SOMO
Member
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2018
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I've had (what I suspect is) H.Pylori 1 time this year and twice last year, and once a few years before that, each time triggered by short-term fasting (3 days.) The first time it happened, I suspected it MIGHT be the fasting that caused this resurgence of H.Pylori (I had 1 positive H.Pylori test in the past several years ago)
I know fasting isn't "Peaty". My reasons for fasting were mainly for discipline and quick weight loss. However, these painful stomach symptoms always seem to occur right after these 3 day fasts.
After resuming consumpt1ion of foods after fasting, digestion basically crawls to minimal speed. Any food I ate, especially starches would sit in my stomach for a long period of time and the only way to "push it down" was to drink water to liquefy the food sufficiently, since my gastric juices were apparently so reduced that the food was not leaving my stomach.
Consuming too much sugar would also cause GERD/acid reflux symptoms. Sugar sometimes caused me to "upchuck" the food, but the burning was not as bad as with starch or proteid.
Consuming meat was basically out of the question because protein of any kind would burn my stomach signifiantly. For hours after, the meat would stay in my stomach, irritating my stomach and creating a sensation of having to swallow and burp. I wasn't relying on Pepsin or HCL at this point since I was clearly not producing enough, so I took Bromelain to ease digestion of proteins. Pain during protein consumption is a symptom of H. Pylori. Consuming meat/protein was the most uncomfortable out of the 3 macros because it takes so long to digest, it would expand my stomach, causing discomfort and a choking feeling and then the digestive process itself involving HCl and pepsin for lack of better word burned. A lot.
Orange juice was out too because of the acidity. Diluting the OJ with water helped a little, but it still burned. Carbonated water was uncomfortable, but not painful.
Spices were off the menu too. Garlic, onion and anything spicy could not be tolerated even in small amounts. I also had to reduce salt intake or drink water with salted foods to dilute it.
My theory is that fasting (which is a mild stress) causes less stomach acid production, which reduces the stomach's ability to kill bacteria. (Less need for digestion = less digestive juices.)
The stomach's secondary role besides digestion is to neutralize bacteria entering the digestive tract. Less digestion = less stomach acid = less protection against internal/external microbes.
H. Pylori is known to TOLERATE stomach acid, but I doubt H. Plori can colonize a stomach that is consistently producing enough acid AND protease. The protease would digest the biofilm preventing H.Pylori from adhering to the stomach lining. The H.Pylori is dormant and waits for the stomach environment to be conducive to its growth/adhesion of biofilm and then it sets up shop in the lining of your stomach. H.Pylori tolerates stomach acid and so when the stomach acid/protease returns, the biofilm is not cleared or destroyed. Biofilm is stable and produced by the bacteria after their environment is ideal (biofilm = environment + time). So if stomach acid is maintained constantly, even though H. Pylori tolerates stomach acid, this would still give the organism protection against H.Pylori because it would prevent the biofilm from being produced in the first place.
Moral of the story: Either don't fast or fast for very short periods like 1 day.
Also note that each time I fasted, I did not get an H.Pylori test, but having had it once the symptoms that came afterwards post-fasting were identical.
This is simply MY experience with fasting, and there was people who have done 3 day or 7 day (or longer) fasts with no H.Pylori symptoms afterwards, but RP has several audio clips where he advises against fasting. I don't want to discourage anyone from trying fasting if your heart is leading you in that direction, you have to make that decision yourself..
I know fasting isn't "Peaty". My reasons for fasting were mainly for discipline and quick weight loss. However, these painful stomach symptoms always seem to occur right after these 3 day fasts.
After resuming consumpt1ion of foods after fasting, digestion basically crawls to minimal speed. Any food I ate, especially starches would sit in my stomach for a long period of time and the only way to "push it down" was to drink water to liquefy the food sufficiently, since my gastric juices were apparently so reduced that the food was not leaving my stomach.
Consuming too much sugar would also cause GERD/acid reflux symptoms. Sugar sometimes caused me to "upchuck" the food, but the burning was not as bad as with starch or proteid.
Consuming meat was basically out of the question because protein of any kind would burn my stomach signifiantly. For hours after, the meat would stay in my stomach, irritating my stomach and creating a sensation of having to swallow and burp. I wasn't relying on Pepsin or HCL at this point since I was clearly not producing enough, so I took Bromelain to ease digestion of proteins. Pain during protein consumption is a symptom of H. Pylori. Consuming meat/protein was the most uncomfortable out of the 3 macros because it takes so long to digest, it would expand my stomach, causing discomfort and a choking feeling and then the digestive process itself involving HCl and pepsin for lack of better word burned. A lot.
Orange juice was out too because of the acidity. Diluting the OJ with water helped a little, but it still burned. Carbonated water was uncomfortable, but not painful.
Spices were off the menu too. Garlic, onion and anything spicy could not be tolerated even in small amounts. I also had to reduce salt intake or drink water with salted foods to dilute it.
My theory is that fasting (which is a mild stress) causes less stomach acid production, which reduces the stomach's ability to kill bacteria. (Less need for digestion = less digestive juices.)
The stomach's secondary role besides digestion is to neutralize bacteria entering the digestive tract. Less digestion = less stomach acid = less protection against internal/external microbes.
H. Pylori is known to TOLERATE stomach acid, but I doubt H. Plori can colonize a stomach that is consistently producing enough acid AND protease. The protease would digest the biofilm preventing H.Pylori from adhering to the stomach lining. The H.Pylori is dormant and waits for the stomach environment to be conducive to its growth/adhesion of biofilm and then it sets up shop in the lining of your stomach. H.Pylori tolerates stomach acid and so when the stomach acid/protease returns, the biofilm is not cleared or destroyed. Biofilm is stable and produced by the bacteria after their environment is ideal (biofilm = environment + time). So if stomach acid is maintained constantly, even though H. Pylori tolerates stomach acid, this would still give the organism protection against H.Pylori because it would prevent the biofilm from being produced in the first place.
Moral of the story: Either don't fast or fast for very short periods like 1 day.
Also note that each time I fasted, I did not get an H.Pylori test, but having had it once the symptoms that came afterwards post-fasting were identical.
This is simply MY experience with fasting, and there was people who have done 3 day or 7 day (or longer) fasts with no H.Pylori symptoms afterwards, but RP has several audio clips where he advises against fasting. I don't want to discourage anyone from trying fasting if your heart is leading you in that direction, you have to make that decision yourself..
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