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gastric juice  the secretion of gastric glands for use in digestion. Its essential ingredients are pepsin and hydrochloric acid. At the sight and smell of food, the stomach increases its output of gastric juice. When food reaches the stomach, it is thoroughly mixed with the juice, the breakdown of the proteins is begun, and later the food passes on to the duodenum for the next stage of digestion. Normally the hydrochloric acid in gastric juice does not irritate or injure the delicate stomach tissues. However, in certain persons the stomach produces too much gastric juice, especially between meals when it is not needed, and the acids presumably erode the stomach lining, producing a peptic ulcer. The juice also interferes with healing of the ulcer.




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