Vitamin U is natural enzyme used in the treatment of peptic or duodenal ulcers. It also is suggested for people with acid reflux disease and other gastrointestinal disorders. Some professionals suggest that it can help to heal skin ulcers as well. Vitamin U is actually not a vitamin, but rather an enzyme known as S-methylmethionine which is found naturally in food sources, such as cabbage.
Ulcers are painful, open sores that occur in the lining of the stomach, small intestine, or the esophagus. Most ulcers are caused by a bacterial infection, or they can occur as a result of smoking or taking medication. Stomach acid that is formed during the digestion of food can cause the sore to become inflamed. If not treated, the person can experience more severe pain, begin vomiting blood, and have a decreased appetite. Traditional treatment options can be prescribed to reduce the amount of acid produced or fight the bacterial infection, but vitamin U has been used a natural way to heal the sores and reduce the pain associated with peptic or duodenal ulcers.
Garett Cheney, a medical physician, conducted an experiment in 1952 that required 100 patients suffering from ulcers to drink fresh, raw cabbage juice a few times a day. As a result of the daily dose of cabbage, which contains a high quantity of S-methylmethionine, two-thirds of the patients no longer complained of symptoms or complications as a result of his or her ulcers. Cheney named the enzyme vitamin U because of its natural healing properties.
Vitamin U has also been said to increase the body’s production of mucin, a substance secreted by the epithelial cells in tissue that forms a protective layer over the lining of the digestive tract and stomach. Acid reflux disease can cause stomach acid to flow back into the esophagus, causing pain and discomfort. When administered as a spray that coats the lining of the throat, it can help protect the esophagus from being damaged.
This substance is naturally found in many food sources, including cabbage, wheat, asparagus, broccoli, and spinach. It is found in other leafy vegetables and in the leaves of radishes and turnips. The vitamin can be consumed as a capsule or powder supplement, and there is also a liquid spray containing a vitamin U formula. Cheney and other researchers have found that the healing qualities of vitamin U disappear if the food source is heated, so only raw food sources should be used during treatment. There is no recommended daily dosage of vitamin U currently established, and people should consult a physician before beginning a daily regime of S-methylmethionine.