What you learned in school
Medical textbooks taught that stomach ulcers were caused by stress, anxiety, and spicy foods. Students learned that "Type A" personalities and those who consumed hot peppers and acidic foods were at highest risk. Treatment focused on bland diets, stress management, and avoiding "trigger foods" like coffee and spicy cuisine.
What we know now
For decades, medical textbooks taught that stomach ulcers were primarily caused by stress, spicy food, and excess stomach acid. Students learned that Type A personalities and those who ate hot, spicy foods were at highest risk. The treatment focused on bland diets, stress reduction, and antacids. This theory was completely overturned when Barry Marshall and Robin Warren discovered that most ulcers are actually caused by Helicobacter pylori bacteria. Marshall even infected himself with H. pylori to prove the connection, later winning a Nobel Prize for this discovery.