Ulcers - herbal help

[Guest guest]

Herbal Help for Ulcers

 

 

Herbal Help for Ulcers

JoAnn Guest

Mar 19, 2005 16:42 PST

------

 

 

by James A. Duke Ph. D.

 

Back in 1991, I had an injury that caused the most

excruciating pain

I've ever had. My doctor prescribed large doses of

NSAIDS

(non-steroidal

anti-inflammatory drugs) which are powerful pain

relievers.

Unfortunately for me and for anyone who's ever taken

NSAIDS, these

drugs

are also " notorious " for causing ulcers.

 

Luckily for me, however, I knew about licorice, and I

still sweeten

some

 

herb teas with it. Now I'd say that I may owe my

freedom

from ulcers to this habit. I never got an ulcer from

taking all those

NSAIDS. And even more amazing, I never developed one

during the 30

years

 

that I was employed by the federal government

in the US Dept. of Agriculture. I don't think this

proves that I have a

stomach of steel.

 

Rather, I think I owe my freedom from ulcers to the

fact that sweet

licorice root contains compounds that have remarkable

anti-ulcer

effects. And perhaps I also benefited from eating many

of the

ulcer-preventing herbs and foods discussed in this

chapter.

 

The Sore that Won't Heal

Technically, any ulcer is a sore. But when people say

that they have

an ulcer, they almost always mean an internal sore in

the lining of

the stomach or duodenum, the gateway to the small

intestine just

downstream from the stomach.

 

These kinds of ulcers are also called " peptic ulcers "

because they

occur in areas that are exposed to the digestive

enzyme 'pepsin'.

 

An estimated 10 percent of Americans have an ulcer at

some point in

their life, with about one million new diagnoses a

year. Men are

four times more susceptible than women, and risk rises

with age.

 

Allergies somehow make people more ulcer-prone. In one

study, 98

percent of people with peptic ulcers also had

respiratory allergies.

 

Not long ago, scientists thought that stress caused

ulcers. It may well

play a role, but now we know that the real culprit is

often an infection caused by the bacteria

" Helicobacter pylori " ,

sometimes known as Campylobacter pylori.

Simply having H. pylori bacteria in your system

doesn't mean that you

will get an ulcer.

However, more than 75 percent of people with 'ulcers'

show " evidence "

of

 

 

H. pylori infections, and that's straight from the

pages

of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

 

 

Green Pharmacy for Ulcers

 

These days, doctors generally treat ulcers caused by

H. pylori with

a combination of antibiotics plus bismuth

(Pepto-Bismol) or similar

drugs. In addition, you might try a number of herbal

" anti-ulcer "

approaches.

 

 

Anti-Ulcer Cocktail

 

Every one of the ingredients in this tasty, no-fat

dessert contains

significant amounts of stomach-soothing anti-ulcer

compounds. You'll

probably have a hard time thinking of this scrumptious

treat as

potent medicine, but that's exactly what it is!

Unripe Banana

Pineapple

Blueberries

Ground cinnamon

Ground cloves

Ground ginger

Raw Honey (optional)

 

Cut up the bananas and pineapple, the amount and

proportions will

vary depending on how many people you're serving and

which fruits

you like the best. Place them in a serving bowl and

add the

blueberries.

 

Season to taste with the cinnamon, cloves and ginger

(try to be

generous) and sweeten with raw honey (if using).

 

If you like, you can also make a between meal

anti-ulcer drink by

blending blueberry juice, pineapple juice, a banana

and the spices

listed above. Garnish each serving with a peppermint

sprig.

 

Ginger is well known for its " anti-inflammatory "

activity, but its

considerably less known as an herbal treatment for

ulcers.

In fact, ginger contains 11 compounds that have

demonstrated

anti- ulcer effects.

These chemical compounds are a real mouthful, but I

think

that you might find it interesting to know just how

much anti-ulcer

chemistry can be concentrated in a single humble

spice.

 

Here they are in order, from most to least abundant: 6

shogaol, 6

gingerol, 8shogaol, 8 gingerol, 10 gingerol,

ar-curcumene,

beta-bisalene, 6-gingediol, betases quiphellan-drene,

6 gingerdione and

6 paradol.

