Question

The discomfort caused by indigestion due to overeating can be cured by taking:
A.Vinegar
B.Lemon juice
C.Baking soda
D.Caustic Soda

Answer 1

Hint: Our stomach produces some kind of acid to digest the food we eat. When we overeat, the stomach produces more acid to digest a large amount of food. It means overeating can cause the stomach to produce a lot more acid. Also, it takes a lot of time to digest a large quantity of food and therefore it sits in the stomach for a longer amount of time and so does the acid. This causes heartburn and acid refluxes and these are the reasons for discomfort after overeating.

Complete step by step answer:
As we have discussed, the discomfort because of overeating is caused by the acid that is released in the stomach. And to cure it we need to neutralize this acid. Acid can be neutralized using a base.
Vinegar and lemon juice are acidic substances and therefore cannot be used to neutralize the acid produced in the stomach.
Baking soda and caustic soda both are bases. But out of these two baking soda (a mild base) can be used to neutralize the acid generated.
Caustic soda cannot be used. This is because caustic soda (NaOH) is a very strong base and highly corrosive. If we intake caustic soda it will damage and corrode the walls of the stomach and other digestive organs.

Hence, the correct answer is Baking soda (C).

Note:
The class of chemical substances used to neutralize the stomach acid is known as antacids. They contain ingredients such as aluminum, calcium, magnesium, or sodium bicarbonate. These are mild bases that can neutralize the stomach acid without damaging the organs. Milk of magnesia is the most commonly used antacid.