Oh my burning belly…
An irritated gastric mucosa is a big deal in NZ with a staggering 15% of Kiwis’ presenting to their doctor at some time in their lives with burning gastric discomfort. This statistic is likely dwarfed by the number of people who live on antacids and avoid spicy food without ever visiting a doctor!
 |
The discomfort, usually described as burning or knawing, often occurs in the upper abdomen, but sometimes it may occur below the breastbone. This type of belly ache is commonly due to the stomach’s corrosive gastric juices coming into contact with the delicate muscular stomach wall. You see, all that comes between the stomach lining and the stomach’s acidic secretions are some specialised cells and the thick mucus they produce. It is unfortunate then, that a commonly used drug, a commonly found bug and the trials of day to day life may impact negatively on this essential slimy goodness.
Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are one of the most widely used drug groups in New Zealand. For many folks these drugs form part of a long term medical plan for reasons like stroke prevention or chronic pain. Regrettably, along with being one of the most extensively used medicinal drug groups, regular use of NSAIDs may be a contributing factor to the development of less than optimally healthy mucus membranes throughout the gastrointestinal tract. NSAIDs act by inhibiting the synthesis of chemicals (prostaglandins) involved in inflammation and pain. Unfortunately NSAIDs are not specific in their action; inhibiting the action of other prostaglandins which amongst other things stimulate gastric mucus secretion.
Along with the use of NSAIDs, Helicobacter pylori infection may also be a precipitating factor in the development of poor gastric health. H.pylori is a cork-screw shaped bacterium which is postulated to infect the stomachs of over 3 billion people worldwide. In some people H.pylori produces chronic inflammation in the gastric mucosa, damaging the mucus producing cells. H pylori bacteria are then thought to produce chemicals which raise the pH of gastric mucus making it less viscous and thus less protective. This results in an unprotected patch on the stomach wall vulnerable to powerful stomach acids and enzymes.
And, if having a recurrent belly ache isn’t stressful enough, it seems that worrying about having one may give you reason enough to end up with one. Although not solely responsible for gastric irritation and inflammation, stress may inadvertently promote it by reducing blood flow to the gut mucosa. The ubiquitous stress may also increase the pH of the gut making it a friendly environ for that ever present bacteria, H.pylori. Stress could well be the differential between the 3 billion people who are thought to have the bacteria and the 14.5 million who present with symptoms suggestive of gastric irritation.
The standard treatment for gastric irritation is to clobber any infection whilst reducing or buffering the amount of stomach acid produced. Theoretically, this alleviates symptoms and provides a friendlier environment for healing. This sounds like a jolly good idea, but as HCl is needed to sterilise the gut, provide a trigger for enzyme secretion and adequately initiate protein digestion, reducing it can produce disordered gut flora, intestinal distress, altered toilet habits, poor absorption of nutrients and even more stomach discomfort!
One time tested natural approach for an irritated gastric mucosa comes in the guise of liquorice root, a diminutive sweet tasting plant widely used as a flavouring agent. This multi faceted plant has several mechanisms of action whereby it supports the natural healthy state of the gut mucosa. It may act within the gastrointestinal tract to normalise blood flow to gastric tissues and to support the healthy function of mucus producing cells and protective mucus membranes.
Regrettably, liquorice has been given a bad rap due to its ability to raise blood pressure in certain individuals. For this reason liquorice has been transformed, by the removal of the blood pressure raising constituent, glycyrrhizin, to produce deglycrrhized liquorice (DGL). The removal of glycyrrhizin fortifies the mucoprotective and healing actions of liquorice without producing any of the hypertensive side effects. When DGL is delivered in a chewable tablet it reacts with saliva potentiating the gastro protective and supportive effects of this miraculous herb.
Radiance® Digest UltraSoothe™, providing 400mg of deglycrrhized liquorice (DGL) per chewable tablet, gives the body a helping hand to maintain normal healthy gastric tissue structure and function. This is good news for people taking NSAIDs. As an added benefit Radiance® Digest UltraSoothe™ may help maintain normal healthy mouth and throat mucosa, making it a handbag and briefcase must for people with regular gastric or oral distress.