High doses of vitamin C inhibit the bacteria that causes ulcers, Helicobacter pylori growth in culture. Vitamin C's inhibitory effects seem to be specific to H. pylori and a close cousin, Campylobacter jejuni, but vitamin C had no effect on various gram-negative bacteria.

Epidemiologic evidence and clinical experiments suggest that vitamin C may exert protective effects against the development of gastric cancer. It is estimated that 40% of the US population consumes vitamin supplements, which may account for the lower incidence of gastric cancer in the US compared with Japan, where gastric cancer is the most common cancer. H. pylori is also far less prevalent in the US compared with Japan.

Cancer 1997;80:1897-1903

Infection with a particular strain of Helicobacter pylori, a strain of bacteria associated with stomach ulcers, may increase the risk of heart disease. Experts first pinpointed Helicobacter pylori as a probable cause of stomach ulcers about 17 years ago.

Without proper treatment (which usually involves antibiotic therapy), H. pylori infection can trigger a low-grade inflammatory illness which persists for years. Chronic infections like these may place a subtle but steady strain on the body's cardiovascular system. Most recent studies investigating a link between the bacterium and heart disease have looked at a broad range of H. pylori strains, and have produced conflicting results.

Italian researchers sought to discover if infection with one of the most virulent strains of H. pylori (containing the CagA gene) was especially related to incidence of heart disease.

The investigators discovered that "a total of 38 of 88 patients and 15 of 88 controls were infected by CagA-positive Helicobacter pylori (43% versus 17%)." In contrast, they found that CagA-negative strains were clearly not related to (incidence of) ischemic heart disease.

The study authors caution that, at this point, their research cannot prove that CagA-positive H. pylori causes or contributes to heart disease, only that it is associated with an increased incidence of the disease. But they note that other investigators are examining similar associations between heart disease and chronic infections with organisms such as Chlamydia pneumoniae, cytomegalovirus, and the herpes virus.

Circulation May 1998;97

Pernicious anemia is a very serious disorder, which can cause irreversible damage, resulting from a deficiency of vitamin B12. This study detected H. pylori in 56% of 138 patients with pernicious anemia. Upon treatment and eradication of the H. pylori infection, there was significant improvement of B12 status in 40% of the infected patients. The authors conclude that H. Pylori is a causative factor in many cases of B12 deficiency and that detection and eradication of it may correct the deficiency.

Arch Intern Med. 2000;160:1349-1353

Parkinson's disease may be connected to H. pylori, a kind of bacteria that also causes peptic ulcers.

Researchers found that eliminating H. pylori significantly improved the physical capabilities of those suffering from the neurological condition.

Previous research had suggested a relationship between Parkinson's disease and peptic ulcers, but the nature of the connection is still unknown.

Scientists studied the link between the two by comparing the physical condition of seven Parkinson's patients who received active treatment for H. pylori against 11 patients who took a placebo.

Patients who received active treatment experienced reduced muscle rigidity in their forearms and greater improvement in walking based on stride length.

Symptoms of Parkinson's disease include tremors, muscular rigidity, slowed movement, and balance problems.

 
 Helicobacter August 2005; 10(4): 288

Patient Health International.com August 19, 2005
 

 
Parkinson's disease linked to H. pylori infection
Parkinson's disease may be associated with the peptic ulcer causing bacterium Helicobacter pylori, say researchers who found that eradication of the bacterium significantly improves certain physical abilities in people with the neurological condition.

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative brain disorder in which neurons in a specific area of the brain become dysfunctional. Symptoms of Parkinson's disease include tremors, muscular rigidity or stiffness, slowness of movement, balance problems and difficulties with handwriting and other forms of communication such as speech and facial expressions.

Writing in the journal Helicobacter, Dr Inguar Bjarnason, from Guy's, King's and St. Thomas' School of Medicine in London, UK, and colleagues explain that previous research suggests that many people with Parkinson's disease have a prior diagnosis of peptic ulcer, but the relationship between this stomach condition and the development of Parkinson's disease is not known.

For their study, the researchers compared the severity of Parkinson's symptoms, such as poor muscular function, in seven patients who received active treatment for H. pylori infection and 11 patients who received a dummy treatment (placebo).

The results indicated that there was a greater improvement in walking stride-length in the Parkinson's patients who received treatment for H. pylori infection than in those who received placebo, the majority of whom showed reductions in stride length.

The degree of muscle rigidity in the forearms was also reduced in patients who underwent H. pylori treatment, compared with those who took placebo.

The researchers conclude that the eradication of H. pylori halts the production of toxins by the bacterium, "which may have caused cumulative damage over decades", therefore improving some aspects of physical functioning in people with Parkinson's disease.

They add that more studies are needed to investigate the relationship between infection with H. pylori and other micro-organisms and the development of Parkinson's disease further.

From:  http://www.patienthealthinternational.com/conditionnews/7773.aspx