Re: YES! and NO! :o) Re: Bile is EXTREMELY alkaline...read on for more info. Re: Question on Bile please??

Hi Unyquity,

I didn't mean to imply that a person would experience the degree of burns or corrosive damage that are caused by extremely alkaline substances such as lye or ammonia. I'm sorry if I left that impression in my post. My only purpose was to point out that an strong alkali can cause burning just as an strong acid can, and that bile can create a burning *sensation* whether coming up or passing through...although not create an actual burn as would be caused by stronger alkaline substances.

The digestive system alternates between alkaline and acid. The saliva *should* be slightly alkaline and is in healthy people. The stomach juices are extremely acidic and need to be in order to kill bacteria, parasites, etc., and also trigger the release of digestive enzymes. As the chyme (liquified food) enters into the small intestines, bile is excreted...which primarily emulsifies fats, but also helps buffer stomach acid to some extent. But it is the sodium bicarbonate that is released from the pancreas that primarily neutralize the stomach acid and makes the small intestines more alkaline. As the chyme passes into the colon, the beneficial bacteria of the colon will create a neutral to slightly acidic environment.

Perhaps you've been fortunate enough to never be so sick that you were throwing up bile, but that is exactly what can happen when one is violently vomiting as in the case of food poisoning or a wretched case of the stomach flu that eventually leads to drive heaves. Initially, the vomiting contains stomach contents and acidic juice, but when a person starts throwing up yellow fluid there is a high bile content to it. The same can happen during a Liver Flush where there is a major dumping of bile and the Epsom Salts flush is causing the contents to pass through the GI tract so fast that the release would be more alkaline as opposed to being neutral or slightly acidic as it would be with a normal bowel movement.

You're absolutely correct...bile will not cause caustic burns, but it can create an unpleasant burning sensation. If the burning sensation were caused by entirely by toxins, the vast majority of us would feel on fire most of the time since the colon is usually a toxic cesspool! Eliminating toxins can cause burning sensation and discomfort, but bile also contributes to this.

And actually, there is a condition known as bile reflux disease that is treated allopathically with medication or surgery (and I'm not suggesting either as a treatment!) so they do make a 'bile burn' pill. Frankly, with a balanced diet and lifestyle and sufficient hydration there would be no need for medications for acid or bile reflux. Here is a link that discusses bile reflux, although bare in mind that it is from an allopathic medical perspective:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bile-reflux/DS00651

I hope that better explains the reason for my previous post. :)