Anti-Heartburn Effects of Sugar Cane Flour: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) affects approximately 20% of Australians. Patients suffer a burning sensation known as heartburn due to the movement of acidic stomach content into the esophagus. There is anecdotal evidence of the effectiveness of prebiotic sugarcane flour in controlling sympt...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-06-01
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| Series: | Nutrients |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/6/1813 |
| _version_ | 1797564949888761856 |
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| author | Jeffrey M. Beckett Neeraj K. Singh Jehan Phillips Krishnakumar Kalpurath Kent Taylor Roger A. Stanley Rajaraman D. Eri |
| author_facet | Jeffrey M. Beckett Neeraj K. Singh Jehan Phillips Krishnakumar Kalpurath Kent Taylor Roger A. Stanley Rajaraman D. Eri |
| author_sort | Jeffrey M. Beckett |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) affects approximately 20% of Australians. Patients suffer a burning sensation known as heartburn due to the movement of acidic stomach content into the esophagus. There is anecdotal evidence of the effectiveness of prebiotic sugarcane flour in controlling symptoms of GERD. This pilot study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a prebiotic sugarcane flour in alleviating symptoms in medically-diagnosed GERD patients. This pilot study was a single center, double-blinded, placebo-controlled randomized trial conducted on 43 eligible participants. The intervention group (<i>n</i> = 22) were randomized to receive 3 g of sugarcane flour per day, and the control group (<i>n</i> = 21) received 3 g of cellulose placebo per day. Symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease were assessed before and after three weeks treatment using the validated Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease-Health Related Quality of Life questionnaire (GERD-HRQL). After three weeks there were significant differences in symptoms for heartburn, regurgitation, and total symptoms scores (<i>p</i> < 0.05) between the sugarcane flour and placebo. Mean GERD-HRQL scores increased in the placebo group for regurgitation (mean increase 1.7; 95% CI 0.23 to 3.2; <i>p</i> = 0.015) and total symptom scores (2.9; 95% CI 0.26 to 5.7; <i>p</i> = 0.033). In contrast, there were significant reductions in heartburn (mean decrease −2.2; 95% CI −4.2 to −0.14; <i>p</i> = 0.037) and total symptom scores (−3.7; 95% CI −7.2 to −0.11; <i>p</i> = 0.044) in the intervention group. This pilot study has shown significant positive effects of sugarcane flour in the reduction of GERD symptoms, and a larger randomized controlled trial is warranted. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:05:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5570253b89b74dd29e502f79c6b2fef3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:05:02Z |
| publishDate | 2020-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-5570253b89b74dd29e502f79c6b2fef32023-11-20T04:11:10ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432020-06-01126181310.3390/nu12061813Anti-Heartburn Effects of Sugar Cane Flour: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled StudyJeffrey M. Beckett0Neeraj K. Singh1Jehan Phillips2Krishnakumar Kalpurath3Kent Taylor4Roger A. Stanley5Rajaraman D. Eri6School of Health Sciences, University of Tasmania, Launceston, TAS 7250, AustraliaSchool of Health Sciences, University of Tasmania, Launceston, TAS 7250, AustraliaFirst Point Healthcare, Launceston, TAS 7250, AustraliaMersey Community Hospital, Latrobe, TAS 7307, AustraliaKFSU Pty Ltd., Ayr, QLD 4807, AustraliaCentre for Food Innovation, Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, University of Tasmania, Launceston 7250, AustraliaSchool of Health Sciences, University of Tasmania, Launceston, TAS 7250, AustraliaGastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) affects approximately 20% of Australians. Patients suffer a burning sensation known as heartburn due to the movement of acidic stomach content into the esophagus. There is anecdotal evidence of the effectiveness of prebiotic sugarcane flour in controlling symptoms of GERD. This pilot study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a prebiotic sugarcane flour in alleviating symptoms in medically-diagnosed GERD patients. This pilot study was a single center, double-blinded, placebo-controlled randomized trial conducted on 43 eligible participants. The intervention group (<i>n</i> = 22) were randomized to receive 3 g of sugarcane flour per day, and the control group (<i>n</i> = 21) received 3 g of cellulose placebo per day. Symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease were assessed before and after three weeks treatment using the validated Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease-Health Related Quality of Life questionnaire (GERD-HRQL). After three weeks there were significant differences in symptoms for heartburn, regurgitation, and total symptoms scores (<i>p</i> < 0.05) between the sugarcane flour and placebo. Mean GERD-HRQL scores increased in the placebo group for regurgitation (mean increase 1.7; 95% CI 0.23 to 3.2; <i>p</i> = 0.015) and total symptom scores (2.9; 95% CI 0.26 to 5.7; <i>p</i> = 0.033). In contrast, there were significant reductions in heartburn (mean decrease −2.2; 95% CI −4.2 to −0.14; <i>p</i> = 0.037) and total symptom scores (−3.7; 95% CI −7.2 to −0.11; <i>p</i> = 0.044) in the intervention group. This pilot study has shown significant positive effects of sugarcane flour in the reduction of GERD symptoms, and a larger randomized controlled trial is warranted.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/6/1813gastroesophageal reflux diseaseheartburnregurgitationsugarcane flourdietary fiber |
| spellingShingle | Jeffrey M. Beckett Neeraj K. Singh Jehan Phillips Krishnakumar Kalpurath Kent Taylor Roger A. Stanley Rajaraman D. Eri Anti-Heartburn Effects of Sugar Cane Flour: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study Nutrients gastroesophageal reflux disease heartburn regurgitation sugarcane flour dietary fiber |
| title | Anti-Heartburn Effects of Sugar Cane Flour: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study |
| title_full | Anti-Heartburn Effects of Sugar Cane Flour: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study |
| title_fullStr | Anti-Heartburn Effects of Sugar Cane Flour: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Anti-Heartburn Effects of Sugar Cane Flour: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study |
| title_short | Anti-Heartburn Effects of Sugar Cane Flour: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study |
| title_sort | anti heartburn effects of sugar cane flour a double blind randomized placebo controlled study |
| topic | gastroesophageal reflux disease heartburn regurgitation sugarcane flour dietary fiber |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/6/1813 |
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