A Proactive Approach to Eliminating The Harmful H. Pylori Bacteria

“I kept getting this gnawing burning pain in my stomach. Especially in the morning or when my stomach was empty. Eventually, I was diagnosed with a stomach ulcer.”

“I remember throwing up what looked like coffee grounds, upon examination during my visit at the ER, it was determined that I had internal bleeding and needed to have an emergency electrocautery procedure to stop the ulcer that was bleeding.”

“Certain foods would send stabbing pains throughout my stomach, I didn’t know what was going on with me. Eventually, it seems as if everything I ate aggravated my stomach and the cause was stomach ulcers.”

What do the aforementioned experiences all have in common? These individuals were diagnosed as having a Helicobacter Pylori (H. pylori) infection which caused their stomach ulcer.

What is Helicobacter Pylori?

Helicobacter Pylori (or H. pylori for short) is a spiral shaped bacterium that is found in the gastric mucous layer or adherent to the epithelial lining of the stomach. H. pylori causes more than 90% of duodenal ulcers and up to 80% of gastric ulcers according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). For some individuals, an H. pylori infection can lead to stomach cancer.

The presence of H. pylori in the stomach is common. About two-thirds of the world’s population has it in their bodies. For most people, having this bacteria does not create the development of  ulcers or any other symptoms even though present in their stomach . However, if you are part of the 90% of duodenal ulcer patients and up to 80% of gastric ulcer patients who have been affected, then understanding H. pylori and how to protect yourself is important information to know.

The Discovery of H. pylori

H. pylori was discovered in 1982. Before this date, spicy food, acidic food, excess stomach acid, stress, and lifestyle habits were considered the major causes of ulcers. During that time the majority of patients were given long-term medications, such as H2 blockers, and more recently, proton pump inhibitors, without a chance for permanent relief. These medications may alleviate ulcer-related symptoms, reduce gastric mucosal inflammation, and occasionally may have healed the ulcer, but they did NOT eliminate the infection. When acid suppression is removed, the majority of ulcers, particularly those caused by H. pylori, recurred! The question now arises; How can one effectively mitigate H. pylori?

Conventional H. Pylori Treatment

Knowing that most ulcers are caused by the bacteria H. pylori, the standard medical protocol has been to administer antibiotic therapy combined with either ranitidine bismuth citrate, bismuth subsalicylate, or a proton pump inhibitor to eradicate the bacteria. The antibiotics are prescribed for a period of 10 days to 2 weeks using antibiotics such as amoxicillin, tetracycline (not to be used for children <12 yrs.), metronidazole, or clarithromycin. Although antibiotic therapy was shown to kill the H.pylori bacteria, two concerns continued to present themselves which resulted in practitioners seeing the need for a more proactive approach. The concerns involved the two major reasons for treatment failure; antibiotic resistance and patient non-compliance. Because of this, dietary approaches that would keep H. pylori density and infection-mediated inflammation on a low level may, at least in some patients, be desirable alternatives to stopping treatment.

A Proactive Approach

On a global level, it is really important that we find dependable, proactive and natural protocols to mitigate this bacteria since antibiotic resistance against H. pylori is on the rise and does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Coupled with patient non-compliance of taking antibiotics, these two concerns have practitioners discussing with their patients the need to make dietary adjustments to create a healthy gut microbiome. One food in particular that contributes to a healthy gut microbiome is broccoli sprouts. Broccoli sprouts are broccoli plants that are only a few days old contain extremely high levels of a sulfur-containing chemical called sulforaphane. Sulforaphane is known for its antioxidant and detoxifying benefits. Broccoli sprouts are used to make broccoli seed oil for external use as well as supplements for internal use.

Research published in Digestive Diseases and Sciences found that 78 percent (seven out of nine) of the subjects who consumed broccoli sprouts (either 14, 28, or 56 grams) two times per day for a week tested negative for H. pylori at the end of the seven days and six of the subjects still tested negative at day 35 of the study. Most recently, 2017 research published in the journal Current Pharmaceutical Design demonstrates that not only can the sulforaphane in broccoli sprouts fight against H. pylori and gastritis that can occur, but it can also help to protect against gastrointestinal damage commonly caused by dangerous NSAIDs. Other foods to consume are probiotic-rich foods like kefir, wild-caught fish, flax and chia seeds which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Manuka honey, in moderation used in green/black tea. Berries, specifically raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, blueberry, and bilberry.

