益生菌、蜂蜜、大蒜有助殺滅幽門螺旋桿菌嗎？

Early survey data showed that the proportion of Taiwanese people infected with Helicobacter pylori in their stomachs was as high as 50% to 55%, which means that at least 10 million people in Taiwan have this special bacterium lurking in their bodies. This bacterium can not only survive in the highly acidic environment of the stomach, but may also cause diseases such as chronic gastritis and gastric ulcers. In severe cases, it can even increase the risk of stomach cancer, posing a great threat to human stomach health.

To confirm whether you are infected with Helicobacter pylori, the medical community has developed a variety of effective testing methods. Previously, HEHO published an article titled "Recently, I've been experiencing frequent hiccups and heartburn; if you want to have a stomach health check, you have these 7 options," which detailed several reliable testing methods such as gastroscopy and carbon-13 breath testing. People can choose the appropriate testing method based on their own health condition and their doctor's professional advice.

Once a Helicobacter pylori infection is diagnosed and damage to the stomach has occurred, standard medical treatment typically lasts about three weeks. Currently, the most commonly used clinical treatment is the "standard triple therapy," which consists of proton-pump inhibitors, clarithromycin, and amoxicillin. If the patient is intolerant to amoxicillin, metronidazole is used instead. However, with the increasing number of drug-resistant Helicobacter pylori strains, the medical community has developed various new therapies, such as the "two-in-one therapy" consisting of a high-dose proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) and amoxicillin, and the "four-in-one therapy" containing a proton-pump inhibitor, bismuth, tetracycline, and metronidazole.

Faced with the problems caused by Helicobacter pylori, many folk remedies claiming to kill this bacteria circulate online and in folk medicine, such as drinking honey, eating garlic, and consuming cauliflower. Some even claim that supplementing with probiotics can also achieve a bactericidal effect. Are these claims true and credible? The following will analyze their scientific basis one by one:

Honey

Honey has an extremely viscous texture and a very high osmotic pressure. In such an environment, bacterial cells cannot maintain their water balance and die. Therefore, honey itself usually does not harbor bacteria. However, this does not mean that honey has the ability to actively kill bacteria. More importantly, when thick honey enters the stomach, it is quickly diluted by gastric juices. The diluted honey has a significantly lower concentration, making it impossible to meet the conditions required for sterilization. Even if you don't mind the sweetness and drink pure honey directly, it cannot effectively eliminate Helicobacter pylori in the body.

garlic

Garlic contains allicin, a compound with strong antibacterial properties and a broad antibacterial spectrum. It also possesses various pharmacological effects, including lowering cholesterol, inhibiting platelet aggregation, protecting the liver, preventing cardiovascular disease, and regulating blood pressure. Some even believe that eating raw garlic maximizes its antibacterial effects. However, even with these advantages, eating garlic does not mean that it can eliminate Helicobacter pylori. Firstly, the amount of allicin ingested through daily diet is extremely limited, making it virtually impossible to kill Helicobacter pylori with such a small amount. Secondly, garlic is highly irritating; excessive consumption can damage the gastric mucosa and may place an additional burden on the liver.

cauliflower

A research team from Johns Hopkins University in the United States and France conducted a study on the effects of cauliflower on Helicobacter pylori. The results showed that sulforaphane in cauliflower can not only kill Helicobacter pylori, but also completely eliminate bacteria hidden in the folds of the stomach wall. However, it is important to note that this research is only in the mouse animal testing phase and has not yet been successfully conducted in human clinical trials. Currently, claims that "eating cauliflower can kill Helicobacter pylori" are more of a placebo effect, with very limited actual therapeutic effect.

probiotics

A comprehensive analysis of clinical trial results published after 2000 reveals that, in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori, supplementing with probiotics such as lactic acid bacteria on top of the three-in-one therapy results in better outcomes compared to those without.Add probioticsCompared to other treatment regimens, probiotics can increase the eradication rate of Helicobacter pylori by 5% to 10%, and reduce the side effects experienced by patients. Based on these results, probiotics seem to offer some assistance in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori. However, in reality, no clinical trial has been conducted that relied solely on probiotics without using a three-in-one therapy. Therefore, the claim that "probiotics alone can kill Helicobacter pylori" lacks sufficient theoretical basis and clinical research support; at most, it can be said that probiotics have an auxiliary role in inhibiting the growth of Helicobacter pylori.

In fact, even with standard triple or quadruple therapy, the complete eradication rate of Helicobacter pylori is only 80% to 90%. Therefore, it is crucial not to believe claims that "eating just a few foods can kill Helicobacter pylori." Once an infection is confirmed, prompt medical attention and strict adherence to a professional doctor's treatment recommendations are essential for effectively controlling the condition and protecting stomach health.