Q Is a person suffering from acidity is safe with respect to infections that may occur through intake of diet? If the hcl present in stomach can kill bacteria and viruses then we may conclude that a person suffering from acidity is safe with respect to attack from microbes present in his/her diet?
HCl has an important role in killing the microbes in food. The normal pH of stomach is 2.1, which is highly acidic, and takes care of a significant amount of bacterial load. But an increase in acid content is not going to add to this significantly. Moreover, a lot of organisms are transmitted in form of spores, which remain unaffected by the acid. There are other mechanisms as well, by which organisms can sustain themselves in gastric acid long enough to be passed down into the duodenum, and beyond, where the pH turns alkaline, and they can flourish. Increased stomach acidity is not going to prevent you from infections. But apart from causing discomfort, it puts you at a greater risk for GERD (Gastro-esophageal reflux disease), which may ultimately lead to cancer of esophagus. A proton pump inhibitor can be helpful.