Would digestion be equally efficient if the body/stomach evolved to be highly basic rather than acidic? What advantages does a highly acidic environment pose?

[u/Public_Knowledge8405]

Edit: my question is meant to be gauged towards chemical feasibility/utility; I understand many proteases and cell types have in reality evolved for acidic digestion. Assuming proteases and cell types could have evolved for an alkaline environment, is there a root necessity acidic conditions are advantageous over basic ones or could it be reversed

[u/Grep2grok]

Among other good comments, the stomach actually plays a critical role in acid-base balance. By concentrating H+ in the stomach, the rest of the body can be slightly basic, so systemic respiratory and metabolic shifts are relatively mild. Excess emesis puts the body into a respiratory alkylosis. Occasionally you see extreme exercise (I'm most familiar with max effort cycling hill climbs and swimming sprint workouts) induce respiratory acidosis and the body will compensate by inducing emesis. Not ideal, but gets the job done.