Summary
Ulcers in the digestive tract are open sores that may
cause bleeding and pain. Peptic ulcers may be in the
stomach (gastric ulcers) or the first part (duodenum) of the
small intestines (duodenal ulcers). They may also
occur in the esophagus (esophageal ulcers). There are
three factors that individually or collectively cause
problems.
· Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), an infectious bacteria,
is the primary cause of peptic ulcers. A layer of
mucous lines the walls of the stomach as a protection.
The H. pylori bacteria is able to penetrate this mucous
layer and thrive in stomach environment.
· The painkillers that are identified as NSAIDs (nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs) can also cause ulcers and be
especially damaging if the H. pylori has already thinned or
penetrated the mucous membrane. NSAIDs include
aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Midol, Motrin, Nuprin), naproxen
(Aleve, Anaprox, Naprosyn), or piroxicam (Feldene) and many
other prescription drugs. Coated aspirin and other
medications can also be harmful.
· Finally lifestyle and excess acid production in the
stomach itself can be sufficient to breach the mucous
protective layer.
Spicy foods or stress have been ruled out as
factors for peptic ulcers.
Symptoms of ulcers range from none at all to bloating,
heartburn, nausea. In extreme cases there can be
abdominal pain, loss of energy, weight loss, vomiting, or
dark stools (bleeding ulcer). Pain is felt in
abdominal region and is most severe a few hours after meals
as the stomach becomes empty.
see the link above on Science & Research for interesting
scientific studies.
Oils, blends & products
recommended:
Oils & Blends:
DigestZen, frankincense, lemongrass, peppermint
Essential oils based
products: PB Assist
Also consider:
clove,
geranium, lemon, oregano
Suggested protocols:
For immediate relief add 2 - 4 drops of
peppermint to a small amount of water or juice and drink.
For long term healing add to a 00
capsule:
· 4
drops DigestZen
· 4
drops lemongrass
· 4
drops frankincense
Take 2 times per day.
For children: Rub the above blend on their tummy 2
times per day.
Experiences and Testimonials of others
Energy4life - I
have an older friend that has a bleeding ulcer. He is now on
medication for the ulcer. I have read that lemongrass is
known to be toxic to H. Pylori (the bacteria that causes
ulcers). Would putting lemongrass in his drinking water be a
good delivery mechanism? Are there any other oils that would
be helpful in this situation?
Cassandra - I have a friend who has H.
Pylori and loves the simple DigestZen protocol.
Natali - My 11 year old daughter had a
horrible battle with H. Pylori and stomach ulcers last year.
We had used the traditional Triple Therapy, which was
antibiotics and acid blockers for months and we ended up
with no relief. I really felt like the heavy
antibiotics that they put her on were making her worse.
I started studying H. Pylori and I read that you only have a
50% chance that the triple therapy pack will actually work
on H. Pylori bacteria because of the way that it attaches
itself into the lining of your stomach. After reading
that, I decided to think outside the box, I called my
neighbors, because I knew they used these crazy little
essential oils that they swore they would work on my
daughter. They brought me over a bottle of DigestZen
and to my surprise...it worked! I just rubbed it on
her stomach twice a day and she felt better within a week.
My suggestion now would be to take 6 drops of DigestZen and
6 drops of peppermint twice daily to begin with and once a
day when things calm down. This blend works wonders in
controlling my daughter’s acid. She has not had a
problem with her stomach in over a year! The
probiotics PB assist are a must with anyone that has a
digestive disorder. Good Luck!
Chris - My son was
just diagnosed with 5 small ulcers in his stomach lining,
probably due to too much acid in his stomach. What should I
suggest for him?
Pat - When my grand daughter was 8 she
was also diagnosed with ulcers. We used DigestZen! We rubbed
it on her tummy where it hurt and she drank it in a little
water or juice. We usually gave her two drops at a time
along with rubbing it on her tummy. It will usually help to
relief the pain. After using it for about 6 months her
ulcers were gone.
Energy4life - Stomach ulcers are often
caused by a bacterium called H. Pylori. I would suggest
lemongrass as well as DigestZen.
Holly - Anyone know
the best thing to calm an ulcer flare up?
Pat - Yes, the DigestZen works great!
Rob - We have a friend that has had
success with 4 drops DigestZen and 2 drops frankincense in a
00 capsule. Twice daily. With lots of water.
Wendy - I know
someone that has been diagnosed by a doctor with ulcers in
her esophagus. As you can imagine she is miserable and
along with it some serious heartburn and digestive issues.