 

Eating ginger root is a pleasant tasting treatment for

ulcers,

according

 

to Paul Schulick, New England herbalist and author

of " Ginger: Common Spice and wonder drugs " .

The combination of raw honey and ginger in

particularly effective, he

notes. In addition to the antibacterial compounds,

that are

available from ginger, honey has antibacterial action,

and the two

together seem to produce " synergistic " effects.

 

Ginger is a key ingredient in my " Anti-ulcer

Cocktail " .

 

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) –

German physicians have always been more open to herbal

medicine than

doctors in the United Sates, and they have researched

herbal

alternative extensively. Commission E, the body of

scientists that

advises the German counterpart of the Food and Drug

Administration,

approves licorice as an " ulcer treatment " .

 

This recommendation is based on the medical traditions

of Asia, the

middle east and Europe, plus literally dozens of

scientific studies.

Licorice contains several anti-ulcer compounds,

including

" glycyrrhizin acid " . Licorice and its extracts are

safe for normal use

in moderate amounts, up to about three cups of tea a

day.

Use a lightly processed form of the herb called

deglycyrrhizated

licorice (DGL). In one good study, DGL was at least as

effective in

speeding

ulcer healing as the newest class of 'pharmaceutical'

drugs called

histamine blocking agents that were designed to do

this.

 

DGL also seems to protect the digestive lining from

aspirin's

" ulcer promoting " effects.

 

Commercial licorice preparations containing DGL are

readily

available in natural food stores that sell herbs. If

you have an ulcer,

this

the preferred form of licorice to take.

 

If you'd like to take licorice from time to time, as

an ulcer

preventive you can do what I do. When you're brewing

some other

herbal tea, add a little licorice. Licorice by itself

makes a sweet,

pleasant

tasting tea, and when added to other teas, it serves

as a sweetener.

 

Yellowroot

If the late Alabama herbalist Tommie Basis experience

with

yellowroot can be believed—and I'm inclined to believe

it –this herb is

worth a try.

Yellowroot is an " antibiotic " that should work by

helping to control H.

pylori bacteria.

 

I personally would try a teaspoon of yellow root

tincture in juice

or tea once or twice a day before trying the

antibiotics the

doctor might prescribe for ulcers. If you've already

taking

antibiotics,

 

however, do not make the switch without first

discussing it with your

doctor. Be warned,untreated " H. pylori virus " in

linked to stomach

cancer, so you must take these

conditions seriously.

 

Banana -

Bananas are an old folk remedy for many

gastrointestinal problems

because they sooth the digestive tract. And studies

with

experimental animals suggest that bananas do, in fact,

have an

anti-ulcer effect.

One researcher noted that " bananas may b another

useful addition to

such well established anti-ulcer foods as raw cabbage,

green tea,

garlic, lentils and legumes.

 

Raw Cabbage juice —

is a hallowed folk remedy for ulcers. It turns out

that cabbage and

its juice contain considerable amounts of two

compounds with anti-

ulcer activity, glutamine and S-Methyl-methionine.

 

Melvin Werbach, M.D. assistant clinical professor of

psychiatry at

the University of California, Los Angeles, school of

medicine and

author to the excellent nutritional influences on

illness, cites a

study

 

of people with ulcers who were given raw cabbage juice

as a treatment.

Ninety-two percent showed significant improvement

within three weeks

compared with 37 percent of those taking a placebo

without cabbage

juice.

 

In studies of just the active compound glutamine,

daily doses

of 1,600 mgs proved more effective than conventional

antacids in

treating ulcers.

The folk recommendations for treating ulcers is to

drink one quart

of raw cabbage juice a day.

This may be hard to swallow so I offer a recipe that

might help.

 

Anti-ulcer Cabbage Soup.

 

Calendula--

Calendula, sometimes known as pot marigold, has

antibacterial,

antivirus and immune stimulating properties.

 

Calendula has been shown to alleviate symptoms of

chronic stomach

inflammation which doctors call " hypersecretory

gastritis " , a condition

that has been associated with ulcers.

