Your stomach contains hydrochloric acid, a highly corrosive chemical compound that can dissolve certain metals and would spell seriously bad news anywhere else in (or on) the body. Its purpose is to ...

Hydrochloric acid likewise helps to dissolve the stomach contents while killing potentially harmful bacteria. The resulting semifluid paste—chyme—is sealed in the stomach by two ringlike ...

Stomach acid is part of the body's non-specific first line of defence. It is hydrochloric acid and while it does us no harm, it is strong enough to kill any pathogens that have been caught in ...

Stomach acid does not break down food. It is part of the body’s non-specific first line of defence. Stomach acid is hydrochloric acid and, while it does us no harm, it is strong enough to kill ...

Heartburn can happen as your uterus presses on your stomach and pushes acid up your esophagus. Heartburn is common in pregnancy. Hormones released during pregnancy can relax the valve between your ...