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 Bacteria - The Bacteria page provides some background, classification and morphology of bacteria and points you to other research sites on their chemistry, structure and benefits.
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Read about the stomach bacteria called Heliobacter Pylori and decide whether it is friendly or not, how it survives and links to medical articles about the stomach bacteria.
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Helicobacter pylori - the real stomach bacteria survivor
There are only a few bacteria specialized to survive in
the stomach. For most others, the stomach is a real
bottle neck, and most will die when they stay in it
too long, or when the pH is too low (too acid). Don't
forget, however, that food particles can temporary
increase the pH, so that bacteria can 'sneek through'
with a meal. That is how food-borne pathogens reach
the intestines where they're fine.
The few bacteria that can survive in the stomach
produce specific enzymes that increase the pH around
them. Helicobacter pylori is the only example proven
stomach bacteria to date to live preferentially in the stomach. The
enzyme they produce is Urease. They can survive long
enough to reach the epithelial cells that line the
stomach, and they live in the niches between these
cells. The pH of such niches is pretty neutral. So
although the stomach bacteria can survive the acidity, they would rather get
away from it.
The medications you are prescribed to get rid of your
Helicobacter (which can cause gastric ulcers) are
antibiotics. They have specific antibacterial
activity, and kill the bacteria without doing harm to
the stomach tissue. These antibiotics are acid
resistant.
some stomach bacteria can help
Bacteria normally linked to stomach ulcers and even cancer may turn out to actually protect children from dangerous
infections.
Diarrhoeal diseases kill many thousands of children each year, mainly in developing countries.
German scientists are suggesting that the stomach bacteria Helicobacter pylori, which is carried by a large swathe of the
population from childhood onwards, may help the body fight off the other bugs which cause them.
sometimes stomach bacteria can harm
During the past decade, Helicobacter pylori has become recognized as one of the most common human pathogens, colonizing
the gastric mucosa of almost all persons exposed to poor hygienic conditions from childhood. It also is often found,
albeit with a lower frequency, in groups of high socioeconomic status. The stomach bacteria H. pylori causes chronic active gastritis and
is a major factor in the pathogenesis of duodenal ulcers and, to a lesser extent, gastric ulcers. In addition, the
presence of this bacterium is now recognized as a risk factor for gastric adenocarcinoma and lymphoma. Nevertheless,
most infections appear without clinical consequences.
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The most relevant links we could find, placed here free
 BBC News
- BBC News | HEALTH | 'Hidden benefit' of stomach bacteria. news.bbc.co.uk
Official Government Research site
- Spiral Bacteria in the Human Stomach. www.cdc.gov
BBC NEWS | Health |
- BBC NEWS | Health | Should everybody be dashing down to the local supermarket to buy a drink or yoghurt packed full of 'friendly bacteria' in the chance they may get sick if they do not? Should we top up our friendly bacteria?. news.bbc.co.uk
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Site written by Steve Dickson