London - A swig of sea water - taken from depths of 200 metres - may help tackle painful indigestion and reduce the risk of cancer and stomach ulcers.
In a new trial, scientists are asking patients to drink deep-sea water with the idea that it will help kill the bacteria Helicobacter pylori.
Up to four in ten people become infected with this bacteria at some stage in their lives (it is most commonly caught in childhood), and it is the main cause of stomach ulcers. Although in many people the bacteria live harmlessly, they will trigger an ulcer in around 15 percent of those infected.
It’s thought that in some people the bacteria damage the tough stomach lining, allowing the stomach acid to irritate the tissue underneath. The damage to the lining can also trigger recurrent bouts of indigestion, ulcers, and can increase the risk of stomach cancer.
If someone suffering from gastric pain is found to carry the bacteria (they are detected via a breath or stool test), they are usually prescribed antibiotics and a drug to reduce stomach acid production, known as a proton pump inhibitor.
However, there are concerns about drug-resistant strains of the bugs appearing, and there are also concerns about side-effects from both types of drug, including headache, diarrhoea, vertigo, and nausea.
Evidence has emerged recently to suggest that sea water may provide a drug-free alternative.
An animal study at the Kochi Medical School in Japan showed that deep-sea water - with the salt removed - reduced the number of bacteria.
The same Japanese team then gave 23 people who were infected with the bacteria deep-sea water and found it reduced bacteria numbers by 60 percent, compared with 25 percent in those consuming conventional water.
Why exactly the deep-sea water is so toxic to the Helicobacter pylori is unclear, but it’s thought that water obtained from this depth contains high levels of the minerals calcium, potassium and magnesium, which affect the outer cell wall of the bacteria.
Now in a new trial at National Taiwan University Hospital involving 60 patients, half will drink 200ml of deep-sea water four times a day, one hour before meals and at bed time. The other patients will be given conventional water, and the results compared after two weeks.
Commenting on the trial, Dr John Mason, gastroenterologist from Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “This looks like fascinating work, and it is interesting that it reduces numbers of the bacteria. However, we don’t know yet if the bacteria numbers increase when people stop drinking the water.”
He cautions that it’s too soon for patients to consider drinking the water.
“At this stage, we simply do not know how useful it will be. And one of the problems is that this water won’t be regulated as a medicine so people will need to be wary of claims made for it.”
* Meanwhile, early-stage experiments suggest that deep-sea water may halt the growth of breast cancer cells.
In research published in the International Journal of Oncology, scientists in Korea added the water to a collection of cancer cells in a test tube. They found the water prevented the cancer cells multiplying.
It’s thought to affect levels of a compound called transforming growth factor beta, which is involved in cell proliferation. The team hope to use the water in larger trials, and say that it could be a future treatment for preventing tumours growing or spreading around the body. - Daily Mail