Potential of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Treating Helicobacter pylori Infection

Helicobacter pylori (Hp), as a significant pathogenic factor for gastric cancer, is closely related to chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer and other diseases. Eradicating it is a key strategy to reduce the risk of gastric cancer. At present, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has demonstrated unique advantages in the prevention and treatment of Hp infection and related diseases. Through a multi-target collaborative mechanism of "inhibiting bacteria - repairing - regulating", it can increase the eradication rate, improve symptoms, alleviate antibiotic resistance and adverse reactions, and maintain the balance of intestinal microecology. However, the research on the anti-Hp effects of TCM still faces several key issues such as the lack of standardization, insufficient mechanism elucidation, and the absence of high-quality clinical evidence. This article systematically reviews the understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of Hp infection in TCM, summarizes the clinical efficacy and potential mechanisms of commonly used Chinese medicines (single herbs and compound formulas), and analyzes their pathological basis from the perspective of gastrointestinal microecology. At the same time, it deeply examines the challenges and limitations present in current research. This study provides innovative ideas for the prevention and treatment of Hp infection and related diseases using TCM, emphasizing the value of multi-target integrated intervention. Future research urgently needs to strengthen the construction of the standardization system for TCM, deepen the analysis of the mechanism of compound drugs (especially by using single-cell sequencing and other technologies), etc., in order to promote the standardized application of TCM in this field and the early intervention of precancerous lesions of gastric cancer.