Nutrition & DietBroccoli Sprouts and Garlic May Help Fight H. Pylori and Stomach Cancer Risk
Stomach cancer is driven by an interaction between H. pylori infection and diet. Salted and pickled fish form DNA-damaging compounds, and meat intake has been linked to higher risk. In one study from China, people carrying a dangerous H. pylori strain and genetic vulnerability were not at higher cancer risk unless they ate about an ounce or more of pork daily. Standard triple antibiotic therapy clears about 90% of infections but is hard to tolerate. Broccoli sprouts, rich in sulforaphane, killed resistant H. pylori in the lab, and about a third of a cup daily for a week eradicated infection in some patients. In a randomized trial, sprouts reduced colonization and stomach inflammation markers, with 56% eradication. Cruciferous vegetables and alliums such as garlic and onions are also linked to lower stomach cancer risk, though publication bias clouds the allium data.
