Study finds that glutamine may offset damage caused by ulcer-causing bacteria

BOSTON A study released last week that was led by scientists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology demonstrated that the amino acid glutamine, found in many foods and in dietary supplements, may prove beneficial in offsetting gastric damage caused by H. pylori infection, bacteria responsible for stomach ulcers.

“Our findings suggest that extra glutamine in the diet could protect against gastric damage caused by H. pylori,” stated senior author Susan Hagen, associate director of research in the Department of Surgery at BIDMC and associate professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School. “Gastric damage develops when the bacteria weakens the stomach's protective mucous coating, damages cells and elicits a robust immune response that is ineffective at ridding the infection.”

Eventually, she noted, years of infection result in a combination of persistent gastritis, cell damage and an environment conducive to cancer development.

Glutamine is a nonessential amino acid naturally found in certain foods, including beef, chicken, fish, eggs, dairy products and some fruits and vegetables. L-glutamine – the biologically active isomer of glutamine – is widely used as a dietary supplement by body builders to increase muscle mass.

“Because many of the stomach pathologies during H. pylori infection [including cancer progression] are linked to high levels of inflammation, this result provides us with preliminary evidence that glutamine supplementation may be an alternative therapy for reducing the severity of infection,” Hagen said, adding that studies in human subjects will be the next step to determine the relevance of this finding in the clinical setting.

The report appears in the May 2009 issue of the Journal of Nutrition.