puricarexfiles: PEPTIC ULCERS - A peptic ulcer is a sore on the lining of the esophagus, stomach, or duodenum. Drinking 2 liters of water daily and a large glass of water before meals can reduce peptic ulcers

Dehydration: Is It A Cause Of Peptic Ulcers?

An estimated one in 10 Americans develops a peptic ulcer at some time in his or her life according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). A peptic ulcer is a sore on the lining of the esophagus, stomach, or duodenum.

Peptic ulcers have different names depending on their location in the gastric system: gastric ulcer (for a peptic ulcer that develops in the stomach), duodenal ulcer (the ulcer that occurs in the upper part of the small intestine), and esophageal ulcer (an ulcer that is located in the lower portion of the esophagus, which is usually associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease).

Disagreement on the Causes Peptic Ulcers: Bacteria Helicobacter pylori vs. Dehydration and Stress

There are different schools of thought on the causes of peptic ulcers.

Mainstream medical practitioners hold that contrary to popular belief, peptic ulcers are not caused by stress, eating spicy food, or drinking excess alcohol, although these factors can certainly aggravate an existing ulcer.

Rather, some peptic ulcers have been attributed to the long-term use of certain medications (i.e., nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen) and cancerous tumors in the stomach or pancreas.

Many researchers and doctors believe that most peptic ulcers are caused by bacterial infection of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), which attacks and weakens the protective mucous coating of the stomach, esophagus, and duodenum, allowing the gastric acid (containing hydrochloric acid, HCl, at approximately pH of 1 to 2) to penetrate the sensitive lining underneath.

Helicobacter pylori

Both the stomach acid and H. pylori irritate the lining and cause the ulcer. Scientists have found that H. pylori can survive in the harsh acidic environment of the stomach because it secretes enzymes that neutralize the acid, thus permitting this spiral-shape bacterium to lodge in the "safe" area-the protective mucous lining-and then burrow through the lining.

The other school of thought on the triggers or causes of peptic ulcers is dehydration and stress. Researchers who subscribe to this belief point out that approximately 40 percent of population carry the bacterium H. pylori in the United Kingdom (UK), yet only one out of five people who are infected with this bacterium actually develop peptic ulcers.

Helicobacter pylori

So H. pylori alone is not the cause of peptic ulcers. Medical practitioners who hold this theory believe that when people don't drink enough water, the lining of their stomach and duodenum are unable to generate the thick layer of mucus required to protect them from the highly acidic gastric juices. The mucus layer is thus more susceptible to attacks by the bacterium H. pylori.

There are many problems with this treatment regimen:

· Antibiotics can damage the body's natural immunity, killing off the "good" bacteria in the gut, leading to symptoms like diarrhoea.

· Commercially available drugs such as Zantac and Tagamet can reduce stomach acidity, but in the process, they also have side effects such as dizziness, nausea, headaches, and diarrhea. Tagamet has been shown to interfere and weaken liver function; it can also lead to breast enlargement and importance in men.

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Complementary (alternative, natural, or traditional) medicine—Because medical practitioners view peptic ulcers to be caused by dehydration, which reduces and thins the stomach's and duodenum's mucus layer and makes the lining vulnerable to bacterial infection, they prescribe drinking a large glass of water approximately 30 minutes before each meal and drink about 2 liters of water each day.

Researchers have long known that stress boosts acid production in the stomach while suppressing the body's natural immunity so that it is less able to fight off bacterial infection by H. pylori.

A more holistic approach to preventing and treating peptic ulcers includes the following:

· Drink plenty of water: about 2 liters per day.

· Drink a large glass of water 30 minutes before the meal.

· Avoid stress whenever possible.

· Avoid cigarettes: nicotine has been shown to increase stomach acid.

· Avoid caffeine: caffeine also stimulates the stomach to increase stomach-acid production.

For treating ulcers, use a natural product called mastic gum, the resinous gum of a species of Greek spice tree belonging to the pistachio family (Pistacia lentiscus, now growing all over the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions).

Mastic gum which has been used by the people of the Mediterranean for several thousand years to treat gastrointestinal problems. It is a natural antibiotic which can kill H. pylori but does not harm the friendly bacteria in the intestines.

To treat gastric ulcers and cankerous sores, one can also use a natural herb called deglycyrrhizinated liquorice (DGL), which is made from licorice with the glycyrrhizin removed. In numerous research studies, this herb has been shown to be effective in treating gastric ulcers

So, if you are already carrying the bacterium H. pylori, would you rather be drinking two liters of water daily, or to suffer the extreme pains of peptic ulcer and then having to undergo conventional antibiotic treatment and perhaps even get the side effects of enlarge breasts and impotence (a side effect of Tagamet)?

Basic lifestyle changes can help you prevent the occurrence of peptic ulcers, for example:

· Drink about 2 liters of water daily. Avoid dehydrating your body.

· Drink a large glass of water before meal.

· Drink herbal tea rather than alcohol, coffee, or caffeinated tea. Caffeine can stimulate stomach-acid production.