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Tag: Halitosis

  • Halitosis: Bad mouth and breath odour

    Bad mouth odour and bad breathe can be repulsive to both the sufferer and the person perceiving the odour. Most often, the sufferer of bad mouth odour may not even realise that he or she has bad mouth odour. The people around the sufferer may tolerate his or her presence to some extent or in alternative avoid his/her presence. Some bold persons who could not confront the person suffering from halitosis may decide to cover their mouth while the bad breathe individual speaks.

    Thus, bad breathe has both medical and social implications.

    What causes bad mouth odour? Among the common causes are bad personal hygiene. Our dental colleagues advise us that a typical person should brush or wash his/her mouth up to three times in a day—after each meal. We all know that this is impracticable considering our daily runs in each day. The most practicable instructions is that we should brush or wash in the morning and before we retire to bed at night. We are also told by the dentists of the particular way to clean our mouth to remove food debris and meat that had lodged in some spaces in our mouth. Should these food and meat items be left in place to decay, our mouth may smell badly.

    A cigarette smoker could belch out bad mouth odour, especially, if associated with poor personal oral hygiene. The same observation goes for alcohol consumer.  In the immediate and short term, alcohol consumption may produce bad mouth odour in the consumer. Combined with poor oral health, ethanol causes bad breath.

    Diseases originating from the nose, such as sinusitis, may cause a lot of discomfort to the sufferer even though no one else perceives the bad odour that he or she produces. Diseases coming from the throat and stomach may also result in bad breath. Deeper into the digestive system, long standing constipation could cause uncomfortable smell.

    Diseases in the oral cavity, including for example, decay of the tooth occurs in  dental caries, and especially inflammation of the gingiva, are known to cause bad breath.

    The food that we consume could also result in what, to others, may be an unpleasant mouth or breath odour. Examples of such food may be ginger, garlic and onion.

    Solutions and what to do:  In the first instance, sufferers of bad mouth or breath odour should maintain a good personal oral health, washing or brushing the oral cavity, the tongue and the teeth at least twice in a day. Each brushing occasion should last at least two minutes. In the traditional way, use of shewing sticks is of equal value to the use of conventional brush provided the shewing stick is used morning and night. The tongue should be included in the cleaning. Occasionally, only—may be once or twice in a week and certainly not everyday— oral disinfectant solutions can be used to clean the oral cavity.Tooth decay requires dentist’s attention. Smoking and alcohol consumption should be avoided as none of these provides any beneficial medical value.

    Diseases of the oral cavity need attention of the dentist. Growth and problems associated with throat, nose, stomach and gut will need immediate attention of the physician. In some occasions, pneumonia may cause bad breath and this should be dealt with promptly.

    In terms of nutrition, and to avoid social embarrassment, consider washing your mouth after consumption of a food item that may cause offence to others. In some instances, mouthwash solution may remove the bad odour.

    In summary, while bad mouth and breath odour are socially repugnant, the same could be of considerable suffering to the person producing the odour. However, in some ways, the sufferer can take steps to deal with the odour. Failing this, the intervention of the dentist and or a physician may be called for to deal with the embarrassing and medically expedient situation.

  • Help! Halitosis is affecting our lives

    Help! Halitosis is affecting our lives

    Many Nigerians, suffer from Halitosis (mouth odour) but they don’t know what to do because of ignorance.  In this report, Medinat Kanabe, speaks to a dentist on what they are passing through and how it can be managed.

    Oluwaseyi and Bayo (not real names) met during their service year in Owerri, Imo State. Everyone knew them as lovebirds until the service was over. After the service year, they went to their different states.

    “After I landed in Ogun State I called him to find out if he had reached Ondo, he said yes. I asked when he will be coming to pay me a visit and he promised in two weeks,” she told The Nation.

    “After that day he stopped picking my calls. I called his friends to find out if he was fine and they all said yes, after trying for three days I decided to stop calling and wait for him to come.

    “Two weeks passed but he didn’t come. Two weeks turned to three weeks and two months but he didn’t show up or pick my calls, yet his friends said he was fine and that he spoke to them regularly. After about six months, I picked up my phone and called him and to my surprise he picked it.

    “He spoke as if nothing had happened before but I was not ready to leave it like that so I asked why he ignored me for that long. His response shocked me. He said I was his girlfriend just for the youth service period that he couldn’t continue the relationship.”

    The shocker

    Then he added that: “Moreover the smell that oozes out of your mouth cannot make me continue. I cannot take you home to my parents or friends at home because your mouth smells. That is the reason I avoided kissing you in Owerri. I only stayed with you because of your beauty.”

