Stomach Chemistry 101 OR why plain water may be upsetting your stomach

[iowagirl 0]

Sometimes as I read through the board I find a super interesting thread and respond. I'll admit it usually has to do with body chemistry in some way (remember the tannic acid in red wine? LOL) So for those of you who are having trouble with plain Water this may help you understand why better:

Every solution is either acidic or alkaline. (Alkaline is often called "base.") These solutions can be anything from body fluids, such as stomach acid and blood, to beverages, such as wine or coffee, to sea Water. Acidity and alkalinity are measured in pH (potential of hydrogen). The pH scale goes from 0 to 14, with 0 the most acidic, and 14 the most alkaline. The pH of stomach acid is 1, wine is 3.5, water is 7 (neutral), venous blood is 7.35, arterial blood is 7.4, sea water is 8.5, and baking soda is 12. Ideally, our pH should stay on the alkaline side: between 7.35 and 7.45.

So take a plain glass of water with a pH of 7. You drink it and it enters your stomach which has a pH of 1. Your stomach immediately sets to work to produce more acid to bring the pH of that water down. Common symptoms of an unbalanced pH in the stomach include heartburn, bloating, belching, stomach ache, or that feeling of heaviness that the plain water is just not sitting well.

So now take a look at the ingredients in those little packets we add to water: Crystal Light, propel, etc, you'll see that the ingredients include things like citric acid and ascorbic acid - both which are natural acids. What these do is bring the pH of water DOWN closer to the pH of the stomach. Your stomach recognizes this as more manageable so does not produce extra acid which results in no heartburn, bloating, belching, upset stomach or that feeling of heaviness.

Ummmm yea.....so that's my stomach chemistry 101 lecture.....LOL!

[Tiffykins 673]

If no one has told you lately, YOU are brilliant.

I love that you are geeky in the body chemistry department. No offense on the geeky thing, I'm an uber geek as well. I LOVED, LOVED, you tannic acid post.

[lmmore 0]

Great post. I always add a bit of something to my Water so that it isn't plain water, which I is difficult for me to drink. Now I understand why. Thanks so much. I am going to tag this post for future reference. Now i have to search out you tannic post. Thanks again. Les

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

It's funny because anything I add to Water gives me heartburn. I do have more trouble with water since I went off my ppi, but I haven't found anything to add to my water that doesn't cause heartburn.

[texaschick 0]

Well duh (head slap), now it makes sense! I don't do very well with Water, but crystal light, etc go down fine. Thanks for explaination!

[SParkle 4]

Something so simple, yet it explains so much - many thanks!!

[seaview 2]

So since I went off my Prilosec I CAN drink water...I didn't make the connection...thanks for your post...I'm not sure I understand it...but nevertheless it sounds like there is a scientific reason that I can drink Water now...SEAVIEW

[PamelaAM 16]

I am so glad that people like you are on this board! Solving the mysteries of life. . .so brilliant! Thank you!