Watch that glass of unfiltered water, restaurant food if you want to avoid H pylori infections
What is it that restaurant food, unfiltered tap water, meat and smoking have in common? An increased risk for Helicobacter pylori infection - common bacterial infections affecting one in two people worldwide and associated with a host of problems starting from simple indigestion and acidity to serious ailments like peptic ulcer and gastric cancer.
The study says odds of the infection were lower in those who consumed chilli peppers.
As the bacteria are often blamed for most stomach-related ailments, a team of Pune-based doctors worked with US researchers to establish common habits that could lead to such infections and its relation with peptic ulcer, an increasing diagnosed disease in the city. Peptic ulcers are found in the gastrointestinal tract and are usually acidic and extremely painful.
After studying over 350 patients at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital (DMH) and private clinics affiliated with it, here’s what they found: consumption of restaurant food, meat and drinking unfiltered water could increase risk of peptic ulcer due to a common infection - H-pylori.
“We chose this subject for study as the reason behind most of the stomach-related ailments was found to be H.Pylori infection. We chose patients diagnosed with peptic ulcer or with stomach cancer via the DMH database, as our sample for the study and then did detection of H. Pylori besides 125 patients who had no complaints of disease at the time. It was found that frequent restaurant goers or tobacco users were more likely to suffer from H pylori infection,” said Dr Santosh Walujkar, homeopathic doctor and a member of the research team.
The doctor said the results highlighted the association between the source of drinking water and H. pylori infection. “Prevalence of H. pylori was higher in participants consuming non-filtered or non-boiled water compared with participants using water filters or boiling the water before consumption. We also found that individuals who ate food from outside three times or more during the week were four times more likely to have H pylori infection compared with individuals who almost never ate outside,” he said.
However, there was good news too.
“The odds of H pylori infection were lower in our study participants who consumed chilli peppers compared with individuals who did not,” said Dr Walujkar. The median age of enrolled participants was 56 years (range: 18-83 years). 53% (187/350) of the participants were females and 47% (163/350) were males. 51% (180/350) of the participants enrolled in the study were diagnosed with H pylori infection.
Key findings of survey
Lower socioeconomic status (SES), consumption of restaurant food, meat, non-filtered water, and smoking are risk factors for H pylori
Consumption of meat, fish and a family history of peptic ulcer are risk factors for peptic ulcer
Consumption of chilli peppers and concurrent parasite infestation appear to be protective against H pylori.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}