    Seyi said she was prepared for a break-up but wasn’t prepared for the insult.  If she wasn’t ignorant about her halitosis, she would have definitely visited a dentist before going to Owerri.

    According to her, she had never visited a dentist in her life and had always thought that halitosis could never be managed by anybody.

    Another sufferer who posted her ordeal on a medical platform online said: “I suffer from mild and sometimes sever post nasal drip and around the end of March I was diagnosed with a sinus infection and took a course of antibiotics. It helped with eliminating the migraines I was suffering from and getting rid of the post nasal drip. At that time I didn’t focus on my breath, so I assumed I was fine.

    “Sometime that month, I suffered from a half erupted wisdom tooth, and developed a flap of gum. There was no pain or inflammation, but the minutes that took place I started noticing some changes in my breath.  Now post nasal drip is back, mucus is also present in my throat, plus a nasty taste in my mouth.

    “I also noticed some reactions from people, and it makes me feel so bad. Even after I brush and chew gum, I feel I am still getting reactions. I’m so paranoid lately as I constantly smell my breath, and the funny part is I get annoyed when I don’t smell anything.

    “I am like I know it is there, but I don’t know what to do. I cannot even say yes to a man because I fear he will leave me because of the smell.”

    Hearing from an expert

    According to Dr. Victor Nwabudike, Chairman, Product Committee, Nigerian Dental Association (NDA), bad breath, which is called Halitosis or fetor Oris or as the man on the street will call it ‘mouth odour’ is a term that is used to describe unpleasant odour that is exhaled in breathing or when a person talks.

    According to him, it is grouped into non-pathologic, pathologic and psychogenic halitosis. The pathologic is the one that shows that the person has a disease condition, the non-pathologic is when there is no disease condition and psychogenic has to do with a mental condition.

    “For the pathologic causes too we have oral and non-oral. The oral pathologic causes are the disease of the mouth- parentheses, oral oscillation, decays and other diseases of the mouth.

    “The non-oral causes are the systemic cause like diabetes, local infection in the respiratory tract, chronic sinusitis, postnasal drip, chronic bronchitis, gastrointestinal disturbance, liver or kidney ailments can cause bad breath.

    “The non- pathologic cause is usually physiologic and usually temporal. They are caused by the normal metabolic function like when you eat garlic, onions, drinking of alcohol or smoking.

    “For the psychogenic halitosis, the patient feels he or she has bad breath but in the real sense there is no bad breath. It is usually caused by a psychiatric disorder. Usually when we manage such a patient, we do it along side our psychiatric doctors; and usually such a patient comes in with accompany conditions like depression and anxiety.

    “For treatment of pathologic, we look at what may have triggered it and treat collectively, that is attack it so if diabetes is the cause of the halitosis, we will treat the diabetes.

    “For diagnosis, we listen to the person’s history but now we have a device called Halimeter which is a sophisticated gas sensor used to measure the VSC in the mouth, essentially quantifying bad breath in parts per billion.

    “The medical device tells you and your dentist whether you have mouth odour and at what level. It’s a distinction that in almost all cases individuals can’t determine on their own. The device makes diagnosis, easier and faster

    “On prevention, we basically advise our patients to improve their hygiene by doing regular scaling and polishing, use the right toothbrush and tooth paste, brush twice a day, visit the dentist twice a year and use the brushing technique when brushing. Your dentist will teach you the brushing technique.”

  • Understanding and treating bad breath (Halitosis)…4

    Understanding and treating bad breath (Halitosis)…4

    When I reviewed Dr. Robert o. young’s book, pH Miracle, in this column about 10 years ago, one of the articles was published under the title THE PIT TOILET INSIDE ALL OF US.

    Many of the Features of a Pit toilet are present in an unkempt digestive system tract or alimentary canal… that is, the mouth, stomach and intestine (big and small), and they are partly responsible for bad breath or mouth adour. As it has been shown in the first three parts of this series, bad breath may not respond favourably to a good toothpaste or mouth wash if its roots lie deep in the digestive tracts. As I hinted last week, another Chart has been included in this part of the series to provide a better comparison of a normal colon (big intestine) and several abnormal variants. Many people, men and women alike, walk about like “walking corpses” with severely paralised colons without recognising the danger this poses to their lives. For it is not for nothing that surgeons in England, for example,   coined the warning: Death begin slowly but surely in the intestine.

