Carcinogen oesophagus, stomach and intestinal diseases: Reflux, gastric ulcer, inflammatory diseases (Crohns, Colitis Ulcerosa)

The role of Lion’s mane (Hericium erinaceus) and meshima (Fellinus linteus) polysaccharide extracts in the additional therapies. Reflux is one of the most frequent diseases which affect the digestive system. Its cause is the reflux of gastric acid to the oesophagus. Its symptoms can be the heartburn and acidic regurgitation. The probability of the disease can be increased by obesity, excessive consumption of alcohol and coffee, smoking and certain medications (for example antidepressants and anti cholinergic medications), the consumption of white bread and social stress. The risk of the occurrence of reflux can be decreased by physical exercises and the consumption of fruit. The systematic reflux can become painless with time as its detection threshold can increase. The decrease in pain perception doesn’t mean that the disease’s treatment is negligible. Reflux can increase the probability of oesophageal cancer (adenocarcinoma), respiratory diseases and upper respiratory cancer. The occurrence of the oesophageal cancer’s adenocarcinoma increases continuously (at about 10% of the USA’s white population per year) which is led back to the increase in the number of overweight people and the number of people suffering from reflux and the decrease of the occurrence of stomach carcinogen H. pylori bacterial infection. The most astonishing recognition is that while we could decrease the occurrence of stomach cancer which doesn’t affect the cardia (non cardia) by decreasing the occurrence of H. pylori bacterium; this led to the growth of a certain oesophageal cancer type (adenocarcinoma). What’s worse is that researchers linked the decrease of the occurrence of H. pylori bacterium with the increase of the occurrence of cardia cancer. We have to examine if the benefits measured in human lives due to the extermination of H. pylori bacterium which prevent the non cardia stomach cancer outshine the damage, which it causes by increasing the cancer types of oesophagus and cardia. According to an article published by an American journal in October 2006 we have to balance in all countries of the world if the extermination of H. pylori has more benefits or damage. According to the article’s conclusion if the H. pylori hinder the formation of certain oesophagus and cardia cancer types-which is proved by many data-than it can occur in the USA and most of the European countries that the benefit measured in human lives due to the extermination of H. pylori is lower than the damage that it causes by increasing the occurrence of other cancer types. It’s necessary in Hungary as well that the specialists should weigh the benefits and risks of the extermination of H. pylori in order to use the new knowledge to make the appropriate treatment proposals. It can aggravate the situation that according to more studies the extermination of H. pylori can exasperate the reflux for a group of patients and can decrease the efficiency of medical treatments. It was justified about a group of modern medications which decrease the gastric acid that during their taking or despite their usage the occurrence of adenocarcinomas which affect the stomach and the oesophagus so they are not able to decrease these types of cancers. The usage of the same medications increases the probability of occurrence of a fatal rare bacterial infection (clostridium difficile). This infection can lead to the inflammation and dissolution of the intestine. The most modern inhibit gastric acid’s (proton pump inhibitors) taking in a huge amount can increase the long term probability of aitch bone braking as they harm the bones due to unknown causes. One of the most frequent chronic inflammatory intestinal-stomach and buccal cavity diseases is the Morbus Crohn which, affect 15000 people in Hungary. The disease is probably the autoimmune originated disease of the intestinal mucous membrane. Bacteria can get into the intestine through the diseased intestinal mucous membrane where they cause inflammation: this inflammation harms the mucous membrane much more causing the disease’s vicious circle. Its symptoms can be the abdominal pain, tiredness, diarrhoea, nausea, sickness, fever, high leukocyte number, anaemia etc. Morbus Crohn is considered to be a lifelong disease which can’t be cured totally, we can only lessen the symptoms. In the case of people suffering from this disease the probability of the occurrence of intestinal (mainly small intestine) and lung tumours increased, so the regular screening of tumours is justifiable in order to prevent them. Some researchers think that this disease is a ‘chronic progressive’ disease due to the higher death rates. Together with the disease osteoporosis can form which can have further complications which, originates from partly the disease and partly from the side effects of the medications (cortisone treatment). Smoking increases the risk of the formation of the disease and can exasperate its runoff. The rarely occurring Colitis ulcerosa can be classified to the inflammatory intestinal disease’s cancer. Its symptoms and treatments are partly the same as Morbus Chron’s but this disease affects alone the intestinal mucous membrane. In the case of people suffering from this disease the occurrence of colon cancer is more frequent. The probability of the formation of colon cancer is increased by the extension of the inflammation and the duration of the disease. The risk of the formation of cancer can be decreased by regular rectoscopies and by taking inflammatory medications. However, the disease is not totally curable by medications but in some cases it’s totally curable through surgery. With the most modern medications (eg. immunosuppressive medications) we can effectively decrease the symptoms of inflammatory intestinal diseases but their side effects can be significant: multiple sclerosis, herpes zoster and myelin degrading diseases’ frequency increases. All in all, one of the most effective stomach, oesophagus and intestinal cancer preventing factors is the healthy lifestyle. You have to avoid overweight, smoking, excessive alcohol drinking and life without relationship. You should favour diets rich in vegetables and fruit, fish and poultry. You should avoid red-and processed meat. To complete the healthy diet and medical treatments taking Lion’s mane (Hericium erinaceus) extract mixtures rich in polysaccharides can be advantageous in order to increase the efficiency of the medications and decrease their side effects, in order to prevent or struggle the mentioned diseases. Lion’s mane (Hericium erinaceus) extract was used in folk medicine as an additional therapy of gastric ulcers, the ulcerous disease of the duodenal, stomach, mucous membrane inflammation and stomach, oesophagus and colon cancer. In folk medicine it was really effective in the treatment of Morbus Crohn and Colitis ulcerosa and its anti-mucous membrane inflammatory effect was proved by clinical experiments. By taking the Lion’s mane (Hericium erinaceus) and meshima (Fellinus linteus) extract mixtures it’s possible to decrease the duration, amount and intensity of medical treatments, which have their side effects, and also the chance of the occurrence of cancer diseases. In the cases of the negotiated diseases regular medical check-up is necessary.

Author: Gábor Varga, drug expert