Recently, in a report presented at the 237th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, it was revealed that there is a new yogurt that appears to have the ability to fight the bacteria responsible for gastritis and stomach ulcers.
In the report, which was based on the results of human clinical studies, Japanese researchers stated that ingesting yogurt is comparable to the effects of inoculating a vaccine for both conditions.
Yogurt facts
Yogurt, a fermented dairy product, has long been known to be a healthy source of calcium, protein, and other nutrients. Currently, many brands of yogurt contain probiotics (that is, certain types of bacteria that many alternative and allopathic practitioners believe have beneficial effects on many digestive problems).
This new type of yogurt may represent a unique approach to fighting stomach ulcers. It is perhaps the newest product in the growing “functional foods” market, which now generates about $ 60 million in annual sales. In fact, stomach ulcers affect about 25 million people annually in the United States alone.
Study coordinator Hajime Hatta, a chemist at Kyoto Women’s University in Japan, had this to say: “With this new yogurt, people can enjoy the taste of yogurt, while preventing or killing bacteria that cause skin ulcers. stomach”.
Researchers are hopeful that the new yogurt, which is now available in Japan (under the name “Dr. Piro”), Korea (under the name “Gut”) and Taiwan, will soon be on the shelves in the United States. United.
Stomach ulcers
It is now known that most stomach ulcers are caused by bacteria, known as Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), or by overuse of aspirin or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. In the past, H. pylori ulcers have been effectively treated and cleared with antibiotics and acid suppressants; however, for millions of poverty-stricken people who suffer from H. pylori ulcers, these treatments may simply not be available.
Research has linked H. pylori-induced childhood ulcers to more serious health problems, such as malnutrition and impaired growth. Scientists have long been lost to find a cheaper and more accessible way to treat these bacteria.
IgY-urease
In the study, Hatta and his colleagues note that H. pylori appears to depend on a protein known as urease to adhere to and infect the lining of the stomach. The researchers used classical vaccine-making techniques in their efforts to thwart the effects of the protein urease, by injecting chickens with urease and allowing chickens to produce antibodies against the protein. The researchers collected the antibody, IgY-urease, from chicken eggs, postulating that consuming yogurt containing IgY-urease could help prevent bacteria from sticking to the stomach lining.
The study consisted of a group of 42 people, all of whom suffered from H. pylori ulcers, who were segregated into 2 groups, one group received 2 cups of untreated yogurt daily and the other group received yogurt containing the antibody. By the end of the 4-week study, urease levels in the latter group had significantly decreased.
Yogurt and ulcers
Ultimately, although yogurt appears to be somewhat less effective than antibiotics in treating H. pylori ulcers, it is certainly more accessible and can be eaten every day. The antibody has no effect on the taste of the yogurt.
The researchers cautioned, however, that since yogurt is a dairy product that also contains egg yolk, people with dairy or egg allergies should not consume this new “antiulcer” yogurt. Also, unlike antibiotics, which once taken can eliminate the problem permanently, yogurt must be consumed constantly. Therefore, it would appear that unless a person wishes to avoid the use of an antibiotic, it may be more beneficial to participate in the permanent solution than to commit to using one product for their entire life.