 

Clinical trials in Europe suggest that this herb may

also be

useful for treating ulcers. You can make a tea with

the dried herb or

take a tincture.

I personally enjoy a cup or two of tea made with about

five teaspoons

of

 

fresh calendula flowers. It's especially good with

lemon balm.

 

Its wise to go easy on alcohol if you have an ulcer.

Finnish

researchers have discovered that alcohol abuse

increase the risk of

H.

pylori infection by 500 percent.

 

If you have hay fever, however, you might want to

avoid taking the

herb, because people who are allergic to ragweed might

react to

calendula as well, if you take it and have a reaction

–itching or any

other discomfort—

discontinue use.

 

Chamomile—

several herbalists I admire recommend chamomile tea

for ulcers,

notably Rudolf Fritz Wiess, M.D. the dean of German

medical

herbalists, and author of Herbal Medicine. He writes

that for stomach

ulcers, `the remedy of choice is chamomile…

There can be no other remedy more tailor-made,

including all synthetic

products.

 

Widely used as a " digestive aid " in Europe, chamomile

is uniquely

suited

 

to treating

digestive ailments, including ulcers. This is because

it combines

anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antispasmodic and

stomach soothing

properties.

 

Pineapple -

Like cabbage, pineapple is fairly well endowed with

glutamine, a

compound with experimentally verified anti-ulcer

effects. Pineapple

also contains bromelain, a general digestive aid.

 

Bilberry and blueberry -

Both of these fruits contain compounds known as

" anthocyanosides " . In

studies with experimental animals, these compounds

have been shown to

offer significant protection against ulcers.

 

They help stimulate the production of mucus that

protects the

stomach lining from digestive acids.

 

Meadowsweet--

Like willow bark, meadowsweet is a type of " herbal

aspirin " . Aspirin

in high doses " causes " ulcers, so it may seem strange

to recommend

it as an ulcer treatment. Many prominent herbalists

do, however, among

them

British herbalist David Hoffmann author of several

good herbals

including " The Herbal Handbook " .

The active compounds in meadowsweet are " salicylates " .

 

 

Aspirin, on the other hand,...is nothing but

salicylates, Hoffmann says

that while " pure salicylates " do indeed cause ulcers,

whole

meadowsweet

helps prevent and treat them " despite " its " salicyate

content " .

 

Moderator's Note: The salicylates in Meadowsweet are

purely natural,

unlike the salicylates in aspirin. Natural components

are more

" bioavailable " than components are " isolated " in drug

formulations.

 

This is the primary reason that willow bark,

meadowsweet and

other natural remedies are more effective in relieving

pain without the

accompanying " devastating " side effects.

 

Other chemical compounds in " whole " meadowsweet, among

them tannins,

phenolid glycosides and the herbs essential oil, give

it an

" anti-ulcer " effect.

 

Hoffmann unflinchingly maintains that meadowsweet is

one of the best

digestive herbs and recommends it for ulcers and

heartburn. This

makes sense to me.

 

Several plants with proven anti-ulcer effects,

including chamomile, also contain salicylates.

 

Rhubarb -

In a Chinese study of 312 people with bleeding ulcers,

rhubarb

helped improve some 90 percent within a few days., I'd

be careful when

using this herb, as its also a powerful laxative,. If

you experience

diarrhea, cut back the amount you're taking or

discontinue use

altogether.

 

Turmeric -

 

This culinary herbs used in Indian and Asian curry

dishes, might be

called the poor persons " ulcer treatment " . In a good

study by

physicians in Thailand, turmeric (250 mgs capsules

taken three times

a day)

relieved ulcer pain as well as pharmaceutical antacids

after six weeks,

However, the antacid was eight times more expensive

than the turmeric.

If you're low on dough, these herbs might be a good

way to go.

 

Red Pepper (Cayenne Pepper) -

Many Americans believe that hot spices cause ulcers.

The truth is,

they don't. In fact, they may even protect the stomach

and duodenal

lining against them. Capsaicin, he compound that gives

red pepper

the heart, has been shown to prevent ulcers in

experimental animals

that

 

were given high, ulcer causing doses of aspirin,.