     

    Friendly bacteria

     For some people, a dying intestine may be helped if the situation is not beyond  remedy. And one of the major life – lines may be friendly bacteria or probiotic.

     Naturally, a reasonable person who has heard about the germ theory and of the  havocs which bacteria can unleash on health will not wish to add bacteria to their  diet, friendly or not. The truth, however, is that friendly bacteria are one of the  designs of Mother Nature to keep unfriendly bacteria out of our bodies, especially the intestine. One evidence of this is a Nobel Prize Award for a study by Russian Professor Ileja Iljitsh mechnikov which explained why Bulgarians were the longest living people on earth by 1908 despite the under development of their country.

    Bulgarians drank a lot of yoghurt with every meal. And Prof. Mechnikov found that a specie of friendly bacteria named Lactobacillus Acidophilus present in the yoghurt was the miracle worker. Lactobacillus converts milk sugar to lactic acid and lactic acid, in the intestine, makes the intestinal environment inhospitable for unfriendly bacteria. Lactic acid does not kill the bacteria but simply makes them unable to live and to prosper or flourish. On the basis of this information, I do not consume Nigerian- made yoghurt. Largely, many of the brands are purely milk powder mixed with lime, which provides some lactic acid. Many of them have little or no culture of friendly bacteria in them. That is why they taste too sweet. Yet, other than fermenting milk sugar to lactic acid, friendly bacteria carry out other functions in the intestine which improve overall health status. Some of these other functions which many Nigerian yoghurt brands may, therefore, not oblige, include

    (1) Manufacture of vitamin A

    (2) Manufacture of vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, K and Biotin.

    (3) Manufacture of essential fatty acids (EFAs), such as Omega-3 fatty acids,

    (4) Purification of the colon

    (5) Improvement of digestion (milk sugar and protein)

    (6) Production of anti bacteria and antifungal chemicals against unfriendly bacteria and fungi in the intestine

    (7) Supporting regular bowel motion

    (8) Reduction of cholesterol and triglyceride blood levels to normal status

    (9) Helping to normalise blood sugar levels.  In some experiments, friendly bacteria have been reported in some peer- reviewed scientific journals to inhibit tumor growth in animals by promoting apoptosis. Apoptosis is the process by which an abnormal  cell commits “suicide” by activating its P. 53 gene which nature provides every cell for this purpose. Many researchers believe cancerous cells continue to grow only because they are too weak to pull the trigger of the P.53 gene and, in the search of a cancer cure, have been investigating foods and herbs which may help them do so. In their belief that friendly bacteria can do this, they suggest the feeding of this bacteria to enhance their cancer- fighting potential. A dietary supports for them, as suggested by researchers, are fructooligosacharides. Also called FOS, there are sugar molecules so tightly linked together that the body cannot digest them.

    That is why they are often preferred as sweetners where simple sugars cannot be consumed without detrimental effects as diabetes. In the intestine, friendly bacteria consume the FOS to grow their population. Besides their role in the nutrition of friendly bacteria, FOS help to reduce excess blood cholesterol and sugar levels, improve regular bowel motion. When friendly bacteria are well fed, they may constitute viable support for the elevation of mood and smashing of depression. For in their activities, friendly bacteria are known to produce tryptophan, an amino acid which improves mood and helps to subdue depression. It is possible some people with an overgrowth of unfriendly bacteria, mold, fungi and viruses suffer from mood swings and depression because they do not have enough friendly bacteria in their intestine to help them overcome their enemies and produce enough tryptophan, an anti- depressant. There is a lot more to say about friendly bacteria and why many brands of sugar- laden Nigerian yoghurt are not recommendable on account of their poor rating in friendly bacteria. One of the points I would like to add is the research finding published in the British medical journal which suggests that lactobacillus relieved atopic allergic eczema and acute respiratory infections in children.

    Dr Mayur Joshi, medical adviser of probiotic international Ltd.

    Explains:  “In a recent trial, infants were given traditional tropical skin care for their eczema and then given either the probiotic mixture or placebo, which they add to milk, water, or yoghurt. The probiotic group showed a greater improvement in the severity of their symptoms than the placebo group, indicating that probiotics could be an effective therapy alongside standard treatment for asthma”.

    Clinical pharmacist Mike Wakeman Says:  “A paper published in the international journal of sports science and sports medicine in 2012 concluded that athletes who took probiotic suffered fewer symptoms of illness and recovered sooner than does who did not”.

