Bismuth is an Effective Addition to H pylori Treatments

Bismuth is a mineral used in some H pylori quadruple therapy treatments and natural anti-H pylori products, including Bio-HPF by a company called Biotics Research Corp and Formula SF-734 by Thorne. A recent study proved its effectiveness.

The aims of the study were to determine the ability of bismuth to improve H pylori eradication and reduce the intensity of H pylori-induced gastritis.

90 patients with H Pylori-associated chronic gastritis were randomized into three groups.

• 30 patients in the first group were treated with omeprazole, amoxicillin and clarithromicyn for 10 days.
• 30 patients in the second group took the same triple therapy plus bismuth for 10 days 10 days
• For 30 patients in the third group, only bismuth was prescribed for 28 days without antibiotics.

No differences were found in the degree of gastritis before the treatment. One month after the respective therapies, the grade of gastritis reduced in 63.3% of patients in the first group (triple therapy only), 70% in the second (triple therapy plus bismuth) and 100% in the third (triple therapy for 10 days plus bismuth for 28 days).

Atrophy (degradation) of the stomach tissue was shown to improve in 3.3%, 6.6% and 16.6% patients, respectively, with the biggest changes seen in those people who took bismuth the longest.

H pylori eradication rates were 73.3%, 93.3% and 33.3% respectively.

Conclusions:

This study draws attention to some very interesting findings.

• First, adding bismuth to triple therapy increased the treatment efficacy from 73 to 93%.
• Second, gastritis and atrophy improved when bismuth was added to triple therapy.
• Third, bismuth on its own, while not as effective as triple therapy in killing H pylori, actually created a greater positive effect on stomach healing.

The researchers concluded with the following statement:

Our data confirm that bismuth increases the rate of H Pylori eradication and suggests that including of bismuth in treatment regimens may reduce the intensity of gastritis.

Reference

L. B. Lazebnik et al. Influence of Bismuth on Gastritis Healing and Effectiveness of H. pylori Eradication. European Helicobacter Study Group. XXIII International Workshop on Helicobacter and Related Bacteria in Chronic Digestive Inflammation and Gastric Cancer. Rotterdam, September 16–18, 2010. P.343.

Dave Hompes’ Comments

Interestingly, whenever I have used bismuth compounds (e.g. Formula SF-734, Bio-HPF) in an attempt to help with H pylori, they haven’t worked in the sense of eradicating the bacteria. However people generally do feel better when these products are taken. These findings correlate well with the above study findings.

It would appear that H pylori eradication success is enhanced when antibiotics are combined with bismuth and if the bismuth is taken for an extended period of time, the stomach tissue heals more effectively.

This final point is of great importance. In my book, I stress the importance of considering the fact that H pylori infection damages the gut. Therefore, just like removing a splinter from your finger doesn’t automatically heal the damage, eradicating H pylori doesn’t necessarily lead to healing of the gut overnight!

This is one of the major reasons I recommend an anti-inflammatory diet in addition to anti-inflammatory protein powders and gut healing supplements alongside or after protocols to kill H pylori.

These protocols can be used alongside or after medically prescribed antibiotics, or along with natural stomach cleanses using mastic gum, garlic extract, DGL, etc.

One of the major advantages of the natural approach the ability of the natural products to reduce inflammation and improve healing of the gut lining, in addition to acting against bacterial and yeast overgrowth.

Recommendations That May Help You Overcome H Pylori:

• If you have Helicobacter pylori and want to learn more about it without staring at a computer screen for hours on end, all the information on this website, as well as detailed diet and supplement program for healing your digestive system can be found in my book, The H Pylori Diet.

• In the book, I teach you how to use natural stomach healing protocols, including products containing bismuth, in the appropriate doses and for the optimal duration.

• To have a healthy gut lining, parasites, fungal overgrowth and other unwanted digestive system invaders should be removed. Read about our comprehensive stool testing services to find out how this powerful tool can help you overcome chronic symptoms. Click here for more information.

• If you would like one-to-one, discreet, personalized support from one of the Hompes Method team, please click here. Ever since I was diagnosed with H pylori in 2007 – having eradicated it using diet changes, herbs and nutritional supplements – it has been my mission to help people like you around the world understand and overcome health challenges using an integrated health approach. Where possible we work closely with the medical profession to combine the best of conventional medicine with our cutting edge clinical nutrition and functional medicine techniques. It is our hope that we can help you achieve your health related goals.

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact us by using the web-form, below.

 

In love and light,

 

Dave Hompes & The Hompes Method team