ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Alkaline tide

Hello there! So, you know how when you eat food, your body breaks it down into lots of different things, right? One of those things is called acid, which is kind of like the yucky stuff that can burn your skin if you touch it. But don't worry, your body knows how to handle it!

You see, your body has these things called "organs" that do different jobs. One of the organs is your stomach, which helps break down the food you eat. When your stomach does this, it makes a lot of acid to help break everything up. But then, your body needs to get rid of that acid, because having too much of it can be bad for you.

So, after your stomach is done making all that acid, it sends it to another organ called your "small intestine". The small intestine is really cool, because it helps your body absorb all the good stuff from the food you ate! But the small intestine doesn't like acid very much, so your body has a way of making it less acid-y (or, more "basic" if you want to use a fancy word). This is called the "alkaline tide".

Basically, your body makes a special type of liquid that's very basic, kind of like baking soda. It goes into your small intestine and mixes with the acid from your stomach, which makes everything less acid-y and easier for your body to handle. And that's it! Your body is really good at keeping everything in balance so that you stay healthy and strong.