Chemistry of Antacids

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Chemistry of Antacids

Hopewell Valley Student Podcasting Network

Chemistry Connections

Chemistry of Antacids

Episode #5

Welcome to Chemistry Connections, our names are Janya and Arya and we are your hosts for episode #5 called The Chemistry of Antacids, which is also what we will be discussing today. 

Segment 1: Introduction to Antacids

For this segment we are going to be talking about what antacids are, and in what situations they can be used for. 

Do you know what antacids are?

Not really….

Well, they are medicines used to treat heartburn and indigestion!

But what is heartburn exactly? Is you’re heart on fire?

Noooo. Heartburn is caused by excess stomach acid that travels up the esophagus.

Sounds gross!

Well, if you want to reduce them, you can reduce the amount of acid in your stomach, by eating less acidic foods for example. 

Some acidic foods include tomatoes, oranges, and… chocolate. (yes if you want to have less heartburns, you have to eat less chocolate). 

Right, so when you eat less of these foods, the acid won’t have a chance to travel up the esophagus. I get it now!

Antacids also do the same thing, because it reduces the amount of acid that’s in your stomach (technically, the excess acid) 

And your problem is solved!

But not really, because this didn’t treat the actual cause of heartburns or indigestion 

  • They usually relieve symptoms for a few hours, so it is not a permanent solution
  • Antacids can be found in liquid form as well as tablet form, but liquid form works better (don’t really need to say)
  • Antacids helps to relieve a variety of symptoms such as a burning sensation/pain in your chest/stomach, acidic taste in your mouth, feeling of being bloated. 
  • More serious problems which antacids can help treat include: acid reflux (GERD), stomach lining inflammation (gastritis), and stomach ulcers
  • Some common active ingredients in antacids include aluminum, calcium, magnesium, and salts (sodium).
  • These active ingredients help raise the pH level in the stomach, reducing the acidity and providing temporary relief from symptoms. Antacids typically provide quick but short-term relief and are not intended for long-term use. It’s important to follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer or consult a healthcare professional for appropriate usage and dosage recommendations.

Segment 2: The Chemistry Behind Antacids

  1. Acid-base reactions (Active ingredients) 
  2. There are lots of ways to define acids, bases and acid-base reactions. One of them is called Bronsted-Lowry theory and involves the transfer of a proton. The acid and base react together to form a conjugate base and acid, which remains in the stomach to neutralize the excess acid in the stomach. The bronsted-lowry acid donates a proton, while the bronsted-lowry base accepts a proton, so the conjugate base will accept the proton and neutralize the acid. Often times, these reactions produce a gas (ex: carbon dioxide) and water. In an antacid, the weak base neutralizes the acid that’s in your stomach by stopping the enzyme which creates acid for the break down of food for digestion (known as pepsin). Antacids usually contain various active ingredients, such as aluminum hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, calcium carbonate, or sodium bicarbonate. Almost all antacids act on excess stomach acid by neutralizing it with these weak bases. Strong bases aren’t used because it disrupts the pH of important organs in the body, which could lead to the damage of these organs
  3. CaCO3 ​​​​​​(s) + HCl (aq) → H2CO3 (carbonic acid) (aq) + CaCl2 (calcium chloride) (aq)
  4. H2CO3 (aq) → CO2(g) + H2O(l)
  5. This is the reaction between calcium carbonate (an active ingredient in Tums) and HCl
  6. The active ingredients that were mentioned help to maintain the pH stability of the stomach. They help to raise the pH level in the stomach by reducing the acidity and providing relief from the symptoms. 
  7. pH scale (Buffer)  
  8. The pH scale determines how acidic or basic water is. The range is 0 to 14, with 7 representing neutrality. Acidity is indicated by pH values below 7, whereas baseness is shown by pH values above 7. In reality, pH is a measurement of the amount of hydrogen and hydroxyl ions in the water.
  9. A buffer is a substance that can withstand a pH shift when acidic or basic substances are added. Small additions of acid or base can be neutralized by it, keeping the pH of the solution largely constant. 
  10. A buffer’s job in the body is to keep both intracellular and extracellular pH levels within a relatively small range and to resist against pH variations brought on by both internal and external factors.
  11. The buffer that is created in your stomach after taking an antacid table keeps the pH in your stomach acid from changing significantly. That buffer is compose of two particles which are HCO3 (bicarbonate) and CO3 (carbonate)
  12. Antacids contain a buffer that maintains the pH of the stomach. Most of the antacids have a net pH above 7 for the sole purpose of maintaining pH stability in the stomach. 

Segment 3: Personal Connections

Both of us have an interest in medicine, and this topic interests us as we have had personal experience with using an antacid. We have used it for indigestion and heartburns previously, and has worked very well. Another indirect use of it has been to treat mouth ulcers. 

When I had a mouth ulcer, I used antacid by dabbing some on the mouth ulcer, and it worked almost immediately. The pain significantly reduced, and the swelling also reduced over time. My mouth felt chalky due to the base in the antacid, but it significantly helped with reducing the symptoms. It’s important because many people experience indigestion, heartburn, and ulcer everyday, so it’s good that this medicine can treat a very common problem. 

Thank you for listening to this episode of Chemistry Connections. For more student-ran podcasts and digital content, make sure that you visit www.hvspn.com. 

Sources:

Music Credits

Warm Nights by @LakeyInspired 

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Learn about antacids, what they are, and the chemistry that makes them work so well.

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