Mastika

Mastika is made from mastic, the natural resin of a small Mediterranean tree. Mastic has been used for centuries by traditional healers to cure stomach upsets, stomach and duodenal ulcers (peptic ulcers), heartburn and mouth ulcers. It has been shown in clinical trials to cure peptic ulcers even in tiny doses, and is free of side effects.


Nutritional Benefits of Mastika Mastika 500mg

Some people have found Mastika Mastika 500mg of use for gum disease, stomach ulcers, digestion, gastrointestinal disorders.

Ingredients in Mastika Mastika 500mg

Mastic gum (250mg), Dicalcium phosphate, Gelatine, Microcrystaline cellulose, Silicon dioxide, Magnesium stearate


Further Information for Mastika Mastika 500mg

More recently, peptic ulcers have been attributed to the germ Helicobacter pylori, which has also been linked to many other gastrointestinal problems such as dyspepsia and heartburn, and is considered to be a major cause of stomach cancer.

In studies, mastic gum killed all the examined strains of H. pylori, including those that were resistant to the currently-used anti-ulcer drugs, such as metronidazole; these drugs are not free of side effects, and due to the build-up of resistance against antibiotics treatment failure is common.


What is Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)?

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a type of bacterium, a bug or germ, that lives in the sticky fluid (mucus) which coats the lining of the human stomach and duodenum. It is usually a life-long infection and may or may not cause problems. However, it is closely associated with peptic ulcers and some stomach cancers.

The following information answers questions you may have about H.pylori and how mastic gum may help to eradicate this common problem.


What is a Peptic Ulcer?

A peptic ulcer is a sensitive, raw patch, very much like a mouth ulcer, which forms a break in the lining of the stomach or the duodenum. Gastric ulcers occur in the stomach and duodenal ulcers occur in the duodenum, the first part of the intestine after the stomach.


How does infection with H. pylori occur?

To date it is still uncertain how this germ moves from the stomach of one person to the next. These infectious bacteria are rarely detected in saliva, gastric juices or stools. Good hygiene in the home seems to decrease transmission.


How long does H. pylori infection last?

This is a life long infection for most people. Without medical help the infected person seems incapable of getting rid of it. Long-term infection, perhaps for up to 50 years, can result in the loss of the stomach's layer of mucus. At that stage the infection disappears in some people.


How many people are infected with H. pylori?

In Britain, about half of the population over middle age is infected with H. pylori. It seems likely that most people get infected in childhood. Probably, almost all of our grandparents were infected with these bacteria but, because of improved hygiene in the modern home, fewer children are now infected in Britain. Unfortunately, most children in the developing world still get infected. This means that almost everybody in these countries has a chronic infection with H. pylori.


What Is Mastic Gum?

Mastic gum is a natural resin from the Pistacia lentiscus tree, a species of arid, subtropical climates, which grows in coastal Mediterranean regions. Most of the world's production comes from the small Greek Island of Chios.


How does Mastic Gum help?

Mastic Gum helps to restore digestive function and has been used as a herbal remedy to relieve abdominal symptoms (i.e. stomach pain, indigestion, heartburn, dyspepsia, etc.), treat peptic (stomach and duodenal) ulcers, and other related gastrointestinal disorders. Mastic Gum kills H. Pylori.


How does Mastic Gum work and what is the scientific evidence?

Traditional healers have used mastic for the treatment of stomach disorders for more than 3000 years. In the mid 1980s a group of doctors carried out clinical trials on patients with peptic ulcers and confirmed that mastic gum cures peptic ulcers. More recently (in late 1998), a group of doctors and scientists at the University Hospital (Queens Medical Centre) of Nottingham, UK, showed that mastic gum kills H. pylori. "Even low doses of mastic gum - 1gramme per day for 2 weeks - can cure peptic ulcers very rapidly... Mastic is active against Helicobacter pylori."


Is Mastic Gum safe; are there any side effects?

After centuries of extensive use in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries, both as a dietary supplement and herbal remedy, no undesirable effects have ever been attributed to Mastic Gum.


What are the other benefits of Mastic Gum?

Mastic gum may help to restore and maintain good gastrointestinal health. In Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries Mastic Gum has been used as a health food for many years. It has been used to prevent dental carries, heal mouth ulcers and other gum problems, control diabetes, reduce cholesterol levels and treat skin ulcers. In some parts of Africa, Mastic has been used as an aphrodisiac to boost sexual performance.

References:

Huwez FU, Thirlwell D, Cockayne A, Ala'Aldeen DA. Mastic gum kills Helicobacter pylori. NEJM 1998 Dec 24;339(26):1946.
Iauk L, Ragusa S, Rapisarda A, Franco S, Nicolosi VM. In vitro antimicrobial activity of Pistacia lentiscus L. extracts: Preliminary report. J Chemother 1996;8:207-9.