Doctors and scientists have increasingly investigated the relationship between simple carbohydrate consumption and worsening gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in people with the condition. This condition is characterized by the involuntary return of food after reaching the stomach. Instead of staying there, the food returns to the esophagus. Symptoms include heartburn, pain, and a dry cough, for example.

According to some studies, eating too many foods that are sources of simple carbohydrates — such as refined pasta and sweets — can worsen this condition. Among the studies that analyzed this link is a published study In the magazine American Journal of Gastroenterology.

In this study, scientists from the United States recruited 98 participants, aged 47 to 72. They were randomly divided into four groups according to the diet they followed for the nine weeks following the start of the experiment: 1) high total carbohydrate and high simple carbohydrate, which was the control group; 2) high total carbohydrate and low simple carbohydrate; 3) low total carbohydrate and high simple carbohydrate; and 4) low total carbohydrate and low simple carbohydrate.

After the specified period, the scientists analyzed three factors associated with GERD: the time the esophagus was exposed to stomach acid, the total number of reflux episodes the volunteers had, and the presence of symptoms of the condition.

The results showed that there was an improvement in the condition in all groups that reduced their carbohydrate intake, completely or slightly (only the control group remained the same). However, it was the proportion of volunteers who ate less total carbohydrates and simple carbohydrates who got the greatest benefits from the change in diet.

Reservations

But these findings don't mean that people with reflux should cut carbs from their diet. Much less on their own: In addition to being essential nutrients for the body's functioning, more studies are needed to understand their true impact on this stomach condition.

“number of participants [da pesquisa] “Half of them were not diagnosed with reflux disease, which occurs when reflux episodes, which can happen to anyone after eating a very heavy meal, for example, are chronic,” explains gastroenterologist and hepatologist Rafael Ximenes, from the Albert Einstein Israelita Hospital in Goiânia. “This is important because in these cases, there may be factors unrelated to food, such as a hiatal hernia or changes in esophageal contraction.”

Gastroenterologist José Augusto Messias, clinical professor of medicine at the School of Medical Sciences of the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), highlights that the individuals analyzed in the study were mostly men and veterans of the United States Armed Forces. This is important because, according to the same article, the incidence of gastroesophageal reflux is higher in this population: between 40% and 45%, compared to 30% in the adult American civilian population.

“But these factors do not diminish the value of the results, which are part of a study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, one of the world’s most prestigious clinical gastroenterology journals, which is very rigorous in its process of selecting articles to be included on its pages,” says Messias, a full member of the National Academy of Medicine.

Among the most important results of the research, according to the UERJ professor, is the improvement of symptoms and the presence of hydrochloric acid in the esophagus of the volunteers. “This is one of the main goals of the treatment of GERD,” points out José Augusto Messias.

“Another important point to highlight is that the dietary changes suggested by the study caused the participants to lose weight, which is known to improve reflux disease and its complications,” points out Rafael Ximenes, from Einstein. Complications include esophageal cancer and Barrett’s esophagus, which occurs when cells at the end of the esophagus are replaced by cells typical of the intestine, increasing the risk of tumor development.

However, it is worth reinforcing: do not act alone. Experts emphasize that in many cases, drug therapy is necessary to treat reflux. “The drugs reduce the production of acid in the stomach, which improves symptoms and promotes the healing of possible injuries that may occur in the esophagus, which is the main way to prevent complications of the disease,” explains Chemenes.

This text was originally published by Einstein Agency.