Imagine that our stomach is like a kitchen at home, and stomach acid is equivalent to the salt used to cook food. When the right amount of salt is in place, it can make food delicious;If you put too much or too little salt, the taste of the dish will be greatly reduced. Gastric acid (i.e. hydrochloric acid in gastric juice) is produced by our stomach parietal cells, which help us "cook" food and break it down so that our body can absorb the nutrients in it, while also killing some harmful bacteria and protecting our body from damage.
When we don't eat, the stomach has less "salt" (stomach acid), about 30 to 50 millilitres per hour, which is like a moment of silence in the kitchen before it is ready to cook. And when we eat, the "salt" in the stomach increases to cope with the "cooking" needs of the food and ensure that the food can be handled properly.
However, if we use too much or too little "salt" in our "kitchen" (stomach), there will be problems. For example, too much "salt" may cause stomach pain, acid reflux, burning sensation in the stomach, etc., just like putting too much salt in a dish, which makes it unbearable to eatToo little "salt" may make the food indigestion and insufficient nutrient absorption, just like the food does not have salt in it, and it tastes tasteless.
Therefore, in order for our "kitchen" to function properly, we need to maintain good living habits, such as regular work and rest, avoiding tobacco and alcohol, not drinking too much strong tea and coffee, and not abusing drugs, which can help us maintain the normal secretion of stomach acid and ensure that our "cooking" is delicious and healthy.