Gastric leptin and Helicobacter pylori infection
I was not aware that patients undergoing H. pylori eradication experienced weight gain, but this article gives us some insight as to why this may happen. I remain on the fence about H. pylori. A large body of literature does suggest an increase in esophageal disease since the eradication of H. pylori has become so mainstream. Some part of me deep down believes that this practice of eradication will prove harmful. Consider this…if H. pylori really is harmful and is not supposed to be there, than what biochemical defect has allowed this bug to grow in the stomach, which is a very harsh and difficult environment for bacteria? And does eradication fix this defect? I would think not. Maybe H. pylori is merely a marker for reduced vitamin C or stomach acid. Maybe if this defect was fixed, then H. pylori would go away all by itself…
Gut — Abstracts: Azuma et al. 49 (3): 324