People with stomach ulcers can kiss their honeys without fear, according to a new study that found the ulcer-causing bacterium Helicobacter pylori is unlikely to be transmitted through a smooch.
H. pylori bacteria are commonly found in the human body and usually cause no harm. But experts believe that the bug contributes to a majority of stomach ulcers -- although why this happens in only some people is unknown. Also unclear is exactly how H. pylori spreads among people.
Another possibility is that H. pylori spreads through mouth-to-mouth contact such as kissing. For example, H. pylori has been found in the saliva of some infected people. And there's some evidence that the spouses of ulcer patients have a higher-than-average prevalence of H. pylori infection, according to the authors of the new study.
But when they looked at a group of 183 patients with suspected ulcers, the researchers found no evidence that those carrying H. pylori had passed it on to their spouses.
The study patients, all suffering from stomach discomfort, underwent an endoscopy and H. pylori testing. Eighty-nine were found to harbor H. pylori, and 31 spouses were then tested for the bug.
Although about half of the spouses tested positive for H. pylori, none of the couples harbored the same strain of the bacterium, the investigators found.
Based on these results, the (mouth-to-mouth) route of transmission between spouses is unlikely to be an important mode for H. pylori infection.
European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology May 2002;14:521-528
It is not the bug H. pylori that actually causes the ulcer, but one's weakened immune system which allows it to do its dirty tricks. When you are following the eating plan your immune system is able to garner sufficient resources to keep this bug in its place. Additionally, simple exercise is also useful for addressing the H. pylori.
In 1985, I was using antibiotics to successfully clear up ulcers in patients who had failed traditional anti ulcer drugs. Little did I know, antibiotics were just not necessary and simple food changes would be even more effective. The problem with antibiotics, of course, is that eventually the H. pylori becomes resistant to them and it stops working. This is due to the fact that the antibiotics aren't doing a darn thing to address the real reason the H. pylori is doing its damage.
My comment from five years ago is still valid today. The only thing that has changed is that I have now been treating these infections for 17 years:
COMMENT FROM 1997:
I have been treating patients with H. pylori for 12 years. Recently, I discovered the work of pioneer Australian family physician, Dr. Barry Marshall. He has made one of the most remarkable additions to Western World medicine in the last few decades.
It is so rare that an independent physician, not connected with any research institution, could turn the entire medical world's view around on the cause of one of the most common medical problems we face, peptic ulcers. Unfortunately, it took over a decade before most physicians abandoned their concepts of what the cause of ulcers were. This is a very typical pattern with new medical information.
The amazing aspect of the treatment of peptic ulcer disease is that the drugs used to treat them (H2 blockers) were the most widely prescribed drugs in the world. They still are very commonly used.
I strongly believe that 99% of them are unnecessary and actually harm people. It was a major tragedy that these drugs became available over the counter a few years ago.
It was bad enough physicians were using them inappropriately, but now anyone can abuse these dangerous drugs and short circuit their body's normal protective mechanisms.
Our bodies were not designed to have its acid level suppressed. If that occurs, the digestive enzymes are not activated and we have an inability to fully utilize the food we eat.
If you, or anyone you know, take medications like Zantac, Pepcid, Tagamet, etc, it would be wise to stop immediately. The answer is not antibiotics to treat the H. pylori infection because the infection is really just a symptom; it is NOT the true cause.
Assuming one is not taking anti-inflammatory medication like Advil or Motrin, then the cause is probably related to an imbalance of proper bacterial growth in the intestinal system. This is easily repaired with 12 glasses of filtered or bottled water per day. One should also stop all milk, juice and coffee.
Additionally, taking one teaspoon of acidophilus powder two to three times a day will also help. My experience is that 95% of people respond favorably to this strategy if they can also stop all sugar and restrict all their fluids to water only.
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