Gastroenterologists have refuted information regarding the ability of daily stress to cause stomach or duodenal ulcers.
"I still often hear people say things like, 'My job is so stressful, I'm going to get an ulcer,'" said Dr. Aaron Martin of Jefferson Health in Philadelphia.
Martin considered that "there is no relationship between stress and ulcers. The symptoms of ulcers can be different, and may be without symptoms at other times... Generally, symptoms appear in the form of pain in the middle of the upper abdomen and below the sternum."
For his part, Dr. Harmony Ellison of Tufts Medical Center in Boston points out that the most common cause of heartburn is Helicobacter pylori bacteria and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin.
Ellison confirms that ulcers are common among the elderly, and bad habits and medications also affect the development of ulcers.
Statistics indicate that 5-10 percent of the world's population suffers from ulcers, most of whom are treated outside hospitals with medications that suppress the secretion of acidic juices.
Russian doctor Svetlana Savchenko indicated in the fall of 2022 that Helicobacter pylori bacteria can cause stomach cancer.
Savchenko confirmed that these bacteria are present in the stomachs of more than half of the world's population, although most of them do not feel any symptoms or diseases in the digestive system, meaning that these bacteria do not cause ulcers or any other changes in them. But if left untreated, these bacteria remain in the body for life, increasing the risk of gastrointestinal diseases from chronic gastritis to stomach ulcers and cancer.
Study : Gut bacteria may be the key to fighting one of the deadliest forms of cancer
Metabolites produced by gut bacteria during digestion can be used to stimulate an immune response against colorectal cancer, one of the deadliest forms of cancer.
The research team found that the metabolites activate a molecule on the surface of cancer cells that attracts immune cells, called T cells.
Metabolites are also able to enter the nucleus of cancer cells and change their DNA, attracting greater attention from the immune system.
“What we saw is that these products regulate a key molecule in cancer cells that T cells directly interact with, so they provide a way for T cells to detect that there is a cancer cell, and that something is wrong,” explains Christy Baker, associate professor in the departments of oncology, medical microbiology and immunology. "And she wants to eliminate him."
“The products were also causing changes in cell gene expression that coordinate interactions between cancer cells and the immune system,” Baker says.
“We often hear that a high-fiber diet is very beneficial and may be protective against cancer, so part of the question we were asking was how fiber might contribute to cancer protection,” Baker explains.
The team tested two of the most abundant metabolites produced by gut bacteria during the digestion of dietary fiber: butyrate and propionate. The researchers exposed colon cancer cells in mice to the metabolites to observe their lasting effects. They also tested the metabolites on human cancer cells in the laboratory to confirm the results.
“I was really surprised by the fact that the response was so strong and replicable,” Baker revealed.
Baker plans to continue her research to better understand the mechanisms involved in the response, with the hope of one day seeing the research used to develop diagnostic tests or new treatments for cancer.
It will test metabolites at different concentrations and combine them with immunotherapies to see how effective they are against different types of cancer cells.
The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology.