In a new study, researchers found that five diet and lifestyle factors can make a significant impact on gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) or heartburn symptoms.
The five factors include normal weight, never smoking, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for at least 30 minutes daily, restricting coffee, tea and sodas to two cups daily, and a ‘prudent’ diet.
GERD is a common condition, affecting about a third of the U.S. population; the main symptom is heartburn and it is often managed with medications.
This new study suggests, however, that following diet and lifestyle guidelines may reduce symptoms and could make medication unnecessary for some patients.
The research was conducted by a team at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
In the study, the team used data from the Nurses’ Health Study II, a nationwide study established in 1989 whose participants return a detailed health questionnaire twice a year.
This study included data from almost 43,000 women aged 42 to 62 who were questioned about GERD or heartburn symptoms from 2005 to 2017—which represents approximately 390,000 person-years.
The researchers estimated how likely it was that each lifestyle factor lowered the risk of experiencing symptoms.
They found that following all these guidelines could reduce GERD symptoms overall by 37%.
The more of the specific guidelines a woman followed, the lower her risk of symptoms.
Among women using common heartburn treatments (proton pump inhibitors and H2 receptor antagonists), adhering to the guidelines also reduced symptoms.
The researchers are particularly interested in the effectiveness of the physical activity. This is one of the first studies that has demonstrated its effectiveness in controlling GERD.
This effect could be due in part to exercise’s effect on the motility of the digestive tract.
Being physically active may help with the clearance of stomach acid which causes heartburn symptoms.
One author of the study is Andrew T. Chan, MD, MPH.
The study is published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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