DISCLAIMER
It is not my intention to claim that any food product is not safe for consumption by the public. Nor is my intention to claim that any food product may contain any harmful pathogen. You are encouraged to research the subject thoroughly, seek expert advice where appropriate, and decide for yourself. I am not a doctor and have no medical training. Nothing on this Website should be construed as medical advice. I make no guarantee as to the accuracy of the information presented on this site.
Conservative Healthcare
Australian pathologist Robin Warren and Barry Marshall isolated the bacterium H. pylori from human stomachs and contended that H. pylori caused peptic ulcers and gastritis. The healthcare industry scoffed at their claim because they knew that H. pylori couldn't survive in the acidic environment of the stomach. The popularly accepted hypothesis held that gastric ulcers were caused by stress and spicy foods.
Eventually, Marshall took a stand and drank a petri dish of H.pylori, developed gastritis, and the bacteria were recovered from his stomach lining. An endoscopy ten days later revealed signs of gastritis and the presence of H. pylori bacteria. He then treated himself successfully with bismuth salts and metronidazole (an anti-infective drug). They went on to show that antibiotics were effective in the treatment of many cases of gastritis.
In 1994, the NIH published an opinion paper stating that most recurrent gastric ulcers were caused by H. pylori infection. In 2005, the two were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for their work on H. pylori.
Around 1987, gastroenterologist Thomas Borody became famous for the triple therapy for H. pylori infection consisting of the combination of bismuth, metronidazole, and the broad spectrum antibiotic tetracycline.
In 2005 as the medical industry hung firmly to its reluctance to accept the possibility that MAP could cause Crohn's Disease, Borody became a founder of the Australian biotechnology company Giaconda. The lead product of Giaconda is a product called Myoconda which is a combination of the antibiotics rifabutin, clarithromycin and clofazimine. Myoconda is intended as a treatment for Crohn's Disease which Borody believes is caused by Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis. After concluding drug trials, Giaconda hopes to be able to launch the product in the United States in 2008.