Naturopathic Care for Peptic Ulcer Disease

Your stomach is a vital organ that is very susceptible to inflammation from infection, injury, and irritation, especially since it receives food from the mouth (which may contain foreign pathogens) and breaks them down into particles for your intestines to absorb essential nutrients that your body needs to remain healthy. In people with peptic ulcer disease (PUD), the protective function of their stomach is impaired, leading to ulcerations that can severely affect quality of life and overall well-being. 
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Understanding Peptic Ulcer Disease

Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) occurs due to an imbalance in the protective and damaging forces present in the gastrointestinal tract. Although the condition may occur in any part of the GI tract, it most commonly affects the last part of the stomach and the first portion of the small intestine.4 Years ago, most people with PUD were infected with Helicobacter pylori. However, with improvements on sanitation and the growing use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for pain and fever, the trends eventually shifted. Helicobacter pylori is a bacteria that thrives in the stomach of some people which can cause inflammation that can damage the stomach lining. The microorganism does this by decreasing the protective mucus that is present in the stomach, allowing gastric acid to destroy healthy cells. Currently, the rising rates of PUD have been associated with the use of NSAIDs, which can cause damage to the protective layer of your stomach. Ibuprofen or aspirin blocks COX-1, which is an enzyme that helps protect the stomach lining. Once blocked, the production of mucus in the stomach decreases and its protective properties diminish. Curious to learn more about the effects of NSAIDs to your stomach lining? We have the perfect blog post for you! ​
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Signs and Symptoms

People with peptic ulcer disease experience episodes of burning or aching epigastric pain (pain located on the upper middle part of your abdomen). This gruesome pain typically happens 1-3 hours after eating and can be worse at night. The tricky part is that pain in PUD can be relieved by food or non-acidic drinks. Aside from abdominal pain, you may also experience bloating, nausea, and vomiting, all of which can affect your daily activities. In severe cases, PUDs can put you at risk of having GI bleeding, malnutrition, or cancer, since damage to your stomach lining can affect the integrity of blood vessels that supplies its cells the energy to function, impair the absorption of essential nutrients, and cause chronic irritation that can lead to the development of malignant cells. The good news is that peptic ulcers can actually spontaneously heal without having to go to treatment or therapy. However, the risks of developing additional ulcers should prompt you to take charge of your health and explore natural options that target and eradicate the cause of persistent erosions. 
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Allopathic Options

Conventional treatment strategies for peptic ulcer disease focus on eliminating H. pylori through antibiotics and reducing stomach acid through H-2 receptor antagonists, such as ranitidine, and proton pump inhibitors (PPI), such as omeprazole. Additional supplementation may be needed when using PPIs, since their prolonged use can lead to malnutrition and may increase your risks of getting bone fractures.4  Bismuth may also be taken in addition to antibiotics and PPIs when these two become ineffective in managing PUD. These medications can help treat the symptoms of peptic ulcer, but they do not treat the underlying cause or aid in nourishing the body. ​
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​Naturopathic Options

The naturopathic approach in managing peptic ulcer disease focuses on nurturing whole body health through lifestyle and food modifications, supplementation, herbal remedies, and stress reduction, which are all aimed at targeting the root cause of inflammation and breaking the cycle of ulceration. Simply put, naturopathic care aims to correct the cause of dysfunction, eliminate pathogens like H. pylori, healing the stomach and intestinal lining, and replace any lost nutrients. Additionally, people with long-term NSAID use are more likely to suffer from conditions that need immediate and frequent  pain relief. Targeting the root cause of their health problem may ultimately prevent them from using NSAIDs in the first place!

​Stress Reduction

Exposure to stressful events and environments can affect acid secretion in the stomach and cause unwanted irritation to the lining that eventually results in ulceration. Hence, your stress levels severely affect regulatory processes within the body! Identifying and reducing stressors with your naturopathic doctors not only help nurture balance within the body, but also challenges yourself to become more proactive and conscious in maintaining optimal health.

Botanical Medicine
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• Marshmallow root (Althaea officinalis). Marshmallow root contains healing properties that help coat the lining of your esophagus and stomach, thereby forming a barrier that protects your gastric wall from acid and damage.1
• Licorice (Radix glycyrrhizae). Licorice can be a safer and effective alternative to bismuth, which is the drug of choice that helps protect your stomach from destructive acid and pepsin secretions by acting as a barrier while enhancing mucus secretion at the same time.1  Licorice root can increase your blood pressure so, as always, be sure to talk to your healthcare provider before making any changes to your health regimen. 
• Slippery elm (Ulmus rubra). Aside from its wonders in healing sore throat, slippery elm helps nurture the protective barrier of the stomach by stimulating mucus production, thereby coating irritated or ulcered lining.2 This wonderful plant can also help improve your bowel habits and reduce problems with constipation.1

L-glutamine Supplementation

As the most abundant amino acid that helps maintain regulatory processes in the body, L-glutamine supports the optimal functioning of your gastrointestinal tract. Glutamine helps  regulate the production of inflammatory markers and proliferation of white blood cells, thereby nurturing your defenses against infection and irritation.3 Supplementing your diet with L-glutamine also helps meet the metabolic demands of the body during metabolic stress, such as peptic ulcer disease.3

Nurturing Your Gastric Health

The role that your stomach plays is not only limited to breaking down food particles for absorption. It also helps secrete enzymes that help regulate the processes within your gastrointestinal tract. With food particles that may contain toxins and pathogens entering the stomach everyday, keeping your stomach strong and healthy is important to nurture innate protective factors that safeguard it from infections and ulcerations.

​Do you want to learn how? Take the Natural Path to Wellness today!

BECOME A CLIENT

This article is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult your licensed naturopathic physician or other licensed healthcare provider before making changes to your medications or supplements. 

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REFERENCES:

1. Mohiuddin AK. Alternative Treatments for Minor GI Ailments [retracted in: Innov Pharm. 2020 Feb 25;11(1). doi: 10.24926/iip.v11i1.3940]. Innov Pharm. 2019;10(3):10.24926/iip.v10i3.1659. Published 2019 Jul 5. doi:10.24926/iip.v10i3.1659
2. Slippery Elm. In: LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury. Bethesda (MD): National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; January 5, 2024.
3. Perna S, Alalwan TA, Alaali Z, et al. The Role of Glutamine in the Complex Interaction between Gut Microbiota and Health: A Narrative Review. Int J Mol Sci. 2019;20(20):5232. Published 2019 Oct 22. doi:10.3390/ijms20205232
4. Malik TF, Gnanapandithan K, Singh K. Peptic Ulcer Disease. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; June 5, 2023.