    Gastroenterologist professor Ingvar Bjarnason who led a placebo- controlled experiment at kings college Hospital to see if probiotics had any positive effect on Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is reported by Sadie Nicholas as saying: “we designed the trial using a probiotic drink called SYMPROVE which contains four strains of bacteria, where many probiotics contain just one. During the trial, 186 patients with moderate to severe IBS took a daily dose of SYMPROVE or a matching placebo liquid for 12 weeks. By week 12 there was a significant improvement in the stomach pain in the symprove group.”

    In the battle between friendly bacteria and unfriendly bacteria in our bodies, we stand, again, before the
    Law of Balance.     This is a law of nature which demands that everything which interacts does so in ratios with each other. Thus, Zinc and Copper relate in 4: 1 ratio, calcium and magnesium in 2:1 ratio. Potassium and sodium, like estrogen and progesterone and prolactin, have their own relationships. So do work and rest. Antibiotics, a modern feature of medicine, destroys the good and bad bacteria alike while simple sugars increase bacteria growth. That is why a course of antiprobiotic medication is better followed by a course of probiotic to repopulate the friendly bacteria flora and restore the balance. The need to remember probiotic always is driven home to me by the information that there are more bacteria in every- one of us than there are human beings on this earth. In fact, one study suggests one billion bacteria cells in every milliliter (of fifth of a teaspoon) of colon fluid. People whose bad breadth stems from oral questions may empty one or two capsules of probiotic into the mouth before retiring to bed and paste the contents on the gums, teeth and tongue. The contents of one of these capsules may be diluted with small water and allowed to trickle down the throat. Women who suffer from vagina issues profit a lot from inserting a capsule deep into the vagina overnight and holding it up with a menstrual pad. The heat of the secret place melts the capsule and billions of friendly bacteria are released to scavenge and destroy unfriendly bacteria. Sometimes the treatment may involve a three- course or four- course therapy. In the first, Golden Seal Root is used, as just explained, followed by two shots (one on each day) of Alove female hygiene from nature’s gift for life. The probiotic course (oral and insertion) concludes the therapy. Some women may wish, before the probiotic segment, to try Gufeibao (sold as Happy Woman in England). It is inserted and left on for four or five days from the second day after the end of menstruation. It drags out lots of debris. Probiotics may then cap the therapy.

    So much today on bad breadth.

  • Understanding and treating bad breath (Halitosis)…3

    Until I began to receive readers’ response to the first two columns in this series last week, I did not realise
    many people in Nigeria. suffer from bad breadth. Through telephone calls or text messages and emails, I was told of how they try to clean their mouths many times a day, how they often change toothpastes and tooth brushes and of their other breath-improving efforts, which seemed to bear no positive fruit. It all goes to confirm the point that bad breadth does not originate in the mouth alone. It may come from the sinuses of the nasal cavity, the throat, the wind pipe and the lungs, the digestive system, diabetes or kidney failure and, among other sources, from an overgrowth of bacteria in the stomach and intestine.

    In the small chart which appears else where on this page, Paul and Patricia Bragg show us in their book, THE MIRACLE OF FASTING, what Helicobacter pylori havoc bacteria can do to the intestine. This, which appears picture, is a child’s toy when it is compared with a more comprehensive chart I received as a gift from Mrs. Sola Sowemimo, one of her take- aways from the CANCER DEFEATED Conference in Mexico a few years ago. This chart details possible damage in every small finger-length of the digestive tract, which is more than 20 feet long. It suggests, as well, homeopathic/biochemic or tissue salt which may be taken to heal any damage.

    The causes of such damage are legion. And the result of the damage may register, in part, in bad breadth. I will mention only in passing today irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), in which the subject may pass as many as 10 small stools in one hour,

    Diverticulosis, in which the intestine develops bacteria- filled pouches or intestinal blockage. What I feel more urged to address today, in the light of the feedback of the last two weeks, is that spiral- shaped bacteria, helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), which have been implicated in stomach and duodenal ulcers as well as cancers of many forms.

    We owe our recognition of these bacteria and our capacity to deal with them to a medical great named Dr. Barney Marshall. He was not happy with the way his colleagues treated bad peptic (stomach) and duodenum ulcers. They surgically removed damaged tissue and inactivated may acid-producing pumps in surviving tissue. Dr Marshall believed stomach acid was not the cause of his ulceration, but a bacterium named H. pylori. When they would not listen to him, he scraped off a surgically excised stomach tissue into a baker of water and drank the contents. And sure enough, he developed peptic ulcer which he successfully treated to the shock of his colleagues and annoyance of the drug industry. For at that time, millions of dollars had been invested to develop two popular antacids, targamet and another one and this would be wasted if the medical community accepted Dr Marshall’s proposal that antibiotics would heal ulcers. He almost lost his license. Today, orthodox medicine adopts a TRIPLE TREATMENT PROTOCOL, which involves two antibiotics and one acid suppressant.  H. pylori, has incredulously resisted antibiotics and many orthodox physicians in Europe and the United States are increasingly turning to herbal formulas.

