H. pylori is short for Helicobacter pylori. Does the word “helicobacter” remind you of a helicopter? Well, you are right, for both the words have the same root word: helico, meaning spiral. The bacteria are spiral-shaped and thus called helicobacter.
Pylori comes from the word “pylorus.” The pylorus is a part of the stomach that is connected to the first part of the small intestine (called the duodenum). The word pylorus in Greek means “gatekeeper,” which is the role that this organ plays. Like a gate, this valve keeps opening and closing during digestion, deciding what to allow or not allow to pass to the small intestine.
How does H. Pylori Affect us?
The H. pylori bacteria thrive in the mucus layer of the duodenum and the stomach lining. It contains an enzyme called urease, which converts the urea in our bodies to ammonia. Ammonia protects the bacteria from being killed by stomach acid, therefore allowing them to breed in large numbers. The bacteria then eat into stomach tissue and cause chronic gastritis and/or gastric or peptic ulcers.
H. pylori bacteria affect more than 50% of the world’s population, but most remain healthy. However, nearly 10–20% of carriers suffer from the above-mentioned problems. Most children are affected by this bacteria; however, there are chances that even adults might suffer from it. If left untreated for too long, it can lead to stomach or esophageal cancer. People with a family history of stomach cancer or related types of cancer should get themselves checked when H. pylori symptoms show up. It can also lead to vitamin B12 deficiency, anemia, hormonal issues, cardiovascular issues, diabetes, and a fatty liver.
Functional medicine first soothes your symptoms and then tries to bring your digestive system back to normal so that there is no relapse or recurrence. Just like children, elderly patients (over 60) with low immunity are more at risk of developing an H. pylori infection. Since they might already be taking medicines for other ailments, their digestive system might be quite compromised. Functional medicine takes every reason into account while treating the patient to be able to develop a clear and effective strategy.
Serious Symptoms to Check out for:
If you have a stomach ache, especially after lunch or dinner, consult your doctor. Check for burning pain a few hours after meals. If the pain is frequent and lasts for quite some time, it’s time to consult a functional medicine doctor. This burning pain is due to sores or ulcers.
- If you have been losing weight suddenly
- Nausea and traces of blood while vomiting
- Traces of blood in stools or dark stools
- Bloating
- Burping
- Indigestion
- Don’t feel like having food or feel full after eating only a little amount of food
- Diarrhea or constipation
What Causes H. Pylori?
Like COVID, H. pylori is an infectious disease and can be passed from one person to another by way of saliva, vomit, or stools. It can be spread in the following ways:
- By kissing an infected person.
- By having sex with an infected person.
- By sharing food, water, or the same utensils with an infected person.
- By sharing a washroom with the infected person. Take extra care to keep your washrooms clean and make sure to wash your hands thoroughly after using the washroom.
- While cleaning up after a person with H. pylori, take care to keep yourself protected
H. Pylori and Food
Avoid Overeating or Drinking These:
- Coffee, black tea
- Soft drinks
- Pepper
- Processed foods and fatty meats
- Sugar products and sweeteners or syrup
- Excess salt
- Foods containing nickel
Foods to Take:
- Probiotics
- Fibre-rich fruits and vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Bok choy, cabbage, cauliflower, beetroot, apple, tomato, bananas, strawberries, raspberries, avocado, etc.
- Other high-fibre nuts and seeds include fresh coconut, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, mustard seeds, black nigella, pumpkin seeds, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, etc.
- Legumes, kidney beans, chickpeas, and split peas
- Foods rich in iron and vitamin C
- Mushrooms
- Turmeric
Functional Medicine and H. Pylori
Functional medicine treatment works on an individual basis and involves understanding you and your body first. Once the severity of the infection has been established, the treatment moves forward accordingly. Breath tests and stool tests are also done.
Conventionally, the most popular and preferred treatment method for H. pylori patients has been what is called “triple therapy.” It consists of PPIs (proton pump inhibitors, which are medicines that bring relief by reducing the amount of stomach acid) and a combination of antibiotics. However, recent studies have shown that they aren’t as effective anymore because of antibiotic resistance. Even the good bacteria are wiped out sometimes.
The following steps are followed by functional medicine expert to treat H. pylori infection:
Acid Level Correction
As mentioned above, the bacteria converts urease into ammonia to protect itself from stomach acid. The H. pylori infection behaves in a weird way. In patients suffering from ulcers in the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine, it increases gastric acid secretion, while in patients suffering from gastric cancer, it decreases the acid levels. So functional medicine will first try to correct the acid levels in your stomach.
Correcting other Deficiencies
After the acid levels are checked, the enzyme levels of the person also need to be checked and corrected. Due to the infection, digestion goes haywire, and many important nutrients are not absorbed by the body. Functional medicine works by strategically restoring these nutrients. Beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, minerals, and NAC (an antioxidant) levels are increased to protect the mucus layer in the stomach. DGL (a type of processed licorice) is also used to strengthen the mucus layer as well as the immune system. Zinc carnosine is administered to increase zinc levels.
Increasing Gut Motility
Gut motility means movement of food after it has been chewed from the mouth to the throat, esophagus, small and large intestines, and out through excretion. In low gut motility, food is digested very slowly, and there is abnormal contraction of muscles and nerves in the gastrointestinal tract that may cause problems.
Gut motility is increased through certain prescribed exercises and by incorporating a fibre-rich diet and probiotics.
In functional medicine, a patient’s diet is changed gradually. Our treatment protocol follows what is called an elimination diet. In this, the food items that aggravate the symptoms of a patient are first taken off and then gradually reintroduced in the diet to check how the body reacts to which food items or food combinations.
Treatment Protocol
In functional medicine, we give H. pylori patients what is known as “triple functional medicine therapy,” which includes ginger, mastic gum, and bismuth. While bismuth prevents the bacteria from multiplying, mastic gum protects the stomach lining.
Conclusion
You can come out of H. pylori with a functional medicine approach. However, self-medication and dietary changes on one’s own are discouraged. Different permutations and combinations work for different patients, thus one should take required steps only under medical supervision.
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