Researchers: Fortified Yogurt May Combat Most Stomach Ulcers and Chronic Gastritis

Yogurt that is fortified with a specific type of bacteria-fighting protein can prevent the formation of a common bug which causes most stomach ulcers and cases of chronic gastritis, new medical research says.

The bacterium, called helicobacter pylori or H. pylori for short, also can lead to stomach cancer. Currently, antibiotics and acid suppressants are commonly used to get H. pylori out of the stomach, although scientists are always looking for better, cheaper ways of fighting the bacteria.

Now, they may have found it in a convenient “functional” yogurt containing a protein antibody called igY-urease, which when eaten, appears to suppress H. pylori activity in the stomach.

Results of a new study about the use of fortified yogurt in battling common causes of stomach ulcers and chronic gastritis were presented this past weekend at the National Meeting of the American Chemical Society. The findings may be an encouraging new treatment option for millions of people suffering from painful stomach ulcers and other conditions, which may progress to deadly stomach and intestinal cancers.

Study Focuses on Decreasing Stomach Bacteria

Japanese researchers took 42 people diagnosed with H. pylori and gave them two cups daily of either yogurt containing the urease antibody or plain yogurt. The result, after a month, was that people who ate yogurt containing the urease antibody showed signs of having lower levels of H. pylori activity in their stomachs, researchers said.

An added benefit of the treatment is that people eating the fortified yogurt showed no signs of side effects. However, the treatment may not be suitable for patients who are allergic to eggs, milk, or other dairy products, the researchers said.

Already Sold in Japan

The researchers’ findings were presented to the group’s meeting in Utah, but yogurt fortified with the urease antibody already is widely sold in Japan and other Asian countries. The anti-H. pylori yogurt is sold in Japan as “Dr. Prio” and in Korea as “Gut.”

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