In the 1940s and 1950s, Dr Garnett Cheney from Stanford discovered that having his peptic ulcer patients drink one liter of fresh cabbage juice daily healed their stomach and duodenal ulcers 3-6 times faster than a bland diet alone (Cheney 1949; Cheney 1952; Cheney 1956). Chronic ulcers disappeared in 1-2 weeks depending on their severity. Dr Cheney was of the opinion that peptic ulcers resulted from a deficiency of a nutritional factor he termed Vitamin U, which was later identified as the amino acid S-methylmethionine, a plant product. While cabbages are a particularly rich source of Vitamin U, Cheney found that all raw plant products contain some Vitamin U. In addition to healing existing ulcers, Dr Cheney found that Vitamin U also prevented the formation of new ulcers.
How do ulcers form? Ulcers result from an imbalance in the digestive system between protective and destructive factors. An alkaline bilayer of mucus containing mucin protects the wall of the digestive tract from harsh elements such as stomach acid, infection by bacteria living in the digestive system, NSAIDs, and dietary factors like high salt and alcohol. In modern times, NSAIDs increasingly contribute to ulcer formation by inhibiting the mucus-stimulating function of our body's prostaglandins. When the mucus layer is depleted, these harsh elements irritate the epithelial cells lining the digestive tract causing inflammation and enabling deep infection.
How do ulcers form? Ulcers result from an imbalance in the digestive system between protective and destructive factors. An alkaline bilayer of mucus containing mucin protects the wall of the digestive tract from harsh elements such as stomach acid, infection by bacteria living in the digestive system, NSAIDs, and dietary factors like high salt and alcohol. In modern times, NSAIDs increasingly contribute to ulcer formation by inhibiting the mucus-stimulating function of our body's prostaglandins. When the mucus layer is depleted, these harsh elements irritate the epithelial cells lining the digestive tract causing inflammation and enabling deep infection.
Ulcers are usually treated with combinations of proton pump inhibitors or H2 blockers that reduce acid production, antibiotics to treat bacterial infections (particularly Helicobacter pylori in the stomach), antacids to neutralize acid, and mucosal protectants such as prostaglandin mimics. Unfortunately, these only provide a temporary solution to the problem. Ulcers return soon after cessation of treatment. Excessive stomach acid is usually not the root problem, nor is H. pylori infection. Most people with ulcers produce a normal amount of stomach acid, and half the world's population has H. pylori yet remain ulcer-free. These facts indicate that while acid and infection contribute to the formation of ulcers, other factors are at play.
Given the findings of Dr Cheney, it's likely that eating a diet rich in Vitamin U promotes good gastrointestinal health. But how does Vitamin U work? In later studies, it was shown that Vitamin U has four properties that help maintain a healthy gut.
- Stimulating the release of mucin into the mucus layer, thereby protecting the walls from acid and bacterial infection (Watanabe 1996; Watanabe 2000; Salim 1991).
- Reducing inflammation by acting as a precursor to glutathione, the master antioxidant of the human body, via its conversion to cysteine (Szegedi 2008).
- Coordinating with other nutrients such as methionine, folate, B12, betaine, choline, SAMe and B6 to supply vital methyl groups required for optimal health (Suzue 1967).
Increasing the Vitamin U content of one's diet in combination with reducing the intake of elements that deplete the protective mucus layer has been shown to improve ulcerative conditions in the digestive system. A diet rich in fresh vegetables, vegetable juice and fruit, and low in salt, alcohol and sugars is a good approach for restoring the mucus bilayer in many people.