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Elimination of Dietary Triggers Is Successful in Treating Symptoms of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

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Abstract

Background

The relationship between aliments and pathophysiological abnormalities leading to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms elicitation is unclear. Nevertheless, patients often report symptoms after ingestion of specific foods.

Aims

To identify in primary care setting the presence of foods able to trigger GERD symptoms, and evaluate whether a consequent specific food elimination diet may result in clinical improvement.

Methods

Diagnosis of GERD and quantification of reflux symptoms were done according to GERD-Q questionnaire (positive when > 8). During clinical data collection, patients were asked to report aliments associated with their symptoms. Also, a precompiled list of additional foods was administered to them. Then, patients were requested to eliminate the specific foods identified, and to come back for follow-up visit after 2 weeks when GERD-Q questionnaire and clinical data collection were repeated.

Results

One-hundred GERD (mean GERD-Q score 11.6) patients (54 females, mean age 48.7 years) were enrolled. Eighty-five patients reported at least one triggering food, mostly spicy foods (62%), chocolate (55%), pizza (55%), tomato (52%), and fried foods (52%). At follow-up visit, the diagnosis of GERD was confirmed in only 55 patients, and the mean GERD-Q score decreased to 8.9. Heartburn reporting decreased from 93 to 44% of patients, while regurgitation decreased from 72 to 28%. About half of the patients agreed to continue with only dietary recommendations.

Conclusions

Most patients with GERD can identify at least one food triggering their symptoms. An approach based on abstention from identified food may be effective in the short term.

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Acknowledgments

Study Group for the Evaluation of GERD Triggering Foods: Alessandra Belvedere, Carmelo Cottone, Patrizia Gambaro, Maurizio Mancuso, Enzo Pirrotta, Riccardo Scoglio, Enzo Ubaldi, Maria Zamparella.

Funding

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Health System, Group for Primary Care Gastroenterology (GIGA-CP), Belluno, Italy

    Cesare Tosetti, Edoardo Benedetto & Rudi De Bastiani

  2. Gastroenterology Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology – DiSCOG, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani, 2, 35128, Padova, Italy

    Edoardo Savarino

  3. Primary Care Gastroenterologist, National Health System, Cosenza, Italy

    Edoardo Benedetto

  4. Department of Primary Care Porretta Terme, Health Agency of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    Cesare Tosetti

  5. Department of Primary Care, Heath Agency of Belluno, Feltre, Italy

    Rudi De Bastiani

Authors
  1. Cesare Tosetti
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  2. Edoardo Savarino
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  3. Edoardo Benedetto
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  4. Rudi De Bastiani
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Consortia

the Study Group for the Evaluation of GERD Triggering Foods

  • Alessandra Belvedere
  • , Carmelo Cottone
  • , Patrizia Gambaro
  • , Maurizio Mancuso
  • , Enzo Pirrotta
  • , Riccardo Scoglio
  • , Enzo Ubaldi
  •  & Maria Zamparella

Contributions

CT and ES contributed to study concept, data collection and analysis, critical review of manuscript, drafting, and finalization of manuscript; EB and RDB contributed to study concept, data collection, critical review of manuscript, and finalization of manuscript; and AB, CC, PG, MM, EP, RS, EU, and MZ contributed to data collection and critical review of manuscript

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Edoardo Savarino.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All the procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Tosetti, C., Savarino, E., Benedetto, E. et al. Elimination of Dietary Triggers Is Successful in Treating Symptoms of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. Dig Dis Sci 66, 1565–1571 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-020-06414-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-020-06414-z

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