Constant bloating, burping, a gnawing ache in your upper stomach, or feeling full after just a few bites. These symptoms are easy to blame on what you ate. But for some people, the cause is a common bacterium called Helicobacter pylori, or H. pylori, which lives in the stomach lining. Here’s how to tell if it may be behind your symptoms, what treatment works, and which natural remedies have real evidence.
Key Takeaways
- More than 4 billion people worldwide were estimated to carry H. pylori in 2015, about half the world’s population. In the U.S., it’s less common but still widespread.
- Most people with H. pylori have no symptoms, but it can cause gastritis, indigestion, bloating, stomach ulcers and, over many years, stomach cancer.
- It’s diagnosed with simple breath, stool or biopsy tests, and treated with a combination of antibiotics and acid-reducing medicine.
- Some foods and supplements, including probiotics, broccoli sprouts and cranberry, may help, but none have been shown to reliably cure the infection on their own.
- H. pylori doesn’t usually cause heartburn. Ongoing heartburn is more often due to acid reflux, which needs different treatment.
What H. pylori is
H. pylori is a spiral-shaped bacterium that survives in the stomach’s acidic environment by burrowing into the protective mucus layer and neutralizing acid around itself. It’s usually picked up in childhood, probably through saliva, contaminated food or water, or close contact with family members. Without treatment, it can stay in the stomach for life.
It’s more common in older adults, in people who grew up in crowded living conditions, and in many parts of Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Africa.
Symptoms and risks
Most people never have symptoms. When they do, they may include:
- A burning or gnawing ache in the upper stomach, especially when the stomach is empty
- Bloating and frequent burping
- Nausea or loss of appetite
- Feeling full quickly
Over time, H. pylori can cause chronic inflammation of the stomach lining (gastritis) and is a leading cause of stomach and duodenal ulcers. It’s also the strongest known risk factor for stomach cancer, and the World Health Organization classifies it as a cause of cancer in humans. Most infected people never develop cancer, but treating the infection lowers the risk.
See a doctor right away if you have black or tarry stools, vomit blood or material that looks like coffee grounds, have severe stomach pain, trouble swallowing, or unexplained weight loss.
How it’s diagnosed
If your doctor suspects H. pylori, testing is simple:
- Urea breath test: You drink a solution and breathe into a bag.
- Stool antigen test: A small stool sample is checked for the bacteria.
- Biopsy: A tissue sample is taken during an endoscopy, usually if you need one for other reasons.
Some medicines, including acid reducers like omeprazole, antibiotics and bismuth (Pepto-Bismol), can cause false negative results. Your doctor may ask you to stop them for a few weeks before testing.
What treatment works
H. pylori is treated with prescription medicines, usually for 14 days:
- A combination of two or more antibiotics, plus
- An acid-reducing medicine, and often
- Bismuth
In the U.S., guidelines now favor four-drug combinations because the bacteria have become increasingly resistant to some antibiotics. After treatment, you should be retested, usually at least four weeks later, to make sure the infection is gone. If the first round doesn’t work, a different combination is used.
Taking every dose is important. Side effects like nausea, diarrhea and a metallic taste are common, but stopping early increases the chance of treatment failure and antibiotic resistance.
Natural remedies: what the research shows
Many websites claim foods and herbs can “kill” H. pylori. Here’s what the evidence actually says:
- Probiotics: Have the strongest evidence. In many studies, adding certain probiotics, such as Lactobacillus strains or the yeast Saccharomyces boulardii, to standard treatment reduced side effects like diarrhea and modestly improved cure rates. They don’t cure the infection on their own.
- Broccoli sprouts: Contain sulforaphane, which kills H. pylori in lab studies. In a small Japanese trial, eating about 70 grams of broccoli sprouts daily for eight weeks lowered markers of infection and stomach inflammation, but levels went back up after people stopped.
- Cranberry: Compounds in cranberries may stop H. pylori from sticking to the stomach lining. Some trials found cranberry juice slightly increased the number of people who cleared the infection, but the effect was small.
- Black seed (Nigella sativa): A small 2010 study suggested ground black seed combined with an acid reducer helped clear infection. It’s promising but hasn’t been confirmed in larger trials.
- Mastic gum: This resin from a Mediterranean tree showed some activity in small studies, with mixed results.
- Green tea, garlic and manuka honey: These kill or slow H. pylori in lab dishes, but human studies haven’t shown they clear the infection.
These foods are generally safe to enjoy as part of a healthy diet, and probiotics may make treatment easier to tolerate. But relying on them instead of prescribed treatment can let the infection, and its risks, continue.
Everyday tips to help your stomach
- Eat smaller meals, and don’t lie down for two to three hours after eating.
- Limit alcohol and stop smoking, which irritate the stomach lining and slow ulcer healing.
- Use pain relievers like ibuprofen and naproxen carefully. Combined with H. pylori, they raise the risk of ulcers. Ask your doctor about alternatives.
- Notice your triggers. Spicy, fatty or acidic foods and caffeine may worsen symptoms for some people.
- Wash your hands and practice food safety to lower the risk of spreading infection.
- Ask about testing family members if you’re diagnosed, especially if there’s a family history of stomach cancer.
This isn’t a substitute for medical advice. Talk to your doctor if you have ongoing stomach symptoms.
Sources:
- Hooi JKY, et al. Global prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection: systematic review and meta-analysis. Gastroenterology, 2017.
- Chey WD, et al. ACG clinical guideline: treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection. American Journal of Gastroenterology, 2024.
- International Agency for Research on Cancer. Schistosomes, liver flukes and Helicobacter pylori. IARC Monographs, vol. 61, 1994.
- Yanaka A, et al. Dietary sulforaphane-rich broccoli sprouts reduce colonization and attenuate gastritis in Helicobacter pylori-infected mice and humans. Cancer Prevention Research, 2009.
- Salem EM, et al. Comparative study of Nigella sativa and triple therapy in eradication of Helicobacter pylori in patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia. Saudi Journal of Gastroenterology, 2010.
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Peptic ulcers (stomach ulcers).