause of gastric distress. In fact, conditions like acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are often associated with excessive stomach acid, but they primarily cause symptoms such as heartburn, not gastric distress.
D. The pH of the stomach becomes so high that proteins are not digested properly.
This choice implies that high stomach pH (low acid) affects protein digestion. This is the correct answer. When the stomach acid level decreases significantly (pH becomes more alkaline), the proper digestion of proteins can be compromised. If proteins are not digested properly in the stomach, they may pass into the intestine incompletely broken down, leading to gastric distress.
Considering these explanations, option D is indeed the most accurate answer to how too little acid causes gastric distress.