Helicobacter pylori infection, gastritis, and the temperature of choice for hot drinks

The role of the temperature of the diet as a potential etiological factor for gastritis or peptic ulcer disease has been postulated since the beginning of the century. Animal studies have demonstrated damage to gastric mucosa caused by hot water at 60 to 80 degrees C. In the pre-Helicobacter pylori era it was reported that the majority of ulcer patients preferred hot drinks. It also was reported that the temperature of choice for drinks increased with severity of histological grade of gastritis. We evaluated the association between the preferred temperature of hot drinks and the presence of H. pylori infection.

We tested the temperature of choice for hot drinking liquids among 12 H. pylori-negative and 43 H. pylori-positive volunteers. We also compared the effect of H. pylori therapy on hot drink temperature preference and, in 32 individuals, whether there was a relation between temperature and the degree of gastric atrophy.

There was no difference in the preferred temperature for hot drinks between those volunteers with and without H. pylori infection (63.4 degrees +/- 6 degrees C compared to 61.3 degrees +/- 7 degrees C, respectively) (mean +/- 1 SD, p = .3). There was no change in preferred temperature after successful therapy of the H. pylori infection compared to unsuccessful H. pylori therapy, nor was there a correlation between the preferred temperature and the presence, absence, or degree of gastric atrophy (r2 < 0.001).

The temperature of preference for hot drinks was not influenced by H. pylori infection or by the presence of atrophic gastritis.