When it comes to H. pylori, many people feel a tingling in their bodies and even an involuntary pain in their stomachs. Yes, that’s right, H. pylori is one of the common causes of gastric ulcers and also has a clear association with stomach cancer. So, more and more people are bent on getting rid of it, risking the huge risks associated with antibiotics. However, H. pylori may not just be a harmful pathogen. Back in 1998, Professor Martin Blaser of the New York University School of Medicine was the first person to be involved in the treatment of H. pylori. Martin Blaser of the New York University School of Medicine suggested that “H. pylori may have been present in humans and our hominid ancestors long ago …… so there may be benefits to H. pylori colonization.” In fact, H. pylori has been parasitic in the human stomach since the beginning of the human population. Unless eradicated with antibiotics, H. pylori usually stays with the human body for the rest of its life. And its disappearance from the human stomach has only been a matter of the last 20 years or so. In subsequent studies, Professor Blazer’s forward-looking views have been confirmed. In 2011, an article entitled ‘Stop Killing Beneficial Bacteria’ was published in the journal Nature, in which a large-scale survey found that people lacking H. pylori were more likely to suffer from asthma, cushings and skin allergies. And, the authors said: ‘When H. pylori disappears from the human stomach, people are more likely to develop esophageal reflux disease, and its complications, such as Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal cancer.’ Not only that, but this bacterium does not necessarily cause disease. According to a survey by Ramakrishna, a gastroenterologist in Chennai, India, seven out of 10 Indians are infected with H. pylori, but the vast majority have no symptoms of the disease and only a small percentage develop stomach ulcers. Other microorganisms present in the stomach were found to suppress the inflammation produced by H. pylori in experiments on rats. In the study, published in the journal Infection and Immunity, researchers at the University of California found that rats with high levels of Clostridium difficile in their stomachs had much lower levels of inflammation after being inoculated with H. pylori. The study’s leader, Karen Oatman, said the study was conducted by the University of California. Ottemann said: Clostridium difficile in the small intestine can reduce inflammation. It may be a similar principle that Clostridium perfringens in the stomach can inhibit the pathogenic mechanism of H. pylori. Although the study has not been conducted in humans, we may be able to make the hypothesis that for a proportion of patients, H. pylori infection is a consequence – the cause is a dysbiosis of the digestive tract flora and the absence of other microorganisms that inhibit the pathogenic mechanism of H. pylori. According to microbiologist Martyn K. Blazer believes that “changes in the composition of the body’s colonies are responsible for a number of human diseases.” And he says, “H. pylori may be an ‘indicator organism’ that sends out alerts that tell people that their intestinal flora has changed.” Who needs eradication? Some doctors in mainstream medicine follow the principle: ‘test-positive-triple therapy eradication.’ But triple therapy (or quadruple therapy) is, after all, a more aggressive treatment option, and the use of large amounts of antibiotics can cause unpredictable dysbiosis. And there is also literature in the Journal of Basic Mechanisms of Clinical Therapy that shows that H. pylori eradication does not help in non-ulcer dyspepsia. Dr. Robynne Chutkan, author of The Microbiome Solution, states that H. pylori has a protective effect on the body and that unnecessary eradication may lead to esophagitis or even esophageal cancer …… In some patients, esophageal reflux disease is a common symptom of H. pylori eradication A common symptom after H. pylori …… H. pylori keeps the balance of the stomach hunger hormone (ghrelin), a hormone produced by the gastrointestinal tract that causes hunger, and children who are missing H. pylori may be less likely to know when to stop eating… …So I only recommend eradicating H. pylori in patients who have gastric ulcers, gastric cancer, or a significant propensity for gastric cancer. The Townsend Letter published a guideline in 2013: “Clinicians will choose to eradicate H. pylori after detection …… but this eradication once detected approach may not be the best for the patient and we need more rational guidance. There is a broad consensus that patients with gastric ulcers, gastric MALT lymphoma, early gastric tumors, and those associated with first-degree gastric cancer need to be treated. Patients with H. pylori need to be checked for platelet deficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency, and iron deficiency anemia. Obviously, simply being positive for H. pylori is not enough to require immediate treatment unless there are clear clinical signs that indicate that the potential risk outweighs the loss due to treatment. How to treat? The Townsend Letter article states that triple therapy is the standard of care in mainstream medicine, but the current eradication rate is about 70%, and even lower in patients who have undergone one round of treatment. Colonization of the low-PH gastric mucosa by H. pylori and antibiotic resistance are the main reasons for eradication failure. Biofilm formation by H. pylori and its intracellular replication may also contribute to treatment failure. The article evaluated multiple treatment options and concluded that the use of probiotics, anti-biofilm enzymes, lactoferrin, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, and quercetin in addition to the standard triplet improved H. pylori eradication rates and reduced the side effects associated with antibiotics. Personally, I experienced severe side effects after triple therapy in 2013, mainly in the form of IBS-C, food allergy and intolerance, followed by many extra-intestinal symptoms such as dizziness and lack of concentration. It was only after a sensible diet (excluding allergens such as gluten, probiotics, vitamin D and dietary supplements for intestinal repair) started in August ’14 that the symptoms slowly improved. If given the choice again, I would not take it lightly to kill the bacteria that was already in my body. If I had to, I would use a high quality probiotic (2 hours apart from the antibiotic) along with the antibiotic and continue for 1 month after the antibiotic course.