 

Gentian —

this is one of several bitter herbs traditionally used

to aid

digestion. Commission E reports that the bitter

compounds in gentian

stimulate the flow of saliva and stomach secretions.

 

Garlic -

Garlic is a potent, broad spectrum antibiotic. Paul

Bergner, editor

of Medieval Herbalism suggests that those who are wary

of

" pharmaceutical antibiotics " for ulcer treatment might

want to try a

course of garlic therapy. This would involve eating

almost nine raw

garlic cloves a day. You can chop

the garlic and mix it with any food that makes it

palatable, such as

carrot juice. Try blending two raw cloves of garlic

with one carrot,

for instance, I tried it and the combination tasted

better than I

thought. It's a painless way to take a couple of

cloves of garlic.

You can also try whipping up an antic ulcer gazpacho,

heavy on the

garlic and red pepper.

 

Anti-Ulcer Cabbage soup

 

Heres a basic cabbage soup thats chock full of antic

ulcer

compounds. You'll have to do a little experimenting to

arrive at a

flavor that pleases your tastebuds. If you try the

optional spices, use

them sparingly, they are delicious in cabbage soup.

The flavor is rather exotic.

 

3 cups pure spring water

2 cups shredded cabbage

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup diced organic potatoes

½ cup chopped okra

½ cup diced onions

½ cup chopped green pepper

Ground red pepper

Ground ginger

Ground black pepper

Ground cinnamon

Ground clove

Dried licorice root

 

Place the water, cabbage, celery potatoes, okra,

onions, and green

pepper in a soup pot. Bring to a boil over high heat,

Reduce the

heat, cover and simmer until the vegetables are

tender. Season to

taste with the red pepper, ginger, black pepper,

cinnamon cloves and

licorice.

 

Other Useful Supplements & Herbs

 

Fennel

Alfalfa

Aloe Vera Juice

Celery

Brown rice

Black Walnut

Kelp

Peppermint oil

Yarrow

Acidophilus

Pineapple

Organic Yogurt

Organic Papaya

Proteolytic Enzymes

 

 

 

Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

 

How about ginger as an herbal alternative to

cimetidine (Tagamet),

ranitidine (Zantac) and famotidine (Pepcid)? It would

sure taste a

lot better!

 

Taken " The Green Pharmacy "

by James A. Duke Ph. D.

 

================================================================================\

========================================================

 

 

In the stomach, muscular contractions thoroughly mix

foods with

" hydrochloric acid " . Stomach acid-powerful enough to

strip paint-is a

" vital " part of good digestion.

 

A thick mucous layer 'protects' the stomach walls from

harm as the

" acid " kills bacteria and parasites and

" frees up " minerals and B vitamins so that they can be

'absorbed' in

the

small intestine.

 

If sufficient stomach acid isn't produced, digestion

suffers and the

passage of food out of the stomach into the small

intestine is

delayed, which can lead to " heartburn " as the stomach

pushes food

mixed with acid back into the esophagus.

 

Burning is caused by acid coming in 'contact' with the

'lining' of the

esophagus, which isn't protected by a " mucous layer "

like the stomach

is.

 

Before You " Take Two for Relief of Stomach Pain, "

 

Read on....

 

Contrary to what the huge drug companies that make

antacids and H2

blocker drugs say, " excessive " 'acid' production is

almost

'never' the REASON for heartburn, acid digestion or

ulcers.

 

In fact, it is now estimated that up to one-third of

all bleeding

ulcers

are

'caused' by taking NSAID drugs such as aspirin and

ibuprofen.

 

Antacids and H2 blockers " alleviate symptoms " for a

short while by

" buffering " acid and decreasing acid " secretion " ,

but can actually 'aggravate' the underlying problem;

which is actually " too little " acid in the stomach.

 

With 'chronic' use of these medications, digestion is

compromised and

" decreased absorption " of vitamins

and minerals can result.

 

Once the food finally makes its way into the

intestines, it isn't

" broken down " enough to be properly 'absorbed'.

