By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Joseph_F._McCaffrey_M.D.]Joseph F. McCaffrey M.D.
You may or may not have heard about a unique bacterium called Heliobacter pylori - H. pylori for short. It's unique because it can survive in the acid of the stomach. And infection with H. pylori can cause serious problems. It's associated with irritation of the stomach wall, ulcers and even stomach cancer.
Eradicating H. pylori reduces the risk of recurrent ulcers as well as the risk of other problems, including stomach cancer.
However, treating H. pylori with traditional medications often proves to be difficult. Physicians typically treat the infection with at least three drugs for 2 or sometimes 4 weeks. Even with that aggressive treatment, the success rate is only around 80%.
Now there's good evidence that a simple green sprout added to your diet can reduce or eliminate H. pylori.
The sprout is question is broccoli.
You've undoubtedly heard the advice to eat more vegetables. You've probably heard that vegetables of the cruciferous class (broccoli, cabbage, etc.) are especially good for you. There are any number of beneficial nutrients in these vegetables, but one compound that has been studied extensively is sulforaphane.
Sulforaphane is a phytochemical that triggers the production of beneficial enzymes in the stomach. These enzymes protect against inflammation, free radicals and DNA damage - and have a number of health benefits.
Research studies show that regularly including vegetables containing sulforaphane in your diet protects against several types of cancer (including bladder cancer), heart disease and may even help arthritis.
Sulforaphane levels are 50 times higher in broccoli sprouts than they are in mature broccoli, so sprouts are an especially good source.
In addition to the already known health benefits, there's now evidence that broccoli sprouts are effective against H. pylori. In a study in mice infected with H. pylori, over 70% percent of the infections were cleared in the treated group while none were cleared in the placebo group.
Other laboratory studies have shown that sulforaphane kills over 90% of tested strains of H. pylori, even those resistant to antibiotics, by 2 mechanisms - induced enzymes and direct effect.
A study in humans infected with H. pylori showed significant suppression of H. pylori infection, if not complete eradication, in people who ate about 2 ounces of broccoli sprouts a day.
You can make your own sprouts, but they're widely available under the brand name BroccoSprouts. They're available in my little town so you can probably find them where you are. Even if you don't have any concerns about H. pylori, including broccoli sprouts in your diet regularly is still a great idea. It's another example of why we all should emphasize a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in our diets.
By the way, there's an interesting "inside story" about the Australian researcher who first recognized importance of H. pylori. I use it to help my colleagues keep their perspective when they seem a little closed minded. You can read about it at: [http://www.jfmccaffreymd.com/another-reason-to-eat-your-broccoli.html]Another Reason to Eat Your Broccoli
And since you're interested healthy eating you may want to check out: [http://www.jfmccaffreymd.com/healthy-eating.html]Healthy Eating in 10 Easy Steps
You'll learn a simple way to painlessly transform the quality of your diet.
»» read more
You may or may not have heard about a unique bacterium called Heliobacter pylori - H. pylori for short. It's unique because it can survive in the acid of the stomach. And infection with H. pylori can cause serious problems. It's associated with irritation of the stomach wall, ulcers and even stomach cancer.
Eradicating H. pylori reduces the risk of recurrent ulcers as well as the risk of other problems, including stomach cancer.
However, treating H. pylori with traditional medications often proves to be difficult. Physicians typically treat the infection with at least three drugs for 2 or sometimes 4 weeks. Even with that aggressive treatment, the success rate is only around 80%.
Now there's good evidence that a simple green sprout added to your diet can reduce or eliminate H. pylori.
The sprout is question is broccoli.
You've undoubtedly heard the advice to eat more vegetables. You've probably heard that vegetables of the cruciferous class (broccoli, cabbage, etc.) are especially good for you. There are any number of beneficial nutrients in these vegetables, but one compound that has been studied extensively is sulforaphane.
Sulforaphane is a phytochemical that triggers the production of beneficial enzymes in the stomach. These enzymes protect against inflammation, free radicals and DNA damage - and have a number of health benefits.
Research studies show that regularly including vegetables containing sulforaphane in your diet protects against several types of cancer (including bladder cancer), heart disease and may even help arthritis.
Sulforaphane levels are 50 times higher in broccoli sprouts than they are in mature broccoli, so sprouts are an especially good source.
In addition to the already known health benefits, there's now evidence that broccoli sprouts are effective against H. pylori. In a study in mice infected with H. pylori, over 70% percent of the infections were cleared in the treated group while none were cleared in the placebo group.
Other laboratory studies have shown that sulforaphane kills over 90% of tested strains of H. pylori, even those resistant to antibiotics, by 2 mechanisms - induced enzymes and direct effect.
A study in humans infected with H. pylori showed significant suppression of H. pylori infection, if not complete eradication, in people who ate about 2 ounces of broccoli sprouts a day.
You can make your own sprouts, but they're widely available under the brand name BroccoSprouts. They're available in my little town so you can probably find them where you are. Even if you don't have any concerns about H. pylori, including broccoli sprouts in your diet regularly is still a great idea. It's another example of why we all should emphasize a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in our diets.
By the way, there's an interesting "inside story" about the Australian researcher who first recognized importance of H. pylori. I use it to help my colleagues keep their perspective when they seem a little closed minded. You can read about it at: [http://www.jfmccaffreymd.com/another-reason-to-eat-your-broccoli.html]Another Reason to Eat Your Broccoli
And since you're interested healthy eating you may want to check out: [http://www.jfmccaffreymd.com/healthy-eating.html]Healthy Eating in 10 Easy Steps
You'll learn a simple way to painlessly transform the quality of your diet.
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