Vitamin U
Vitamin U: The Ulcer Exterminator
Vitamin U, or s-methylmethionine, has been acknowledged for decades as a major ulcer-fighting component. S-methylmethionine isn’t a substance that you will find in your daily vitamin supplement. In fact, Vitamin U isn’t actually a vitamin at all—it is a derivative of the amino acid, methionine. This “vitamin” could prove a genuine benefit to people who have not had much success treating a stomach ulcer and who are looking for an alternative to prescription medications. Let’s take a look at some information about ulcers and how Vitamin U can be used as a form of treatment.
What is an ulcer?
The most common types of ulcers are stomach ulcers (also known as gastric ulcers) and duodenal ulcers. Each of these falls under the general category of “peptic ulcers”. An ulcer is kind of a generic term meaning an open sore or lesion. These sores are often crater-like in appearance and are fairly difficult to heal. When we refer to a stomach ulcer, the sore occurs in the mucous lining of the stomach. If the ulcer is allowed to remain untreated, the acid literally proceeds to digest the exposed tissues. If the ulcer grows deep enough into the tissues, it can expose the sensitive tissues beneath the stomach lining and result in internal bleeding.
Duodenal ulcers are ulcers which occur within the first foot of the small intestine. As the sore in the intestinal walls begins to worsen, it can actually prevent food from passing on through the intestines. As one could imagine, this can cause a world of nasty symptoms, such as vomiting undigested food mixed with blood.
What causes an ulcer?
There are two main causes behind ulcers. The most common cause of ulcers is a bacteria called helicobacter pylori. This is a relatively new finding, discovered in the early 1980’s by Robbin Warren and Barry Marshall. Up until this time, it was thought that bacteria could not survive within the stomach because of the concentration of stomach acid. It was confirmed that h. pylori can indeed cause sores within the stomach. It is estimated that about 60% of all cases of ulcers are caused by this bacteria. Luckily, a two-week course of antibiotics can clear this right up.
Prolonged use of anti-inflammatory medications, such as aspirin, naproxen, and ibuprofen, can cause sores to develop in the stomach. As these sores are exposed to stomach acid, the tissues get broken down until the sore takes on a crater shape that is characteristic of an ulcer. It was once suspected that excessive consumption of spicy foods, coffee, cigarettes, or alcohol could cause ulcers, however these instances are usually very uncommon. Sometimes ulcers develop without any detectible reason as to why.
Sources of Vitamin U
Although methionine can be found in many fruits, vegetables, and lentils, one of the best sources for Vitamin U is raw cabbage. In order to see true results in the healing of ulcers, it is recommended that the cabbage be pureed into juice, as this allows for quicker absorption by the body and is less stressful on the stomach and intestines. The recommended dosage is six ounces per drink with a total of five drinks per day. The rate at which the ulcers heal largely depends on the individual and whether there is more than one ulcer present. Studies have shown that dramatic improvement is generally noticed within a week or two for most patients. If no improvement is found after a month of drinking raw cabbage juice, then one may want to have their doctor test for the H. pylori bacteria. A positive diagnosis will best be treated using antibiotics and a medication designed to protect the stomach lining.