I have Done My Medical Check Up and Found Helicobacter pylori Reactive, What It is?

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a bacterium that causes chronic inflammation of the inner lining of the stomach (gastritis) in humans. This bacterium also is considered as a common cause of ulcers worldwide; as many as 90% of people with ulcers have detectable organisms.

H. pylori infection is most likely acquired by ingesting contaminated food and water, and through person to person contact. The prevalence of infection is decreasing because there is increasing awareness about the infection, and treatment is common. About 50% of the world population is estimated to have detectable H. pylori in their gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, but stomach, mainly).

Poor hygiene with hand touching the food

The infection is more common in crowded living conditions with poor sanitation. In countries with poor sanitation, approximately 90% of the adult population can be infected. Infected individuals usually carry the infection indefinitely (for life) unless they are treated with medications to eradicate the bacterium. 

Eat using dirty hand

One out of every six patients with H. pylori infection may develop ulcers of the duodenum or stomach. H. pylori also are associated with stomach cancer and a rare type of lymphocytic tumor of the stomach called MALT (mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue) lymphoma. In addition, several recent research papers have shown a link between diabetes, infections, elevated hemoglobin A1C levels, and H. pylori.

What does H. pylori Cause in Humans?

H. pylori infections start with a person acquiring the bacterium from another person (via either the fecal-oral or oral-oral route). 

Although the majority of individuals that have these bacteria in their GI tracts have few if any symptoms (see symptoms), most people develop stomach inflammation (gastritis) from the body's response to the bacterium itself and to a cytotoxin termed Vac-A, a chemical that the bacterium produces. 

Researchers also suggest that the stomach acid stimulates the bacterium in addition to the cytotoxin, and increases invasion of the lining of the stomach, inflammation, and ulcer formation. Other investigators have shown that these bacteria and their products are associated with alterations in the cells lining the stomach that when altered are associated with stomach and other cancers, although these are infrequently seen diseases.

What are the symptoms of H. pylori infections?

Most individuals infected with H. pylori have few or no symptoms. Some may experience a few episodes of gastritis like: 

• minor belching, 
• bloating, 
• nausea, 
• vomiting, and 
• abdominal discomfort. 

Often, these symptoms simply go away. However, those individuals who have a more serious infection exhibit symptoms of stomach and duodenal ulcers or gastritis which include the following: 

• abdominal pain and/or discomfort that usually does not wax and wane 
• nausea and vomiting sometimes with blood or coffee-ground like vomitus 
• dark or tar-like stools (black color of feces due to bleeding ulcers) 
• fatigue 
• low red blood cell count due to bleeding 
• full feeling after a small amount of food 
• decreased appetite that is more constant 

Other symptoms may include: 

• diarrhea, 
• heartburn, and 
• bad breath (halitosis). 

If a person has symptoms of black, tarry stools and fatigue they should seek medical help or go to an emergency department to be evaluated for intestinal bleeding.

Black, tarry stools suggesting intestinal bleeding

Is H. pylori contagious?

Yes, H. pylori are contagious. However, sometimes there is a grey area between the terms contagious and colonized. Contagious usually implies a disease-causing agent is transferred from person to person, while colonization usually implies a non-disease-causing agent simply populates a body surface but does not cause disease, even when transferred from person to person. 

Transmission can occur even with Hp negative

The grey area occurs when many people have the agent that causes disease in some of them, but not in many others. Some microbiologists consider such organisms as adapting to their human hosts by slowly changing from infecting humans to colonizing them. Although this is speculation, it seems to fit the ongoing situation with H. pylori. 

Screening test can be use for detection

However, others think the bacteria become infecting agents when their genes and surrounding environment trigger H. pylori to produce and release enough toxic chemicals to cause the GI tract to become inflamed.

For more health info and promotions, please follow us on Facebook- Wellness Lab

Download Wellness Lab Mobile App now for more promotions 

If you like this article, you can share this to your friends and families , together we share the health information and the taste of a healthy life!

Vaccines Could Be the Answer for Conquering Rheumatoid Arthritis

Good News to all Arthritis Patient: A rheumatoid arthritis vaccine may soon become a reality for treating both the symptoms and underlying cause.

The traditional approach to treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) involves therapies that try to slow down the disease process and alleviate symptoms. A new vaccine, however, may change that by focusing instead on the underlying cause and not simply masking the symptoms or slowing progression.

Different Way of Arthritis Treatment

According to a clinical trial that was published in Science Translational Medicine, the newly created vaccine-style treatment has been proven to be safe and effective for treating the root cause of RA.

