Vitamin C and Vitamin E Enhance Gastritis Treatment
A study published in Helicobacter in April 2012 indicates that the antioxidants vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and vitamin E (alpha tocopherol) aid in the eradication of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). H.pylori is a bacterium that has the ability to colonize in the gastric mucosa and is implicated in the development of gastritis and gastric ulcers.
The subjects included individuals with H. pylori-positive non-ulcer dyspepsia (indigestion). The subjects received 500 mg vitamin C twice daily and 200 IU vitamin E twice daily for four weeks. At the beginning of the study and again after the supplementation period, the researchers evaluated tissue samples from the subjects’ stomachs and total antioxidant capacity in the blood.
The researchers found that levels of vitamin C and vitamin E increased in the gastric mucosa after four weeks of supplementation. H. pylori intensity in the gastric mucosa declined after four weeks of supplementation compared to levels at the beginning of the study. Activity of neutrophils, which are a type of white blood cell active against pathogens, decreased after four weeks of vitamin C and vitamin E supplementation compared to activity at the beginning of the study.
The researchers concluded, “The findings that H. pylori intensity and neutrophilic activity decrease through increasing gastric ascorbic acid and alpha tocopherol concentrations suggest that supplementation with vitamins C and E increases the eradication rates via impairing the microenvironment created by the bacteria and facilitating the diffusion of antibiotics into gastric mucosa.”
Reference:
Sezikli M, et al. Helicobacter. 2012;2:127-32.
