Final answer:
Eating candy with a lower pH than the stomach is unlikely to significantly increase stomach acidity in the short term.
Step-by-step explanation:
Stomach acid is already highly acidic, with a pH of 1.7. Eating candy with a lower pH than the stomach, such as a sour candy, will not significantly increase stomach acidity in the short term. The acidity of the candy will get diluted by the stomach acid and other contents in the stomach. Additionally, the body has mechanisms to regulate and maintain the pH of the stomach.
For example, the stomach lining secretes mucus and bicarbonate ions to protect the stomach from the acidity of its own digestive juices. These mechanisms help maintain the stomach's acidic environment and prevent any sharp increase in stomach acidity, even when consuming acidic candies.
Therefore, while eating candy with a lower pH than the stomach may provide a temporary increase in the acidity of the stomach, it is unlikely to have a significant long-term effect on stomach acidity.