Eating smart to resolve stomach ailments

A change in diet may reduce the need for gastritis and stomach ulcer-related medication, if a new line of research is successful.

A team of scientists at Crop & Food Research is investigating the effect of a group of foods on the stomach bacteria, Helicobacter pylori. The bacteria is found in the gastrointestinal tract of 50-70% of the world’s population and can cause some serious diseases, including stomach cancer in some carriers.

The research is looking at a number of common foods that show traits that will reduce the sort of inflammation in the stomach that H. pylori is capable of, such as broccoli, sprouts and honey products. Ultimately the researchers hope to produce either a food or supplement that will work for people at risk of gastritis and stomach ulcers.

Source: Crop & Food Research