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This is a common condition in the elderly which comes from the inability to secrete sufficient stomach acid to kill bacteria. The author notes that the deficiency of vitamin B12 may not be severe enough to show up in the blood, but it can be associated with psychiatric dementias. Atrophic gastritis is characterized by atrophy of the stomach wall with reduced or absent gastric acid secretion. It may also lead to reduced levels of intrinsic factor. A significant number of elderly people have atrophic gastritis with hypo- or achlorhydria, predisposing them to bacterial overgrowth. This study also showed that organisms found in yogurt have no impact on the flora of healthy elderly subjects and a relatively small impact on elderly atrophic gastritis subjects.
Lactobacillus gasseri was the only one among several organisms administered that was successfully implanted in healthy and atrophic gastritis individuals.
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