Ulcer???

[kaypeeoh]

Curious if someone knows the theory behind this idea of lowcarb diet as an ulcer remedy. I was just diagnosed with probable ulcer. Prilosec was prescribed and seems to be easing the pain.

[Nancy LC]

I hadn't heard of lowcarb being an ulcer remedy before... but it might make sense. What does H. Pylori feed on? Perhaps you can starve it out if it feeds on carbs. I guess it would also depend on what the caused the ulcer in the first place, is it one caused by H. Pylori or caused by NSAIDs or something else (food allergy or intolerance?).

From Wikipedia:
Colonization

With its flagella, the bacterium moves through the stomach lumen and drills into the mucus gel layer of the stomach. It then finds ways to live in various areas of the stomach. The known areas include: inside the mucus gel layer (with a preference for the superficial area), above epithelial cells, and inside vacuoles formed by H. pylori in epithelial cells. It produces adhesins which bind to membrane-associated lipids and carbohydrates and help its adhesion to epithelial cells. It produces large amounts of urease enzymes which are localized inside and outside of the bacterium. Urease metabolizes urea (which is normally secreted into the stomach) to carbon dioxide and ammonia which neutralizes gastric acid. The survival of H. pylori in the acidic stomach is dependant on urease, and it would eventually die without it. The ammonia that is produced is toxic to the epithelial cells, and with other products of H. pylori, including protease, catalase, and phospholipases, causes damage to those cells.

Some strains of the bacteria have a particular mechanism for "injecting" the inflammatory inducing agent peptidoglycan from their own cell wall into epithelial stomach cells. (See below for "cagA pathogenicity island" in the section Genome studies of different strains) This factor may play a role in allowing certain strains to invade host tissue.[15]
Sounds like it might need carbs to live. And I'm wondering if lowering stomach acidity helps it thrive?

[Gostrydr]

ok..go to a health food store and ask for Mastic Gum..it kills pylori..use a little bismuth as well.

Also take 2-4 ozs of aloe vera gel(not topical) in cool water..it is awesome and instantly soothing

I like Lily of the Desert brand..dirt cheap as well.

[Daryl]

Or ask you doc about a treatment of antibiotic and bismuth. I had a horrific ulcer several years ago, and the combo knocked it out big time.

LC has also saved me from acid reflux. I haven't had an antacid tablet in several months.

[PlaneCrazy]

I had bad reflux (to the point of an esophogeal tear) which I was able to control with daily prilosec for years before low carbing (version 1). After I lost a bunch of weight and was eating much better I was able to stop. Once I put the weight back on, I had to go back on prilosec. I'm hoping to go off of it again once I lose the weight for good this time.

Good luck!
Plane

[kebaldwin]

LC cured my acid reflux as well. However, if I cheated - the acid reflux was worse for the first six months. Yet another reason not to cheat.

[kaypeeoh]

Blood was taken for testing. I assume that will include Helicobacter. Also I had to do the occult fecal blood test. That was fun, getting samples for three days running. I noticed the same thing kebaldwin mentioned, that on lowcarb I didn't have reflux but whenever I ate something 'carby' like bread the reflux would be quite severe.

Prilosec has fixed the pain but I still can't eat a normal amount. I thought with an ulcer it helps to have food in the stomach. For me, food in my stomach makes things worse.

[kebaldwin]

I noticed the same thing kebaldwin mentioned, that on lowcarb I didn't have reflux but whenever I ate something 'carby' like bread the reflux would be quite severe.

The good news - is that after about a year - I could eat almost anything and no acid reflux. Spicey food - even carby stuff.

[cs_carver]

Long term use leads to weaker bones.

Don't think it will affect you presuming you are able to get the causes of the ulcer corrected in the relatively near term.

Good luck.