Is this pesky bacteria harming your health?

Did you know that a common bacteria could be silently wreaking havoc on your health? Helicobacter pylori, or H. pylori, is a bacteria that most people unknowingly carry. It typically resides harmlessly in the gut. However, when it overgrows, it can lead to serious health issues like ulcers, malnutrition, and even cancer.

New research indicates that H. pylori is likely far more common than originally thought. H. pylori has also been found in the lymph system and is linked to autoimmune conditions including Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. Understanding how this pesky bacteria thrives—and how to address it—can be the key to improving your digestion, nutrient absorption, and overall well-being.

What is H. pylori and why get rid of it? 

Helicobacter pylori (or H. pylori) is a gram-negative, microaerophilic bacteria. It’s endemic to the human gut microbiome and in smaller amounts doesn’t usually cause issues. 

However, when it overgrows in the stomach it can wreak havoc—on your stomach lining and overall health, as mentioned above, leading to malnutrition, ulcers, stomach cancer, autoimmune conditions, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Lymphoma, and more. It has been found to travel through the lymphatic system too. It is estimated that as much as 80% of the world’s population unknowingly has H. pylori overgrowth. 

You may have heard that “ulcers are caused by stress”, and in some ways, that’s not far off. We now know ulcers are primarily caused by H. pylori overgrowth. However, it’s STRESS that can directly contribute to creating the “perfect storm” for H. pylori to take up residence and overgrow. This is because stress can drastically reduce stomach acid production. So having good strong stomach acid is key to keeping H. pylori under control.

Because H. pylori is endemic, you likely won’t ever get rid of all of it. The aim is to knock it back enough to allow your body to produce sufficient stomach acid again (or with the help of supplements), and keep H. pylori overgrowth at bay.

What causes it to overgrow? 

An opportunistic bacteria, H. pylori prefers to live in a lower pH (basic) environment. Our stomach acid (HCl) naturally declines as we age, as well as from chronic stress (as mentioned above). And both of these things can create the perfect basic environment for H. pylori to thrive in. 

H. pylori (HP) also secretes an enzyme (urase) that suppresses stomach acid even further, making your stomach even more hospitable for it to overgrow. This decreased HCl (hypochlorhydria) can make it harder for you to digest your food. This in turn interferes with the absorption of necessary nutrients from your diet or supplements—leading to nutrient deficiencies among other ailments. 

The urase enzyme also dissolves the protective mucosal layer of your gut. This allows H. pylori to burrow into the stomach lining. The most common form of H. pylori is thought to have evolved by using its spiral/helical shape as a survival mechanism. It corkscrews in to penetrate the lining of the stomach and establish infection. 

But H. pylori is also a shape-shifter. And when it feels threatened by antibiotics or increased HCl supplements, it can roll into a ball. This coccoid (“cox-oid”) form is somewhat like a potato bug, with an outer layer that’s impervious to antibiotics. In this form it can hibernate—even hiding inside of Candida spores—until a later date when it feels safe to come back out and re-infect the gut again. This is one reason antibiotics typically don’t resolve H. pylori long-term, making you more prone to re-infection. 

Luckily there are a series of herbal remedies that are effective in removing both forms of HP. And this is one area I focus on with my clients who have nutrient deficiencies or other overgrowth symptoms (see below).  

Hypochloridria, or low stomach acid

When you don’t have sufficient stomach acid (HCl)—whether that’s from stress, or from taking medication (PPIs or antacids like Prilosec, Zantac, Tums, Rolaids, etc. diminish stomach acid)—you create the perfect habitat for H. pylori to thrive. (News flash, it’s very unlikely you have too much stomach acid. Most of those heartburn/acid reflux symptoms you’re experiencing are likely due to too little stomach acid. And may even be from H. pylori overgrowth. Only 3 in 1 million people have too much stomach acid.)

Too little stomach acid also inhibits the stomach from signaling the body to release bile and digestive enzymes. Over time this can lead to bile congestion and gallbladder issues, as well as other digestion and gut-related issues like SIBO.

And if you have low stomach acid (due to stress) and don’t have any H. pylori overgrowth yet, it may just be a matter of time before they move in and set up house in your stomach. They love a good warm stomach with low HCl! So you want to prevent that.

Do you have bacterial overgrowth? 

