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What is a Helicobacter Pylori infection and is it dangerous for our bodies?

Helicobacter Pylori is a type of pathogenic bacteria that infects your stomach. An overgrowth of this bacteria (H. Pylori) is associated with Gastritis, Peptic Ulcers and low stomach acidity. It can cause different symptoms in different individuals and could lead to many complications. That is why taking control over your gut health is very important in this situation. 

Helicobacter Pylori, also known as H. Pylori is a highly contagious bacterium that lives in the stomach.
The bacteria are spread from person to person, and in a family situation, may be hard to get rid of. The bacteria bury itself into the stomach wall and wraps itself in ammonium to protect itself by neutralising the stomach acid, disabling it from killing the bacteria. This means that it is very hard to treat with antibiotics, and leaves many people undergoing months, sometimes years, of treatment, often with little success. If left untreated however, the disease can progress, developing very painful gastric ulcers, and can be life threatening. The stomach has a protective lining against stomach acid, however in the case of gastric ulcers, the nerves and tissues underneath the surface are exposed to acid.

H. Pylori is a very clever bacterium. The acidity in your stomach, which normally kills bacteria, is balanced by ammonium. Your body keeps the stomach acid between a pH of 1-3, and excretes the correct amount of ammonium to keep it at this level. H. Pylori excretes an enzyme called urease, which stimulates ammonium production. Using this ammonium, it hides itself from the acid, immune complexes and antibiotics making it very difficult to treat. The excess ammonium also decreases the acidity of the stomach acid further, causing many problems with digestion and health.



The conventional treatment for H. Pylori is a long course of antibiotics. Unfortunately, this is not always successful due to the bacteria being able to hide itself in ammonium and often playing dead by lying dormant to trick the body into thinking it has gone. Often, many courses of antibiotics are required which is damaging to our gut flora.

What are the symptoms of Helicobacter Pylori infection?

The symptoms, associated with H. Pylori infection may vary from one person to another, but here are the most common ones:

pain

bloating

heartburn

burping

nausea

loss of appetite

How could Helicobacter Pylori be diagnosed?

There are few options:

  • Biopsy of gastric tissue by endoscopy
  • Stool testing
  • Blood test or finger prick test
  • Urea breath test

What are the causes for Helicobacter Pylori infection?

The causes of H. Pylori infection in some people might be low stomach acidity, compromised gut health or low hygiene.

The risk of getting this infection increases if you are in a contact with someone infected by this bacteria, although it is still unknown exactly how it spreads.

How could we eradicate Helicobacter Pylori?

Eradication process of the holistic approach to this infection may be different with different individuals. That is why working with a health professional is highly recommended.

There are some clinical studies that have shown improvement in eliminating H. Pylori, such as Astaxanthin, broccoli sprouts, cranberry juice, few probiotic strains and more.

Overall, good antioxidant status in the body and balanced gastric acid levels are needed for prevention of any pathogenic organism that can penetrate, overgrowth in your stomach and lead to many health complications.

Are Diet and Nutrition important for prevention of infectious diseases?

Healthy balanced diet is a key for many health conditions.

Also, avoiding caffeine containing drinks, increasing fibre and eliminating all “white foods” like sugar and processed foods may help in this process.

In some cases elimination diet could be a key to identify possible food sensitivities or intolerances that may have contributed to this condition.

Conditions like H. Pylori infection shows how important is the prevention, because you have the control over your health, not the pathogens!

Is actually Vitamin C good for us and why do we need it for?

Vitamin C is an essential vitamin. It plays very important role in our bodies. The human body cannot produce it as we are lacking the enzymes, needed for its production.

This vitamin is water soluble and it is found in most of the vegetables and fruit, however many people take extra vitamin C in form of supplement to boost the immune system and increase general wellbeing.

There are many scientifically proven benefits and I am going to list few of them here:

  1. Powerful antioxidant, supporting the immune system. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant. It can help reduce the oxidative stress, caused by harmful molecules, called free radicals. It supports the natural defences of the body and increases antioxidant levels in the body. It enhances the immune system and its functions.
  2. May reduce high blood pressure and lower the risk of heart disease. Consuming 500mg Vitamin C daily may reduce inflammation in the body and reduce CVD risk. If you are already eating a healthy diet, full of vegetables and fruit, you might not need to supplement, as you will be adding those levels up naturally through food.
  3. Better iron absorption. We know that Iron is very important nutrient and adequate levels are needed for the normal blood cells function and oxygen transport. However, in some cases, iron absorption might be more difficult and not at optimal levels. Vitamin C is the key nutrient in those cases, especially in non-meat eaters, as most of iron is available in meat products. Adding an orange or vitamin C to your salads and meals could be a good idea to increase iron absorption and maintain optimal levels.
  4. May prevent Gout Attacks. Gout is a type of arthritis, causing pain and inflammation in the small joints. It mostly affects men over 40 years old. In gout cases, uric acid levels are high. Vitamin C may help reduce those levels and decrease gout attacks.
  5. Reduces Cancer risk. Many studies have shown that vitamin C may reduce the risk of several types of cancer. It might be linked to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
  6. Healthy brain and healthy ageing. Regular Vitamin C intake is very important for longevity and healthy ageing. Inflammation and oxidative stress play negative role in the ageing stage. It might lead to Dementia or any other disease risk. Keeping up vitamin C levels might reduce the risk and promote healthy ageing at cellular levels.
  7. Promote endocrine and adrenal support. Our adrenal glands play a huge role in the human body. One of the hormones they produce is called cortisol- the stress hormone. It can regulate our stress levels, positive stress response, healthy mood, balanced nervous system, etc. Our adrenal glands need vitamin C to be able to function and regulate those hormones.
  8. May prevent from Common Colds. And again, adequate vitamin C levels are needed to reduce the risk or severity of the common colds and flu.
  9. May reduce toxicity. Vitamin C has ability to bind the toxins in the body and neutralise them. In that case it may reduce the free radicals in the body, causing inflammation and oxidative stress. Toxicity might be from infectious diseases such as virus or bacteria, environmental or heavy metal toxicity.

Overall, vitamin C is an excellent nutrient to reduce inflammation, improve antioxidant levels, boost immune functions, reduce CVD, help and prevent Gout attacks in gout patients, reduce toxicity, increase longevity and many more benefits on the human body.

A healthy diet, full of seasonal fruit and vegetables, like broccoli, green leafy vegetables, spinach, peppers, citrus fruit, kiwi, apples, etc, is a great way to maintain a healthy vitamin C levels in daily life. Supplementing with this nutrient might be beneficial in chronic diseases or other conditions in which the body needs extra support to maintain optimal levels.

It is always a great idea to discuss your diet with your health practitioner to find out if you need extra support through food, supplements or lifestyle modifications.