Stomach acid is very essential to the human body. The food that is consumed is acted upon in the stomach by an acid called gastric acid. It is broken down and digested to be absorbed by the body. At times, this gastric acid may cause problems leading to digestive disorders. If the level of gastric acid is more, it will result in gastric ulcers or heartburn. People begin to experience some discomfort in the chest region which may subside after taking antacids. It is a burning sensation that occurs periodically.

Proton pump inhibitors are drugs that will stop acid production in the stomach and thereby reduce stomach pressure. This will result in less gastric reflux and the amount of heartburn is minimized finally. The major problem with proton pump inhibitors is that they stop calcium that is found in the food from being absorbed into the body.

Your body needs calcium and if it can’t get the required amount from food to function properly, your body will leach the calcium it requires from your teeth and bones. Several different medical studies have proven that lack of calcium leads to osteoporosis, a condition where your bones become porous and brittle and you could suffer a fracture.

The drugs stop our digestive system from digesting our foods in a timely fashion, and the longer your food stays in your stomach, the more stomach pressure and problems you will have. This leads to other medical problems like increased acidity level, etc.

Certain foods are known to cause gastric problems. They are spicy foodstuffs, alcohol, soft drinks, beverages, etc. People should avoid junk food and increase the intake of fruits and vegetables which are rich in proteins and vitamins and help to maintain good health. They build strength and increase resistance to diseases.

If anyone wants to control acidity, the checking of pH level is advised. This is done by a litmus paper which is available in health food stores. Testing can be done at home to determine the acidity or alkalinity value.

The final test result should be around a value of 7.3 to 7.4 which is slightly alkaline. The suitable timings of tests are in the mornings and evenings.