Antacids May Promote Stomach Bugs
 (MSNBC News, 1/16/03)

Many people regularly take antacids to quell heartburn symptoms without realizing that, by lowering stomach acid, they are making their stomachs more susceptible to bacteria that increase their risk of developing ulcers and stomach cancer. When Dr. Juanita Merchant of the University of Michigan and team, gave healthy mice the acid-blocker, omeprazole (sold as "Prilosec" or "Losec"), for 2 months, the animals' stomachs became inflamed due to bacterial overgrowth. In a second study, the scientists found that when mice were genetically engineered not to manufacture gastrin, a hormone involved in producing acid, the animals' stomachs became infected with so many bacteria that the researchers could not implant H pylori because it was crowded out. Dr. Merchant warns that strong acid blockers should not be used long-term because, rather than protecting the stomach lining, they make it more vulnerable to ulceration which, she believes, is the body's response to a variety of germs.