| With peptic ulcers on the rise, conventional medical | | | | In 1982, researchers reported DGL was as |
| treatment has changed dramatically in recent | | | | effective as Tagamet in curing gastric ulcers. (14) |
| years. Now available are a huge assortment of | | | | The same year DGL was also reported to be as |
| antacids, histamine blockers, and proton pump | | | | good as Zantac. (6) Licorice root extract in the |
| blockers that only cover up the symptoms but | | | | form of DGL stimulates the release of secretin. |
| don't address the real cause of a peptic ulcer. In | | | | Secretin has a protective effect on gastric |
| this article we will discuss what a peptic ulcer is its | | | | mucosa. By stimulating the body's natural release |
| symptoms and causes. We will also look at how | | | | of endogenous secretin, the body can rebuild the |
| ulcers are currently treated and compare the side | | | | stomach or intestinal lining that has damage. (15) |
| effects of conventional medicine to DGL Licorice | | | | In the past anti-acids were the number one |
| along with how to take DGL Licorice and where | | | | prescribed drug for ulcers but have since been |
| you can find this product to puchase. | | | | replaced with proton pump inhibitors. Anti-acids |
| Peptic ulcers are formed on the lining of the | | | | have nasty side effects on the bowels, for |
| stomach, small intestines, and esophagus. These | | | | example: aluminum hydroxide promotes |
| areas are eroded sores from stomach acid that if | | | | constipation and other anti-acids like magnesium |
| left un-checked can be life threatening. Ulcers in | | | | hydroxide promote diarrhea. Anti-acids reduce |
| the stomach are called gastric ulcers and ulcers in | | | | stomach acid and can reduce the absorption of |
| the intestinal tract are called duodenal ulcers. | | | | vitamins and medications. |
| Peptic ulcers pose a chronic health problem | | | | In comparison to DGL other drugs such as |
| because they go into remission and then become | | | | antacids, Tagamet, Zantac, Prilosec, and Prevacid |
| active again as time goes on through out life. | | | | all have side effects where DGL has none. |
| Peptic ulcers are very common in America where | | | | Antacids such as magnesium hydroxide, aluminum |
| one in ten people develop ulcers in there life time. | | | | hydroxide, calcium and aluminum carbonate |
| Duodenal ulcers are the most common and | | | | (Maalox, Mylanta, Gelusil, and Tums) can cause |
| easiest to heal. Stomach ulcers usually recur more | | | | rebound hyperacidity, a condition in which the |
| often with more discomfort. Individuals with peptic | | | | body creates even more acid in response to the |
| ulcers can have very little pain to no pain at all. | | | | artificial stomach acid neutralization. Antacids can |
| Others can experience pain associated to burning | | | | also have bowel changes such as diarrhea or |
| and cramping that comes and goes from several | | | | constipation and possible drug interactions. Due to |
| days to several weeks. Most individuals | | | | the high sodium content of antacids, individuals |
| experience pain about two to three hours after | | | | with kidney impairment should consult a doctor |
| eating or symptoms can flare up in the middle of | | | | before use. Tagamet, Zantac, Prilosec and |
| the night. Most individuals can relieve this pain by | | | | Prevacid have the following side effects |
| eating food. Other symptoms may be weight | | | | respectively. Tagamet can cause dizziness, |
| loss, poor appetite, bloating, burping, nausea and | | | | sleepiness, headaches, confusion, hallucinations, |
| vomiting. (1,2) | | | | diarrhea, and impotence in men. (16) Zantac can |
| Over the past two decades there has been a | | | | cause headaches, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, |
| radical shift in what doctors think cause peptic | | | | abdominal pain, and rashes. (17) Prilosec and |
