Peptic ulcers and bacterial infections

Here's a quick test. Answer true or false: (a) the New York Yankees play baseball; (b) the Dow Jones average measures stock prices; and (c) peptic ulcers are caused by stomach acid, spicy foods, alcohol, or coffee.

If you answered true to all three statements, you're in for a surprise. Baseball and Wall Street are what you expected "" but food and drink have nothing to do with ulcers. That doesn't mean you have to force down a second helping of your mother-in-law's spaghetti sauce, but it does mean you should take a new look at what doctors have learned about ulcers.