[phishphood]

Don't mean to hijack the thread but ulcers have nothing to do with how hard you study or how stressfull your life is; it is a misconception that really needs to be put to rest.

Most ulcers are caused by h. pylori infection (and sometimes by over-medication in childrens cases).

Your friend most likely ate unshashed fruits/vegetables overseas, or had access to someone who did

[skunkworks]

We all have h. pylori in our stomachs, but only some of us have ulcers. This is because stress plays a role in weakening the stomach's defenses, giving h. pylori a chance to create ulcers.

[jgamman]

i believe the nobel prize committee begs to differ: http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2005/p...

[streptomycin]

> Helicobacter pylori is a spiral-shaped Gram-negative bacterium that colonizes the stomach in about 50% of all humans.