The Mechanism Nobody Explains at the Pharmacy
Stomach acid is not the enemy. It activates pepsin, sterilises ingested pathogens, and, critically, converts dietary calcium from its insoluble form into a soluble one the intestine can actually absorb. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) like omeprazole and pantoprazole, and to a lesser extent H2 blockers like ranitidine, reduce gastric acid output significantly. That is their entire point. The problem is that the same acid suppression that quiets your reflux also impairs the first step of calcium metabolism.