She is in desperate mode and will try anything.
My first thought is obviously Digest Zen. Does anyone
have any other suggestions? Thanks!
John - I have an ulcer that flairs up
once in a while. Digest Zen helps some, although I
experience an increase in burn before relief comes. I
discovered, by accident that a 5 or so drops of lemon added
to about a 20oz bottle of water and sipped over time, brings
me the most comfort.
Au - Make a tea with lavender and lemon.
Stir a lot and sip slow.
What Science & Research are saying
From PubMed.com
Antimicrobial activity of essential oils
against Helicobacter pylori.
Ohno T, Kita M, Yamaoka Y, Imamura S, Yamamoto T,
Mitsufuji S, Kodama T, Kashima K, Imanishi J.
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural
University of Medicine, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori is an important pathogen
responsible for gastroduodenal diseases in humans. Although
the eradication of H. pylori using antibiotics often
improves gastroduodenal diseases, resistance to the
antibiotics is emerging.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The antimicrobial effect of
essential oils and the development of resistance to the
essential oils were evaluated in vitro and in vivo.
RESULTS: Thirteen essential oils used in this study
completely inhibited the growth of H. pylori in vitro at a
concentration of 0.1% (v/v). Cymbopogon citratus
(lemongrass) and Lippia citriodora (lemon verbena) were
bactericidal against H. pylori at 0.01% at pH 4.0 and 5.0.
Resistance to lemongrass did not develop even after 10
sequential passages, whereas resistance to clarithromycin
developed under the same conditions. In in vivo studies, the
density of H. pylori in the stomach of mice treated with
lemongrass was significantly reduced compared with untreated
mice.
CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that the essential
oils are bactericidal against H. pylori without the
development of acquired resistance, suggesting that
essential oils may have potential as new and safe agents for
inclusion in anti-H. pylori regimens.
From PubMed.com
8 Dec 2010
Gastroprotective activity of essential
oil of the Syzygium aromaticum (clove) and its major
component eugenol in different animal models.
Santin JR, Lemos M, Klein-Júnior LC, Machado ID, Costa P,
de Oliveira AP, Tilia C, de Souza JP, de Sousa JP, Bastos
JK, de Andrade SF.
Programa de Mestrado em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Núcleo de
Investigações Químico-Farmacêuticas (NIQFAR), Universidade
do Vale do Itajaí-UNIVALI, Rua Uruguai, 458, Itajaí, Santa
Catarina, Brazil.
Abstract
Syzygium aromaticum, a medicinal plant commonly known as
clove, is used to treat toothache, respiratory disorders,
inflammation, and gastrointestinal disorders. From the
flower buds of S. aromaticum, it is possible to obtain an
essential oil comprised of a mixture of aliphatic and cyclic
volatile terpenes and phenylpropanoids, being eugenol as the
main component. The aims of this study were: (1) to extract
the essential oil of the flower buds of S. aromaticum, (2)
to identify and quantify the main component of the essential
oil, and (3) to evaluate its antiulcer activity using
different animal models. Assays were performed using the
following protocols in rats: indomethacin-induced and
ethanol/HCl-induced ulcer model. Both essential oils from S.
aromaticum and eugenol displayed antiulcer activities in the
rat models of indomethacin- and ethanol-induced ulcer.
Studies focusing on the possible mechanisms of
gastroprotection were also undertaken using the following
experiments: evaluation of gastric secretion by the pylorus-ligated
model, determination of mucus in gastric content,
participation of nitric oxide (NO) and endogenous sulfhydryl
in gastric protection. The results show that there was no
significant effect on the volume of gastric juice and total
acidity. However, the quantification of free gastric mucus
showed that the clove oil and eugenol were capable of
significantly enhancing mucus production. With regard to the
NO and endogenous sulfhydryls, the results demonstrated that
the gastroprotection induced by clove oil and eugenol are
not related to the activities of the nitric oxide and
endogenous sulfhydryls. No sign of toxicity was observed in
the acute toxicity study. In conclusion, the results
of this study show that essential oil of S. aromaticum, as
well as its main component (eugenol), possesses antiulcer
activity. The data suggest that the effectiveness
of the essential oil and eugenol is based on its ability to
stimulate the synthesis of mucus, an important
gastroprotective factor. However, further pharmacological
and toxicological investigations are required to enable its
use for the treatment of gastric ulcer.
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