| ulcers. In the past, ulcers have been blamed on | | | | Prevacid can cause headaches, dizziness, diarrhea, |
| stress, spicy foods, alcohol consumption, and | | | | abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, constipation, and |
| gastric acid production, but now researchers | | | | upper respiratory symptoms. (18,19) |
| discovered most ulcers are cause be a bacterial | | | | DGL has none of the above listed side effects |
| infection. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) accounts for | | | | and is easy to use. DGL should be taken 20 |
| the majority of ulcer cases in America. | | | | minutes before each meal in 760 or 1520 mg |
| Some over the counter and prescription pain | | | | doses. The best way to consume DGL is to chew |
| killers can cause ulcers as well. Drugs known as | | | | and mix with the saliva in your mouth. Salivary |
| non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) | | | | compounds in the mouth help stimulate the |
| can also cause peptic ulcers. Some common ones | | | | growth and regeneration of stomach and intestinal |
| you maybe familiar is ibuprofen found in Motrin | | | | cells. Use DGL from 8 to 16 weeks or for as long |
| and Advil. | | | | as your health care provider recommends. In |
| You might be wondering how you can tell if you | | | | conclusion, DGL can help improve the integrity of |
| have this H. pylori bacterium in your body. Current | | | | the stomach and intestinal lining and help one |
| technology allows three ways of testing, blood | | | | recover from those nasty ulcers. DGL and other |
| test, a breath test, and tissue testing. Blood test | | | | stomach aids can be found at your local or |
| is the most commonly used form of detection. A | | | | internet health food store. |
| breath test is used after treatment to kill the | | | | References: |
| bacteria to determine if the treatment worked. | | | | 1. Peptic ulcer. In: Guyton AC, Hall JE. Textbook of |
| As a rule of thumb 20% of Americans under 40 | | | | Medical Physiology. Philadelphia, Pa: W.B. Saunders |
| and 50% of Americans over 60 have the H. pylori | | | | Company;1998:846-847. |
| bacteria. Even though some individuals have the | | | | 2. Peptic ulcer disease. In: Porth CM. |
| bacteria they do not come down with ulcers so | | | | Pathophysiology: Concepts of Altered Health |
| researchers are looking into why this happens in | | | | States. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott; 1998: |
| some individuals. Researchers have also | | | | 725-728. |
| discovered some individuals do not come down | | | | 3. Dajani EZ, Klamut MJ. Novel therapeutic |
| with ulcers while taking NSAIDs for long periods | | | | approaches to gastric and duodenal ulcers: an |
| of time which leads researchers to believe other | | | | update. Expert Opin Investig Drugs. |
| factors in the intestinal environment might be at | | | | 2000;9:1537-1544. |
| hand with the development of ulcers. (3,4) | | | | 4. Cappell MS, Schein JR. Diagnosis and treatment |
| Today's medical community treats H. pylori ulcer | | | | of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug-associated |
| patients with the triple therapy theory. Patients | | | | upper gastrointestinal toxicity. Gastroenterol Clin |
| are prescribed antibiotics, a strong anti-acid, and | | | | North Am. 2000;29:97-124. |
| stomach protectors. The antibiotics usually kill off | | | | 5. Engqvist A, von Feilitzen F, Pyk E, Reichard H. |
| the bacteria if this is the root cause of the ulcer. | | | | Double-blind trial of deglycyrrhizinated liqourice in |
| Some of these acid suppressing medications are | | | | gastric ulcer. Gut. 1973;14:711-715. |
| histamine-2-receptor antagonists Tagamet, | | | | 6. Glick L. Deglycyrrhizinated liquorice for peptic |
| Zantac, Pepcid, and proton pump inhibitors Prilosec | | | | ulcer. Lancet. 1982;9:817. |
| and Prevacid. | | | | 7. Bardhan KD, Cumberland DC, Dixon RA, |
| It is important to seek a licensed health care | | | | Holdsworth CD. Clinical trial of deglycyrrhisinated |
