Natural treatments for ulcers
Natural treatments for ulcers focus on alleviating symptoms and promoting healing of the stomach and duodenal lining damaged by excessive stomach acid. Ulcers are often associated with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, and while conventional treatments typically involve antibiotics and acid suppressors, some patients seek complementary approaches. Among the principal natural treatments, probiotics are notable for their potential to enhance the effectiveness of standard antibiotic therapy by inhibiting the growth of H. pylori and reducing side effects.
Other proposed natural remedies include cranberry, which may help reduce H. pylori adherence to the stomach wall, and deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL), which has shown some promise in protecting the stomach from damage due to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Additionally, vitamins such as B12 and C have been explored for their supportive roles in treatment, with vitamin C potentially improving antibiotic efficacy against H. pylori. While some herbs like turmeric and cayenne have been investigated, their effectiveness varies, and caution is advised, as some may irritate the condition.
Overall, while natural treatments may offer supportive benefits, they should be approached carefully, particularly since certain foods and substances can exacerbate ulcer symptoms. As always, individuals should consult healthcare professionals before integrating any new treatments into their regimen.
Natural treatments for ulcers
DEFINITION: Treatment of a stomach-acid-burned hole in the tissue of the stomach and duodenum.
PRINCIPAL PROPOSED NATURAL TREATMENT: Probiotics (as an adjunct to standard therapy)
OTHER PROPOSED NATURAL TREATMENTS: Aloe, Bacopa monniera, beeswax extract (related to policosanol), butterbur, cayenne, colostrum, cranberry, deglycyrrhizinated licorice, fish oil, garlic, rhubarb, sea buckthorn oil, turmeric, vitamin B12, vitamin C
Introduction
The highly concentrated acid produced by the stomach is capable of burning a hole through the tissue of the stomach and duodenum—part of the small intestine. That it usually does not do so is a tribute to the effectiveness of the methods that the body uses to protect itself. However, sometimes, these protective mechanisms fail, and the ever-present acid begins to produce an ulcer.
Ulcer pain is caused by stomach acid coming into contact with unprotected tissue. Eating generally decreases ulcer pain temporarily because food neutralizes the acid. As soon as the food begins to be digested, the pain returns.
Conventional medical treatment for ulcers has gone through a slow revolution. The prescribed response to ulcers used to be a bland diet, one low in spices and high in dairy products, which were believed to coat the stomach. However, eventually, it was discovered that spicy foods are not the cause of ulcers, and milk itself is somewhat ulcer-forming. The only other option at that time was surgery.
Next in the line of treatment was antacids containing magnesium and aluminum. However, these were seldom strong enough to allow the ulcer to heal fully. Ulcer treatment took a big step forward with the development of Tagamet (cimetidine), followed by Zantac (ranitidine), Pepcid (famotidine), and others. These H2-blocking drugs dramatically lower the stomach’s production of acid. Later, a new class of even more potent acid suppressors appeared, the proton pump inhibitors, led by Prilosec (omeprazole).
When stomach acid is suppressed, ulcer pain rapidly diminishes, and the ulcer heals. For a time, these drugs were regarded as the definitive answer to ulcers. This early enthusiasm began to fade when it became clear that ulcers frequently returned after the drugs were stopped. In the late 1980s, a new explanation for this problem began to surface. First regarded as an implausible theory, it became the accepted explanation.
It is believed that ulcers are caused by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. Apparently, this previously ignored organism has the capacity to infect the stomach and, by so doing, weaken the stomach lining. Only when antibiotics to kill H. pylori are combined with stomach acid suppressants do ulcers go away and stay away. However, it is not easy to kill H. pylori; antibiotic treatment is not always successful, and it has side effects. Friendly bacteria (probiotics) may help this treatment work better.
Principal Proposed Natural Treatments
Probiotics are healthful bacteria, the best known of which is Lactobacillus acidophilus, which is found in yogurt. There are many other probiotics, too. Evidence suggests that various probiotics in the Lactobacillus family can inhibit the growth of H. pylori. While this effect does not appear to be strong enough for probiotic treatment to eradicate H. pylori on its own, preliminary studies, including several small double-blind trials, suggest that probiotics may help standard antibiotic therapy work better by up to 150 percent, according to some studies. Additionally, probiotics reduce side effects like diarrhea by up to 47 percent and improve the rate of eradication.
Most studies found success in participants who took 200 million to 2 billion colony-forming units for up to sixteen weeks. While supplements are the easiest way to ensure probiotic intake is adequate to prevent or help treat an ulcer, probiotics can also be incorporated into one’s diet with pickled or fermented foods like pickled vegetables, miso, kimchi, sauerkraut, tempeh, and kombucha.
Other Proposed Natural Treatments
Cranberry. The herb cranberry is thought to help prevent bladder infections by preventing the adhesion of bacteria to the bladder. Preliminary evidence suggests that it might also help prevent the adhesion of H. pylori to the stomach wall.
A ninety-day, double-blind, placebo-controlled study performed in China tested the effects of daily consumption of cranberry juice in persons who were chronically infected with Helicobacter (but who did not necessarily have ulcers). The results indicated that the use of cranberry significantly decreased levels of Helicobacter in the stomach, presumably by causing some of the detached bacteria to be “washed away.” However, while this was a promising finding on a theoretical level, it did not directly address the treatment or prevention of ulcers.
A more practical study evaluated the use of cranberry as a support to standard therapy. This double-blind trial enrolled 177 people with ulcers who were undergoing treatment with a common triple-drug therapy known as OAC (omeprazole, amoxicillin, and clarithromycin) used to eradicate H. pylori. All participants received standard therapy for one week. During this week and for two weeks after, they were additionally given either placebo or cranberry juice. Researchers also looked at a third group who were attending the same clinic and who received only OAC. The results were somewhat promising.
In the study group at large, OAC plus cranberry was no more effective than OAC plus placebo or OAC alone. However, among female participants in the study, the use of cranberry was associated with a significantly increased rate of Helicobacter eradication compared with placebo or no treatment. This, however, does not mean that women undergoing ulcer treatment will benefit from cranberry consumption. When a treatment fails to produce benefit in the entire group studied, researchers may, after the fact, look for a subgroup who did benefit. The laws of chance alone ensure that they can almost always find one. Therefore, it is not clear whether cranberry actually did provide a benefit or whether this finding was merely a statistical fluke.
Other treatments. Persons who take H2 blockers or proton pump inhibitors for ulcers may not be able to properly absorb vitamin B12 and might, therefore, benefit from vitamin B12 supplements. The best-known supplement used for ulcer disease is a special form of licorice known as deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL). However, the studies that supposedly showed it effective were not double-blind, and they involved a combination product that also contained antacids. Preliminary evidence does suggest that DGL might help protect the stomach from damage caused by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
One study found that the use of vitamin C supplements at a dose of 500 milligrams daily can improve the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy for H. pylori. Specifically, the use of vitamin C allowed a reduction in the dosage of clarithromycin, one of the most important antibiotics used to eradicate H. pylori. However, vitamin C did not help in cases where the species of H. pylori involved was resistant to clarithromycin.
Fish oil with antibiotic therapy has been tried as a treatment for eradicating H. pylori, but it did not prove particularly effective. Further research found that fish oil was most helpful for ulcers when ingested in food rather than supplements. Preliminary studies suggest that various bioflavonoids, including citrus bioflavonoids, can inhibit the growth of H. pylori. All fruits and vegetables provide bioflavonoids, but these substances can also be taken as supplements. However, the overall body of research on bioflavonoids and their ability to treat H. pylori infection has provided mixed results.
Neither garlic nor cayenne appears to be helpful against H. pylori. However, some evidence suggests that cayenne can protect the stomach against damage caused by anti-inflammatory drugs. Contrary to some reports, the herb turmeric (curcumin) does not appear to be effective for treating ulcers, and it might increase the risk of developing ulcers if taken at excessive doses. Rhubarb and aloe have been suggested as treatments for bleeding ulcers. However, this condition is sufficiently dangerous that conventional medical treatment is far more appropriate.
Colostrum and butterbur might also help protect the stomach lining. Bacopa monniera, betaine hydrochloride, cat’s claw, glutamine, marshmallow, methyl sulfonyl methane, reishi, sea buckthorn oil, selenium, suma, vitamin A, vitamin C, and zinc have also been suggested as aids to ulcer healing, but there is no meaningful scientific evidence that they are effective. An analysis of research conducted in the first two decades of the twenty-first century outlined several other substances tested for their ability to treat or prevent ulcers, including chebulic myrobalan (Terminalia chebula), gum tree (Acacia arabica), Japanese bitter orange (Aeglemarmelos), garlic (Allium sativum), psyllium (Plantago ispaghula), shame plant (Mimosa pudica), sugar apple (Annona squamosa), neem tree (Azadirachtaindica), wasteland weed (Galega purpurea), fenugreek, bananas, cabbage, and liquorice.
Herbs and Supplements to Use Only with Caution
Various herbs and supplements may interact adversely with drugs used to treat ulcers, and many substances irritate the condition. Individuals with ulcers should limit the ingestion of caffeine, carbonated beverages, alcohol, spicy, fried, or processed food, and acidic foods. Though milk was once recommended as a natural remedy for heartburn, milk increases stomach acid production.
Bibliography
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