Both stool tests and breath tests can indicate H. pylori overgrowth. However, these test results are not entirely reliable. They can return a false negative (most likely because the hibernating coccoid form doesn’t show up in lab tests.) I’ve had quite a few clients’ stool tests indicate “no H. pylori”, even though they had symptoms often associated with H. pylori overgrowth. When they tried the recommended herbal remedies, their symptoms resolved. This tells me that they likely did have H. pylori overgrowth, even though it didn’t show up in the stool test.

Basic blood tests can indicate nutrient deficiencies. Nutrient deficiencies can be an indication you don’t have enough stomach acid to fully digest your food. For example, if you eat meat or a healthy diet— theoretically you should have sufficient nutrients like iron and B vitamins. So if your blood labs show you are deficient—low HCl, due to age/stress and/or H. pylori overgrowth is a potential factor. Strong stomach acid is essential to digest proteins and break them down into amino acids, which are the building blocks of new, healthy cells. So having low stomach acid can be a big hit on your overall health.

Symptoms of H. pylori overgrowth 

There are many symptoms linked to H. pylori overgrowth, some of which include: 

• low energy/fatigue 
• feeling full very quickly 
• feeling like food is sitting in your stomach a long time (especially after eating animal protein) 
• difficulty eating meat
• waking up in the night hungry
• acid reflux 
• frequent belching after meals 
• rosacea 
• hives 
• hair loss
• nutrient defeciencies
• anxiety or depression for no apparent reason 
• feeling a lump in your throat 
• past or current ulcers
• Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, and other autoimmune conditions

I use this H. pylori Self-Screening Test with my clients. You can download it here to see if your symptoms may indicate possible H. pylori overgrowth. If so, book a free call to find out how I can help you resolve it.

Of course, there can be other underlying reasons for some of these symptoms as well. But until you rule out H. pylori overgrowth, you won’t know for sure. Because your stomach is upstream of your intestines, you must eliminate any H. pylori issues first, and restore good, strong stomach acid before tackling other downstream digestive issues like SIBO, IBS, etc. One potential reason for ongoing IBS and revolving-door SIBO is that HP overgrowth has never been fully addressed. Among my functional wellness colleagues and I, we have seen a lot of success helping clients resolve a myriad of health issues, by starting with this one pesky bug first.

Can you resolve H. pylori overgrowth?

Yes! By using a targeted set of specific antimicrobial herbal remedies known to be effective against H. pylori, many of my clients (as well as my family and myself) have successfully resolved their H. pylori overgrowth. While most allopathic practitioners will recommend antibiotics if they suspect H. pylori, this can create antibiotic-resistant strains of H. pylori. Often people who go this route will end up with an overgrowth again shortly after their antibiotic treatment ends. The antibiotics not only didn’t truly resolve the overgrowth, but they also didn’t address the root cause of why H. pylori overgrew in the first place. And this is key to keeping it away.

Was the low HCl that welcomed the HP overgrowth in the first place due to age? Stress? Medication? Knowing what was at the root originally can prevent it from happening again after you’ve resolved your HP overgrowth.

How herbal remedies can help

Herbal antimicrobials can be more effective than antibiotics at removing bacteria like H. pylori without promoting resistance. This is because herbs typically have complex and varied mechanisms of action. Unlike pharmaceutical antibiotics, which often target a single bacterial function (for example, cell wall synthesis), herbal remedies contain multiple active compounds that attack bacteria in diverse ways. This multi-pronged approach makes it much harder for bacteria to adapt and develop resistance. (This is also true for UTIs. Herbal antimicrobials can be much more effective than antibiotics in resolving UTIs.)

Additionally, many herbs have natural compounds that disrupt bacterial biofilms (protective layers the bacteria create to shield themselves). This can be a key factor in breaking down bacterial colonies. Some herbs also promote a balanced gut microbiome by supporting beneficial bacteria—which helps prevent the overgrowth of harmful species like H. pylori. Herbs can also modulate the immune system and improve gut health—addressing both the root cause and the imbalance in the microbiome—without creating a breeding ground for resistant strains. This holistic, integrative approach makes herbal remedies a powerful option in functional wellness.

The targeted herbal remedy approach I recommend is very safe and nourishing to the gut lining and gut microbiome as well. So if we suspect H. pylori overgrowth, and you don’t actually have it, there aren’t any downsides to the herbs, and your gut will likely still benefit.

Please leave a comment to let me know your biggest takeaway. And if the self-test indicates you may have H. pylori overgrowth, book a call, I’d love to chat!