 

A few years ago, if you asked your physician what

causes ulcers,

he or she would promptly reply that " too much " stomach

acid was to

blame.

Now we know that a spiral-shaped bacteria called

Helicobacter pylori

(H.

pylori for short) is the primary " culprit " .

It " suppresses " acid 'production' and creates 'holes'

in the stomach's

protective mucous layer, allowing acid to seep through

and burn holes

in

the delicate tissue under neath.

 

An H. pylori infection can also cause symptoms of

indigestion and

heartburn.

 

Natural Alternatives to Ulcer Drugs:

 

The bacteria H.pylori is found in 90 percent of

" duodenal ulcer " and

70 percent of " stomach ulcer " patients.

This bacteria increases your risk of insufficient acid

'secretion' (atrophic gastritis),

ulcer and stomach cancer.

 

Your doctor can give you a helicobacter pylori IgG

antibody blood test

to see if this nasty little bacteria is at the root of

your problem. If

it is, you'll be put on a course of antibiotics and a

bismuth

preparation (you know it as Pepto-Bismol) for a week.

Quick eradication of H.pylori is important for healing

of ulcers.

 

There are some herbal remedies you can try first if

you want to avoid

antibiotics.

 

Licorice extract

(deglycyrrhizinated licorice or DGL) - is a wonderful

herbal healing

aid

for ulcers. It increases the production of " protective

mucus " in the

stomach. Use 300 mg four to six times a day.

 

 

Unripe bananas also have anti-ulcer effects, as do the

herbs slippery

elm (take 200 mg four to six times a day)

and the juice of raw cabbage.

 

You can buy extract of unripe plantain

banana (take 150 mg four to six times a day).

 

If you have any type of ulcer, be sure to eliminate

" gastrointestinal

irritants " , such as tobacco, NSAIDS, coffee and

alcohol.

Once the ulcer heals, ensure that you keep

gastrointestinal irritants

out of your diet, and try taking steps to " enhance "

your body's

secretion of digestive acids and enzymes to prevent a

recurrence.

 

" Alternatives " to Heartburn Drugs

If you have chronic heartburn you probably know what

triggers it.

If you don't, here are the most common culprits;

 

low stomach acid;

overeating;

too much fat and/or

fried food,

processed meats with nitrates or nitrites in them;

too much sugar,

alcohol,

chocolate;

drugs,

stress,

obesity

and pregnancy.

 

Eating a balanced diet of " unprocessed " , organic whole

foods is your

foundation for a healthy stomach. Eat an organic green

salad or raw

organic vegetables at least once a day.

 

Sprouted legumes, raw nuts and seeds are excellent

" sources " of

" enzymes " .

 

To help increase stomach acid, you can drink a glass

of 'room

temperature' water a half-hour before eating. If that

doesn't help, you

can add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. If

neither of these

solutions work, try taking a " betaine hydrochloride "

supplement (HCI)

with your meal.

 

Follow the directions on the bottle, starting with the

smallest dose

and increasing it if needed. Do not take HCI

supplements after you have

an ulcer. Since stomach acid production 'declines' as

we age, HCI

supplementation can be a good anti-aging strategy.

 

Natural heartburn therapies include

" deglycyrrhizinated licorice "

extract or DGI. Try one or two 380 mg tablets on an

empty stomach,

three

to four times a day.

A glass of room temperature water, raw cabbage or

potato juice

(organic)

or herbal teas, (lukewarm, no lemon) can bring quick

relief. Fresh

organic papaya, pineapple or banana can help as well.

 

If you do need to lower your stomach 'acidity' you can

use a form of

" organic sulfur " called MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) in

supplement

form, 1,000 mg daily.

 

Remember, your " stomach acid " is one of your front

line defenses

against harmful bacteria. Suppress it with anti-acids

and the rest of

your systems have to work overtime to protect you.

 

Earl L. Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D is a best-selling author

in the field

of health and nutrition.

 

This excerpt is from his latest book,

" Prescription Alternatives "

co-authored with Virginia Hopkins

 

================================================================================\

========================================Helicobacter

 

pylori

----------------------------