Foods to avoid or at least reduce to fight off H. pylori symptoms are:

Caffeine
Carbonated beverages
Pickled foods
Spicy foods
Low-fiber grains

H. Pylori  and Probiotics

Several clinical studies have shown the favorable effect of Lactobacillus on H. pylori. Non-immunological barriers such as the acidity of the stomach and the gastric mucosal barrier represent the first line of defense against pathogenic bacteria. It has been suggested that the intake of probiotics strengthens this barrier by producing antimicrobial substances, competing with H. pylori for adhesion receptors, stimulating mucin production, and stabilizing the gut mucosal barrier. Probiotics may inhibit H. pylori growth by secreting antibacterial substances. Certain lactobacilli bacteria synthesize antimicrobial compounds related to the bacteriocin family. Other known substances secreted by these bacteria are the end products of lactic acid fermentation, such as lactic and acetic acids, and hydrogen peroxide. The production of relatively large amounts of lactate by lactobacilli has been implicated as an inhibitory factor of H. pylori. Lactic acid, in addition to its antimicrobial effect resulting from the lowering of the pH, could inhibit the H. pylori urease. However, the inhibitory effects of lactobacilli on H. pylori differ from strain to strain. For example, L. johnsonii La10 does not inhibit  H. pylori although it produces as much lactic acid as L. johnsonii La1. On the other hand, it has been shown that other strains (L. acidophilus LB, L. casei, L. johnsonii La1, and L. lactis) exert an inhibitory effect on H. pylori by a lactic acid- and pH-independent mechanism.

The involvement of proteinaceous compounds in this inhibitory effect has been demonstrated by several clinical researchers. However, the exact nature of antimicrobial substances secreted by these strains remains to be determined. Other probiotic bacteria, such as Weissella confusa, L. lactis, and Bacillus subtilis, were shown to secrete bacteriocins able to inhibit H. pylori growth in vitro. In the case of  B. subtilis, these substances were similar to animocumacins, belonging to the isocoumarin group of antibiotics.

The Aceva Ultrabiotic (probiotic) Difference

Since H. pylori is an unwanted or “bad bacteria” in the gut, it makes total sense that probiotics (the “good bacteria”) can help to naturally fight this type of infection. A 2012 placebo-controlled pilot study published in the journal Inflammation and Allergy Drug Targets looked at the effects of probiotics on people with dyspepsia (which is typically the first symptom of a peptic ulcer) who tested positive for  H. pylori  bacteria. They found that following treatment with an eight strain probiotic supplement, 13 of the 40 patients had a complete eradication of their H. pylori.

Aceva’s Ultrabiotic contains  eleven strains of beneficial bacteria which have been clinically researched to inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria including H. pylori.  These results have been verified for authenticity using taxonomic analysis. All bacteria strains in Aceva’s Ultrabiotic are grown in GMO-free medium and are freeze dried during their alpha (young) phase of growth allowing them to be more resilient than other probiotic strains. Many companies wait until the strain reaches their maximum level of growth which helps create the lowest price because you let the bacteria reproduce for a longer period of time. Longer growth period yields more bacteria and hence a lower price. Ultrabiotic may have a lower amount of bacteria per capsule than other probiotic products but higher quality and more resilient bacteria rather than potency will yield better results. Ultrabiotic strains were researched in 23 studies demonstrating clinical efficacy in numerous health related conditions.

Benefits of Aceva’s probiotic include:

• Restoration of Intestinal Microflora (Microbiome)*
• Growth Inhibition of Pathogenic Bacteria*
• Enhance Immune System by Producing IFNs, TNF, NK Cells, IL-1, IL-2, and IL-6 Protecting Against Infections and Cancer Cells*
• Strains Produce Essential Amino Acids and Vitamins*
• Strong Resistance to Antibiotics*
• Highly Active Against Salmonella, Escherichia, Staphylococcus and Food Spoilage Microorganisms*
• Anti-allergy and Anti-inflammatory Function*
• Reduces Colitis Symptoms Complicated by Dysbiosis*

Having beneficial bacteria present in the gut is essential to overall health. When encouraging patients to be proactive by having a healthy diet protocol and supplementing with necessary nutrients; you can assist them in the effective mitigation of the H. pylori bacteria.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult with your health care provider or other qualified practitioners.

1. NCBI, Galan MV, Kishan AA, Silverman AL. Oral broccoli sprouts for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection: a preliminary report. Dig Dis Sci. 2004 Aug;49(7-8):1088-90.

2. Pubmed, Role of Sulforaphane in Protection of Gastrointestinal Tract Against H. pylori and NSAID-Induced Oxidative Stress. 2017;23(27):4066-4075.

3. Cats A, Kuipers EJ, Bosschaert MA, Pot RG, Vandenbroucke-Grauls CM, Kusters JG. Effect of frequent consumption of a Lactobacillus in Helicobacter pylori-colonized subjects. Aliment Pharmacol Ther.  2003;17:429–35

4. Pinchuk IV, Bressollier P, Verneuil B, Fenet B, Sorokulova IB, Megraud F, Urdaci MC. In vitro anti-Helicobacter pylori activity of the probiotic strain Bacillus subtilis 3 is due to secretion of antibiotics. Antimicrob Agents Chemother.  2001;45:3156–61

5. Pubmed, Probiotic multi-strain treatment may eradicate Helicobacter pylori from the stomach of dyspeptics: a placebo-controlled pilot study. 2012 Jun;11(3):244-9.