Gastric acid has a longstanding reputation of being a corrosive agent that can eat through an unprotected stomach wall and "burn a hole in your stomach." , but the percieved dangers of gastric acid are more fantasy than fact. An acid environment can be corrosive for certain inorganic compounds like metals and enamels, but gastric acid is not all that destructive for organic matter. If you have ever spilled orange juice(pH=3) or lime juice(pH=2) on your hands, you have experienced the non destructive nature of acidity in the organic world.Infact the pickling process uses an acid(vineger) to preserve organic matter(food).
The perception of gastric acid as a destructive force is a direct result of the traditional notion that gastric acid is the main cause of peptic ulcer disease.However, recent evidence indicates that local infection with Helicobactor pylori is responsible for most cases of peptic ulcer disease.