Probiotic yogurt aids in eliminating ulcer bug

NEW YORK, Apr 22 (Reuters) The stomach bug Helicobacter pylori is the cause of most stomach ulcers, so doctors often try to eradicate the trouble-maker with antibiotic therapy. When this doesn't work, as is the case 10-23 per cent of the time, a yogurt may help, according to a study conducted in Taiwan.

Specifically, eating yogurt containing the beneficial bacteria Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium (AB-yogurt) before trying a second round of combo antibiotic therapy can improve its efficacy in eradicating residual H. pylori, the researchers found.

''The pretreatment can decrease the bacterial loads of H.

pylori,'' Dr. Bor-Shyang Sheu from National Cheng Kung University Hospital in Tainan told Reuters Health. ''Therefore, the pretreatment will be helpful to improve the clinical treatment during the application of the second-line therapy.'' Sheu and colleagues randomly assigned 138 patients, in whom the ulcer bug persisted after triple-antibiotic therapy, to quadruple-antibiotic therapy with or without four preceding weeks of taking AB-yogurt daily.

The investigators report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that H. pylori decreased significantly more in the yogurt pretreatment group compared with the quadruple therapy-only group.

Ultimately, the eradication rate of H. pylori was 91 percent in the yogurt-plus-quadruple therapy group compared with 77 percent in the other.

''These findings,'' conclude the authors, ''provide support for the ingestion of AB-yogurt for 4 weeks before the start of quadruple therapy ... thus obtaining improved rescue efficacy after failed triple therapy.'' Reuters DKS DS1130