    Helicobacter Pylori

     

    To start with, there are about one billion bacteria, including H. pylori, in one milliliter (ml) of fluid in the colon. In the small intestine, there are about 10,000 in one ml of fluid. But these bacteria may overgrow their population in what is known as small intestine bacteria overgrowth (SIBO). These bacteria eat up sugar and carbon and produces lots of gas, in particular hydrogen sulphite. This gas may find an exit in the breadth. SIBO may have many implications for health, including (a) intestinal bloating, (b) diarrhea (c) poor nutrient absorbtion and (d) malnutrition. The small of hydrogen gas in the breadth, which some diagnostic laboratories can capture, is a symptom of SIBO. When bacteria from SIBO migrate outside the intestine after weakening it, sepsis (poisoning) may occur and organ failure may follow in tow. H. pylori activity in stomach ulcer and stomach cancer can cause bad breadth as well. And this is why bad breadth which defies oral hygiene and has become chronic shouldn’t be treated with kid gloves.

    Japanese experiments

     

    In 2006, the Japanese assembled 326 subjects for a study
    of H. pylori links with their condition. They studied the
    saliva of each subject of these, 251 had bad breadth while 75 did not. No intestinal illness was found in them all. The 251 had bacteria which cause bad breath. In addition to these bacteria, six per cent of the subjects had H. pylori in their saliva. These six per cent exhibited markers of gum disease which include,” bleeding, tooth mobility, methyl mercaptan (gas which causes bad breadth.”  In the 102 subjects with gum (periodontal) disease, about 16 per cent had H. pylori colonies in their mouths. While the authors thought H. pylori may not cause bad breadth, they believed it was associated with halitosis and gum disease. While H. pylori infections in the mouth and in the stomach are still not well linked, many studies suggest that “bacteria in the mouth can lead to heart inflammation” for this reason, some doctors advise that “chronic bad breadth may be a good reason to look for H. pylori in your G.I tract, before the bacteria create future problems that are far more serious than halitosis.

    Dr. Julian Whitaker provides us an insight into H.
    pylori and how it may affect or damage our health.
    The stomach requires an acidic environment to carry out its job. This environment is between 1 and 2 on the pH scale. The pH scale is graduated 1-14. Seven is the median or neutral point between acidity and alkalinity. Anything below 7 is acidic, above it alkaline. The body performs optimally at a blood pH of about 7.4. The urine is slightly acidic to kill germs. The saliva is alkaline. Stomach acidity permits the production of enzymes such as pepsin, which digests proteins, converting complex proteins from peptides to peptones. Peptones would be converted later in the intestine by protein-digesting enzymes to amino acids, building blocks of all molecules and cells. In many ways Mother Nature prevents stomach acid and pepsin from digesting the stomach- tissue first, the stomach skin has a protective lining. A hydrant or water film covers this lining. Above this lining is a bicarbonate or alkali layer. And above this layer is a mucous sheet over which digestion takes place. Thus, if acid were to seep through the protective mucous sheet, the bicarbonate layer would neutralise it. The hydrant layer below feeds the bicarbonate layer above and provides extra security against acid infiltration. While it is true that stress of all sorts and emotional disturbances may weaken this arrangement, H. pylori has been found to create the biggest detriment. Many germs cannot stand stomach acid and are killed in it. But H. pylori has an unusual ability to thrive in it, according to Dr. Whitaker, it damages the mucous membrane and burrows into the stomach lining, causing irritation, inflammation and pain, especially when acid flows down through the passageway it creates in part of the mucous and the bicarbonate layers. A leading cause of gastritis and peptic ulcer, H. pylori is now implicated in the stomach cancer.

