“…Gastric acid activates pepsinogen, denatures proteins and protects against pathogens (Martinsen et al, 2005; Beasley et al, 2015) (Figure 1A). Hypo-or achlorhydria (low or absent gastric acid, respectively) can result from a variety of conditions, including atrophic gastritis (Strickland and Mackay, 1973), gastrectomy (Hoya et al, 2009), acid suppression therapy (e.g., proton pump inhibitors, antacid medication) (Schubert, 2014) and Helicobacter pylori infection (Schubert, 2014). Though the lowered gastric acid production increases infection risk (Martinsen et al, 2005), the consequences of low acidity in protein digestion remain poorly understood.…”