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Yogurt vs. Stomach Ulcers
April 21, 2009 |
Yogurt. A daily dose can provide some much needed nutrients and now Japanese researchers
are studying to see if certain ingredients in yogurt can help ease stomach ulcers.
"This new yogurt that the Japanese developed has an antibody in it which basically
blocks the urease from allowing the bacteria to attach to the stomach lining that
would lead to the destruction and development of an ulcer,” explains Dr. H. Scott
Harris, a gastroenterologist on the medical staff of Lee Memorial Health System.
Forty-two people were put to the test. Each one tested positive to ulcer-causing
bacteria known as HP. After eating 2 cups of this special yogurt daily, and retested
later, their bacteria levels had decreased. “About 90-95% of ulcers are caused
by, for the most part, a bacterium called helicobacter pylori, or HP,” adds Dr.
Harris.
As Japanese researchers continue their study, Dr. Harris admits a lot has been learned
recently about HP, “in the 1980’s, we found that a lot of ulcers were not just stress
or diet or things like that that led to ulcer disease, we got to understand a lot
of ulcers were caused by this HP, or helicobacter pylori.”
Dr. Harris says physicians here in the United States will continue to medicate ulcers
as
they have in the past. “For the most part, we treat the infection like any other
infection.
It’s a combination of 2 or even sometimes more, antibiotics with an acid
blocking medication,” he says.
Warning signs for ulcers can include nausea and abdominal pain, especially if the
pain is frequent. Consult your doctor if you are having any sort of stomach problems.
According to the CDC, more than 25 million people will experience an ulcer at some
point in their lifetime.
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