Using food to reduce H. pylori-associated inflammation

Inflammation is widely recognized as a risk factor for gastric H. pylori-associated disease and disruption of this process provides a potential target for intervention. Using an in vitro system, broccoli sprouts, manuka honey and omega-3 oil, singly and in combination, were screened for their ability to limit H. pylori-associated inflammation. Each food significantly attenuated the release of IL-8 by H. pylori-infected cells, although the magnitude of this effect was variable. Only broccoli sprouts (0.125 mg/mL, w/v) were able to inhibit IL-8 release in response to TNFα, suggesting it acted by a different mechanism to the other two foods. The combination of manuka honey (1.25%, v/v) with omega-3 oil (0.006%, v/v) failed further to reduce IL-8 levels below those observed with honey alone, but the same concentrations of omega-3 oil and manuka honey independently enhanced the antiinflammatory effect of the isothiocyanate-rich broccoli sprouts. The results suggest that in the future certain foods may find increased clinical use as a non-antimicrobial approach for reducing the inflammation that is a major risk factor for H. pylori-associated disease, notably gastric cancer.