Why Irish potato juice can cure stomach ulcers

Potatoes are not just for chips and fries; they also make a good juice with bursting nutrients to relieve ulcers. Drinking potato juice daily is believed to stop the development of stomach ulcers.  Traditionally, it is also blindly used for decades to treat ulcers.

Now, scientists at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, and the Abia State University, Uturu, say that Irish potato juice contains unique chemical substances that could both cure and prevent the bacteria that live in the stomach and cause stomach ulcers and heartburn.

Uniquely, unlike with antibiotics, the stomach bacteria cannot develop resistance to the Irish potato juice, which also does not cause any side-effects.

Irish potato contains a wealth of health benefits that make it essential as a staple dietary item for the world’s population. These health benefits are thought to include its ability to improve digestion, reduce blood cholesterol, boost heart health, protect from polyps, prevent cancer, manage diabetes, strengthen the immune system, reduce blood pressur, maintain fluid balance, reduce insomnia and boost eye health.

Potatoes have a soothing effect on the stomach and the intestines. They are reported to be rich in B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, beta-carotene and potassium which are very effective in curing stomach ulcers. Moreover, the roughage in potatoes prevents constipation and the resultant acid formation, thereby reducing the chances of ulcers.

Stomach ulcer is one of the most common disorders of the intestine that causes discomfort and mental distress. It can also disrupt daily routines. Up to 60 percent of peptic ulcers are associated with Helicobacter pylori infection of the stomach.

The last two decades have witnessed the introduction of a number of new drugs for the treatment of stomach ulcer, a kind of peptic ulcer. None of these drugs are free from toxicities. Efforts have also been made to find suitable alternative remedies from plant and animal origins for the treatment of peptic ulcer.

The scientists evaluated the chemical contents and antioxidant potential of aqueous extract of Irish potato tubers traditionally used for ulcer treatment in Nigeria. It was in the 2020 edition of the International Research Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

Freshly harvested Irish potato tubers were purchased from Aba grocery market, Abia State. They were thoroughly washed in running water, peeled, sliced and dried in an oven at 60ºC to a constant weight. The dried potatoes were milled into fine powder (flour) and extracted using water as the solvent.

Irish potato was found to contain a higher vitamin C content compared to vitamins A and E, as well as a substantial amount of important minerals including magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc and sodium. Also, its tubers are also rich in flavonoids, low in antinutrients, and high in phenolic compounds and vitamins accounting for its antioxidant potential.

They said: “The results obtained in this study showed that Irish potato tubers contain substantial amounts of iron, thus might be a haematopoietic (blood-builder) agent. The presence of zinc in Irish potato tubers might enhance its healing potential against ulcers.

“Tannins and saponins were also detected in Irish potato tubers. Tannins are known to “tan” the outermost layer of the stomach lining and render it less permeable and more resistant to chemical and mechanical injury or irritation. They form a protective pellicle by promoting precipitation of proteins on ulcers in order to prevent further ulceration development.

“The result of this study showed that Irish potatoes have higher vitamin C content compared to vitamins A and E. Vitamin C is critical for wound healing and tissue repair. Several studies have suggested that its deficiency is associated with an increased risk of peptic ulcer hemorrhage.

“Thus, the traditional use of Irish potato tuber in the treatment of gastrointestinal-associated ulcers could be attributed to the presence of these important properties.”

Moreover, researchers in the International Journal of Clinical Biology and Biochemistry had demonstrated the healing potential of aqueous extract of Irish potato tubers on indomethacin-induced peptic ulcer in albino rats.

Treatment with 400 and 800 mg/kg Irish potato extracts made by juicing the tuber significantly elicited high percentage ulcer inhibitory effects comparable to omeprazole, the standard ulcer drug used.

Interestingly, no significant difference was observed between the ulcer inhibitory effects of both doses of the extracts and omeprazole, thus confirming the folkloric use of the plant extract in the treatment of peptic ulcer. It is also nontoxic, and has been a staple food for humans.

In 2019, efforts to find suitable alternative remedies from plant and animal origins for the treatment of peptic ulcer declared that pawpaw, neem and Moringa oleifera (drumstick tree) leaves extract had antimicrobial effect on the H. pylori isolated from ulcer patients and so they can act as potent growth inhibitor of H. pylori.

Moringa oleifera leaves showed some remarkable effect on H. pylori with the extract of pawpaw leaves derived with ethanol being the most potent. In comparison, the ethanolic extract had the highest level of antimicrobial activity than cold and hot water extracts. It was documented in the International Journal of Biomedical Materials Research.

Studies have reported plants used to treat ulcer plant to include olive tree leaves, lemon grass, the roots, leaves, fruit and bark of mango tree and the carrot tree root.