Gastroesophageal Reflux Alleviated by Diet and Lifestyle Changes

Gastroesophageal reflux, or GERD, affects nearly a third of Americans, according to the Nurses' Health Study II published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Heartburn is the most prevalent symptom of GERD and can be managed with medication; however, the study indicates that diet and lifestyle changes may reduce symptoms substantially and could even eliminate the need for medication.

Researchers determined five factors that make a significant impact on GERD symptoms, including maintaining normal weight, not smoking, 30 minutes a day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, limiting coffee, tea, and soda to two cups daily, and following a "prudent" diet.

The Nurses' Health Study II is a nationwide study whose participants return a detailed health questionnaire twice a year. The data gathered for this study included information from almost 43,000 women aged 42 to 62 who were questioned about GERD or heartburn symptoms from 2005 to 2017. Using the results of the study, researchers created a model to calculate the risk of developing GERD using the five anti-reflux lifestyle factors. They were able to estimate how likely it was that each lifestyle factor could lower the risk of symptoms.

The study provided evidence that common gastrointestinal symptoms could be well controlled in many cases with diet and lifestyle modifications alone. It was found that following all the guidelines could reduce GERD symptoms by 37%. Researchers concluded that long-term health effects of GERD and concerns about the side effects of medication could be eliminated with lifestyle modifications.