    Treatment

     

    As suggested earlier, many orthodox drugs are failing and, now, there is a recur to herbs. One of the leading natural options is zinc, an immune and wound- healing agent which is reported to have proven to be as effective as PEPCIDE, a popular antacid in the reduction and promotion of the healing of ulcers. Some studies have suggested zinc to be even more effective when it is combined with CARNOSINE, an amino acid. Zinc and carnosine combination is reported to also kill H. pylori while healing ulcers. When Japanese researchers added zinc and carnosine to the orthodox triple therapy for H. pylori bacteria, bacteria eradication grew from 86 per cent to 100 per cent. When they tried zinc and carnosine therapy on stomach damage caused by Non Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), the damage reduced by 75 per cent. In the small intestine, zinc and carnosine caused a 50 per cent reversal of NSAID- related damage. Besides zinc and carnosine, cranberries are also helpful although they are known better for their protection of the urinary tract. A compound found in cranberries, called Anthocyanins, works in the stomach the way it works in the bladder by preventing germ adhesion to tissue, without which germs cannot survive and multiply. Like zinc and carnosine, cranberry improves the effectiveness of triple therapy protocols.The list of natural ulcer remedies isn’t over. Among the remainder are cabbage juices, licorice, DGL, high dosage vitamin C (5,000 mg daily), green tea, grape seed extract, aloe Vera juice, Carqueja. The University of Stanford found that cabbage juice eliminates H. pylori, over about 14 days. The therapy has been replicated worldwide with similar results.

    In the United States, scientists of Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of Michigan Medical School researched with mice treated with proton (acid) pump inhibitors (PPi) They found that, with lower acid levels in their stomachs, the mice grew more bacteria and more inflammation than did untrea   `    t pharmaceutical antibiotics.

    But according to SMART PUBLICATIONS physicians such as Dr. Manfred Kist warn about misguided use of antibiotics.. as director of Germanys National Reference Center for Helicobacter pylor;, “ Dr. Kist claimed in a Reuters article that many gastro enterologists don’t gather enough information before treating H. pylori infected patients with antibiotics” Dr Kist said: “This trend will lead to increased drug resistance of H. pylori.” He said between 40 and 50 per cent of patients had become resistant to Metronidazole, one of Germany’s three standard anti H. pylori drugs. This is an upswing from 30 per  cent in the 1980s. As Smart Publications suggest, “new sources of anti H. pylori drugs are needed which is why the new research slowing that herbal extracts can eradicate the H. pylori bacteria is so exciting”

    1. pylori spread

     

    The bacterium is spreading word-wide. About 30 mil-
    lion Americans are reported to have contracted it. Even
    here in Nigeria, its prevalence is suspected among the poor who live in overcrowded neighborhoods and houses.

    In Abeokuta, southwestern Nigeria, a study was carried out by the Department of Medical Microbiology, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye/the Department of Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan/ Department of Chemical Pathology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan/Department of Pathology, Federal Medical Center, Abeokuta. The subject was the synegic severity of H. pylori and HIV co-infections in Dyspeptic patients and its sero prevalence by social economic and environmental factors. The study examined 109 serro positive HIV patients suffering from dyspepsia (digestive system pain) for the presence of H. pylori antibodies. They were among 230 patients, who were attending out-patient clinic of Sacred Heart Hospital, Abeokuta, Nigeria. About 47.4 per cent had H.pylori and HIV antibodies “with synificant H. pylori IgG “more women than men were afflicted.

    The International Journal of Green Pharmacy reports that, in developing countries, more than 80 per cent of the adult population is H. pylori – infected.

    It says: “Gastro – intestinal (GI) problems are the most common and widespread health complaint among the general populace. Indigestion (dyspepsia) is a vague feeling of discomfort in the upper belly or abdomen. This may include a feeling of heat, burning or pain in the area between the navel and lower part of the breast bone. Indigestion may be triggered by eating spicy, fatty or greasy foods, eating too fast, overeating, drinking too much alcohol, emotional stress etc. other causes of indigestion are gallstones, gastritis, stomach or intestinal ulcers, uses of drugs such as antibiotics, aspirin and NonSteroidal Anti-inflamatory Drugs (NSAID).”

    From the foregoing, it is clear that health is earned. Germs forever seek to live and thrive in the human body. They must be continually eliminated if the body is not to become degraded. Diet provides a good means of doing this. Not many women cook today with curry and thyme. Curry contains curcumin which kills intestinal micro-organisms, including H. pylori and respiratory system germs. Ditto garlic.

    Last week, this column added ECLIPTA ALBA to the list of herbs useful for liver, gall bladder, spleen and kidney health. For people, who are familiar with the concept of WARFARE IN NATURE, these herbs are no decorations. We abhor the odour of garlic, for example, to our own detriment. The challenge against intestinal malaise today is to rise immediately to tackle H.pylori and other micro-organism ravaging the system.