| practitioner if you suspect that you have ulcers. | | | | liqourice in gastric ulcer. Gut. 1978;19:779-782. |
| Ulcers can erode the stomach lining and cause life | | | | 8. Balakrishnan V, Pillai MV, Raveebdran PM, Nair |
| threatening bleeding and infections such as | | | | CS. Deglycrrhizinated liqourice in the treatment of |
| peritonitis. Despite the risk of adverse side | | | | chronic duodenal ulcer. J Assoc Physicians India. |
| effects from medication, it is important to consult | | | | 1978;26:811-814. |
| a practitioner before taking matters into your | | | | 9. Rees WDW, Rhodes J, Wright JE, Stamford IF, |
| own hands. There are natural supplements that | | | | Bennett A. Effect of deglycyrrhizinated liquorice on |
| work well with prescription medication which can | | | | gastric mucosal damage by aspirin. Scand J |
| enhance healing of the ulcer. In some cases, | | | | Gastroenterol. 1979;14:605-607. |
| milder pre-ulcer conditions might be treated with | | | | 10. Tewari SN, Wilson AK. Deglycrrhizinated |
| more natural alternatives first if your licensed | | | | liquorice in duodenal ulcer. Practitioner. |
| health care practitioner so chooses. | | | | 1973;210:820-823. |
| There are natural alternatives that work well to | | | | 11. Abrahamsson H, Dotevall G. Pharmacological |
| heal an ulcer and can be used in conjunction with | | | | and clinical aspects of some drugs used in peptic |
| antibiotics and other prescription drugs. Licorice | | | | ulcer treatment. Scand J Gastroenterol. |
| root specifically Deglycrrhizinated licorice (DGL) can | | | | 1979;55:117-120. |
| be a good natural complement to other | | | | 12. Bardnan KD, Cumberland DC, Dixon RA, |
| therapeutic measures recommended by your | | | | Holdsworth CD. Proceedings: Deglycrrhizinated |
| health care processional. Researchers have studied | | | | liqourice in gastric ulcer: a double-blind controlled |
| DGL in the treatment of gastric and duodenal | | | | trial. Gut. 1976;17:397. |
| ulcers. (5-12) | | | | 13. Morgan AG, Pacsoo C, McAdam WAF. |
| DGL actually addresses the underlying problem | | | | Maintenance therapy: a two year comparison |
| causing ulcers instead of hiding the symptoms by | | | | between Caved-S and cimetidine treatment in the |
| reducing stomach acid. DGL addressed the | | | | prevention of symptomatic gastric ulcer |
| underlying factors by promoting our body's natural | | | | recurrence. Gut. 1985;26:599-602. |
| defense mechanisms already in place to prevent | | | | 14. Morgan AG, McAdam WAF, Pacsoo C, |
| ulcers. DGL stimulates the quantity and quality of | | | | Darnborough A. Comparison between cimetidine |
| the protective substance that lines the stomach | | | | and Caved-S in the treatment of gastric |
| and intestinal tract. (10,13) | | | | ulceration, and subsequent maintenance therapy. |
| DGL is a special extract of licorice with certain | | | | Gut. 1982;23:545-551. |
| components removed. The glycyrrhizin molecules | | | | 15. Takeuchi T, Shiratori K, Watanabe S, Chang |
| have been removed from licorice which is | | | | J-H, Moriyoshi Y, Shimizu K. Secretin as a potential |
| associated with high blood pressure and low | | | | mediator of antiulceractions of mucosal protective |
| potassium levels. Sodium has also been removed | | | | agents. J Clin Gastroenterol. 1991;13:83-87. |
| from the DGL licorice which will help prevent | | | | 16. Cimetidine. In: Physicians' Desk Reference. 54th |
| water retention. Long term use of licorice root | | | | ed. Montvale, NJ: Medical Economics Company, Inc; |
| can have adverse side effects such as water | | | | 2000:3043-3046. |
| retention, high blood pressure and low potassium; | | | | 17. Ranitidine. Ibid. pp. 1310-1312. |
| DGL has all the components removed and what | | | | 18. Omeprazole. Ibid. pp. 617-621. |
| are left are very beneficial biologically active | | | | 19. Lansoprazole. Ibid. pp. 3105-3110. |
| flavonoids. | | | | |