By tackling the underlying cause, patients may experience a better prognosis and quality of life.

“Current therapies only treat the symptoms and slow the progression of disease,” said Professor Ranjeny Thomas, head of the autoimmunity division at the University of Queensland Diamantina Institute in Australia. But this new vaccine will do more than that, by suppressing the immune system right off the bat.

As Thomas explained, “We have designed a vaccine-style treatment or ‘immunotherapy’ specifically for individuals carrying high-risk rheumatoid arthritis genes and specific rheumatoid arthritis antibodies, called anti-CCP.”

How Does It Work?

“This treatment teaches the patient’s immune system to ignore a naturally occurring peptide that is incorrectly identified as ‘foreign,’ resulting in the production of CCP antibodies and causing inflammation,” explained Thomas.

Researchers were able to reduce inflammation by taking blood from each RA patient involved in the study, treating and retraining the cells, and then injecting the blood back into the patient. The injection of the patient’s own modified cells was proven to be safe. It was also an efficient way to essentially stop RA flares before they start.

“At this stage, the technique would not be ideal for widespread treatment or prevention of rheumatoid arthritis because it’s costly and time-consuming,” said Thomas in a statement to the press.

“However, the promising results of this trial lay the foundations for the development of a more cost-effective, clinically-practical vaccine technology that could deliver similar outcomes for patients,” she added. Authors of the study noted that the findings may be beneficial for other autoimmune ailments in the future.

What Are The Other People Saying? 

Natural health practitioner Jenna Stone, HHC, AADP, of Poughkeepsie, New York, said, “It makes sense that a vaccine created by a patient’s own modified cells would in essence retrain their immune system, if they have an autoimmune disorder. In autoimmune illnesses like rheumatoid arthritis, we see the immune system attacking healthy cells instead of harmful invaders like it was created to do.” Stone agreed with the researchers that it simply made sense as a medical theory to try to put this formula into practice.

Picture for illustration only

"I’ve tried pretty much everything and will continue to try anything that works in healing or taming this awful disease." says Laurie Keens, rheumatoid arthritis patient

“It seems that this vaccine treatment would retrain or confuse the immune system enough to be effective in treating and even preventing these inflammatory conditions like RA. Often our body creates disease but also has the power to heal it. This is a prime example of that notion combined with modern science to form a winning approach,” she said.

RA patient Laurie Keens, of Bonner, Idaho, said she would be on board with a treatment method like this. “I’ve tried pretty much everything and will continue to try anything that works in healing or taming this awful disease,” she said. “If a vaccine could help my symptoms even a little bit, it’s worth a try. And if it can help me, if it can help to prevent future generations from developing RA in the first place, then I’m all for it.”

While the vaccine idea is in its early stages and is presently rooted more in theory than application, it could hold a lot of hope for Keens and other people with RA in the not-so-distant future.

For more health info and promotions, please follow us on Facebook- Wellness Lab

Download Wellness Lab Mobile App now for more promotions 

If you like this article, you can share this to your friends and families , together we share the health information and the taste of a healthy life!

10 Super Foods You’re Probably Eating It Wrongly

Even if you eat plenty of fruits and veggies and already know about the latest and greatest Super Foods on the market, that’s only half the battle. The other half: understanding how to reap the biggest benefits from all that hard work. We asked a pair of registered dietitians to pinpoint the big mistakes that are preventing you from extracting the most vitamins and minerals from the foods you eat.

Flax seeds

These little pods have lots of health benefits locked inside of them: they’re high in fiber, heart-healthy omega-3s, and lignans, which are phytochemicals that may have cancer-protecting properties. But your body may not be able to digest whole flax seeds, sprinkling a handful into your morning smoothie or onto your yogurt snack won’t get you very far in the nutrient department. According to Katherine Zeratsky, RD, a registered dietitian with the Mayo Clinic, most experts actually recommend eating flax seeds ground. Buy them pre-ground or throw them in a coffee grinder, spice mill, or a specially designed flax mill so you don’t end up flushing the health benefits away.

Black tea

Before you pour yourself another cup of tea, make sure you’re not also reaching for milk: Studies have shown that while the addition of dairy to black tea doesn’t affect the herbal drink’s antioxidants, it does negate any cardiovascular benefits you might have been hoping to reap. Milk proteins can bind with the catechins in tea, which can make the beneficial plant compounds more difficult for the body to absorb.

