When the stomach gets low on acid
By Nathan Seppa
A shortage of stomach acid can lead to cancer, possibly as a result of bacterial overgrowth and chronic inflammation, a study in mice indicates.
Too much stomach acid is a well-studied problem that can cause more than simple gastritis, an inflammation of the stomach lining. Excess acid can lead to heartburn and cause chronic inflammation of the esophagus, esophageal scarring, and even cancer.
Turning the tables, scientists recently found that too little stomach acid might cause its own problems, including pneumonia (SN: 10/30/04, p. 277: Available to subscribers at Affairs of the Heartburn: Drugs for stomach acid may hike pneumonia risk).