Bacteria vs bacteria: probiotics against Helicobacter pylori

The presence of Helicobacter pylori in the stomach mucosa can lead to various disorders, from ulcers to gastric cancer. Due to the increase in antibiotic resistance, new ways to eliminate them are being studied, some of them based on beneficial bacteria.

Discover that the bacteria Helicobacter pylori was the cause After many cases of gastritis and peptic ulcer, Australian researchers Barry Marshall and Robin Warren were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology in 2005. Receiving the award marked the end of research that had begun 25 years ago and was plagued with inconveniences and anecdotes. The researchers had to face distrust and disinterest from the rest of the scientific community, who did not see it possible for a bacteria to grow in the acidic environment inside the stomach, let alone cause lesions in the gastric mucosa. 

However, after years of hard work (which included Marshall drinking a culture from the gastric biopsy of a gastritis patient), They managed to gather enough evidence to convince other scientists that this bacteria caused stomach problems.

One of these strategies consists of fight fire with fire using probiotic bacteria along with the antibiotic cocktail. Probiotics are live microorganisms that can benefit humans. In this case, bacteria that normally live in our gastrointestinal tract are usually administered, such as lactic acid bacteria. 

However, there is something that has become quite clear in all these independent studies, and that is that There is no evidence that probiotics alone have a beneficial effect against H. pylori infection. That is, antibiotics are the most effective treatment option to date, although some probiotics can give them a boost. This does not prevent that, when doing a simple search on the internet with the words 'Helicobacter pylori' and 'probiotics', a lot of purchase options and dubious websites recommending their use appear. Great care. Probiotic bacteria could be helpful as long as they are given along with the necessary antibiotics, and this treatment must always be supervised by a doctor. If not, it is most likely that we will not be able to make the bacteria disappear, but we will be able to make the money out of our pockets.