Broccoli

We totally understand: You can only eat so much raw or steamed broccoli before it gets really boring. But if you want to get the most health mileage from this cruciferous veggie, resist the urge to boil or fry it. Broccoli is loaded with vitamin C, chlorophyll, antioxidants, and anticarcinogenic compounds, and a 2009 Chinese study found that to keep those health benefits intact, steaming is the best cooking method. Boiling and stir-frying were found to cause the biggest loss in nutrients.

Strawberries

There’s nothing quite like biting into those first juicy summer strawberries, especially when you think about all the fiber, antioxidants, and vitamin C each bright-red berry holds. Here’s the catch: To get the full spectrum of health benefits, you want to avoid cutting them for as long as possible. Kristy Del Coro, senior culinary nutritionist for SPE Certified, explains that certain nutrients—especially vitamin C—are sensitive to light and oxygen. When you cut into strawberries, you’re exposing more cells to those nutrient-deteriorating elements. “That said, if the convenience of pre-cut produce makes the difference between you consuming fruits and vegetables or not, it’s still a better option than not eating them at all,” she says. “Frozen produce actually retains a lot of nutrients, and it’s better for you than eating an out-of-season fruit or vegetable that’s traveled a great distance or hasn’t been allowed to fully ripen.”

Garlic

Unlike vitamin C, allicin—the cancer-fighting enzyme found in garlic—actually benefits from exposure to air. To that end, Sara Haas, RDN, a consultant dietitian, chef, and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, recommends letting chopped garlic sit out for about 10 minutes before you toss it into any dish you’re making so that the compound gets fully activated.

Whole grains and beans

Whole, unrefined grains and dried beans contain antioxidant compounds called phytates, which can bind to vitamins and minerals in food and prevent them from being absorbed by the body, explains Del Coro. “Intact whole grains that still have the outer layer [the bran], such as farro, freekeh, sorghum, and wheat berries, should be soaked in water overnight to help release the phytates,” she says. “But this doesn’t apply to semi-refined or unhulled types like pearled barley or instant oats.” In addition to helping you get the maximum amount of nutrients like iron and zinc, the soaking process also means less work for your digestive tract.

Yogurt

You know that watery substance that you often find atop your Greek yogurt? The one you probably pour down the sink? That’s whey, and it contains protein and vitamin B12, along with minerals like calcium and phosphorus, says Haas. Rather than dumping the whey out, give your yogurt a quick stir so you retain all of its health benefits. Another fact to note, says Haas, is that you’re not going to get yogurt’s probiotic benefits if you’re cooking a hot dish like chicken curry or marinated lamb with it. “Live and active cultures can’t stand up to heat and will be destroyed in the cooking process,” she explains. “You’ll still be getting the protein, calcium, and vitamin D though.”

Tomatoes

Fresh, ripe tomatoes add a burst of flavor to salads and sandwiches, but if you want to absorb their lycopene—the phytonutrient responsible for the fruit’s cancer- and heart-disease-fighting properties—Haas says that you’re better off cooking them. Cornell researchers also found that tomatoes’ antioxidant content increases when they’re heated to roughly 190 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Grilled meat

Everyone loves a summer barbecue, but be wary of those “perfectly charred” cuts of meat, says Tanya Zuckerbrot, RD, a registered dietitian practicing in New York City. “Grilling meat at high temperatures over an open flame may increase cancer risk,” she says. Zuckerbrot points to the National Cancer Institute, which warns that two potentially cancer-causing chemicals—heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)—are formed when meats are cooked using high-temperature methods like chargrilling. “Don’t rely on the color of the cooked meat to gauge food safety,” says Zuckerbrot. “Use a food thermometer that shows that meats are cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature as recommended by the USDA.”

Asparagus

We’ve all seen those convenient microwave-safe veggie pouches, and nuking these spears in a ready-made bag seems a whole lot more convenient than busting out a steamer and pot and waiting for water to boil. But as Zuckerbrot points out, a study in the journal Acta Agroculturae Scandinavica found that this cooking method depletes this vegetable’s vitamin C content because the nutrient is water-soluble. Instead, Zuckerbrot recommends a quick steam or stir-fry on the stove, emphasizing that the important thing is to cook the vegetable so that it’s tender and crisp, rather than mushy and soft. “When steaming asparagus, save the leftover water,” she adds. “It’s rich in vitamins and minerals. You can add it to a sauce or soup.”

For more health info and promotions, please follow us on Facebook- Wellness Lab

Download Wellness Lab Mobile App now for more promotions 

If you like this article, you can share this to your friends and families , together we share the health information and the taste of a healthy life!