Acidifier
Acidifiers are inorganic chemicals that, put into a human body, either produce or become acid.
These chemicals increase the level of gastric acid in the stomach when ingested, thus decreasing the stomach pH.
Out of many types of acidifiers, the main four are:
- Gastric acidifiers, used to control pH in the stomach
- Urinary acidifiers, used to control pH in urine
- Systemic acidifiers, used to control pH in the overall body
- Acids, mostly used in laboratory experiments
Patients who suffer from achlorhydria have deficient secretion of hydrochloric acid in their stomach. In such cases, acidifiers may provide sufficient acidity for proper digestion of food. Systemic acidifiers, usually given by injection, act by reducing the alkali reserve in the body, and are also useful in reducing metabolic alkalosis.
