Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, afflicts as many as 44 percent of Americans on a monthly basis and seven percent of Americans suffer from reflux every day. Although it is common practice to use dietary and lifestyle interventions as the first approach to treating reflux, the evidence supporting lifestyle-based interventions is mixed at best.
Past Thinking
In an article in the February 1990 "Annual Review of Medicine," Neal Benowitz, M.D., summed up the current thinking at that time about caffeine and reflux. In the 1990's, it was thought that caffeine produced symptoms of esophageal reflux, probably as a result of relaxing the cardiac sphincter. The cardiac sphincter is the flap at the entrance to your stomach that opens to allow food and beverages into the stomach and then seals tightly to prevent acid from going up your esophagus. If the seal is weakened, then it could allow acid to leak out, causing acid reflux.
Current Research
A new review of the research in the May 2006 "Journal of the American Medical Association," points out that no research has successfully supported either the idea that coffee or caffeine use leads to reflux disease or that cessation of coffee or caffeine use would significantly lessen the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Weight Control
One lifestyle factor that has been well-documented as a contributing factor for GERD is excess body weight. Overweight and obese individuals are more likely to experience reflux symptoms, with the risk continuing to increase with increasing weight. Conversely, losing weight is correlated with a reduction of symptoms and a return to normal weight is correlated with the elimination of symptoms. The most scientifically sound lifestyle change you can make is to attain and maintain a healthy weight.
Common Sense
Regardless of what various studies may or may not find about statistically significant correlations between reflux symptoms and particular foods and beverages, your body is unique and not a statistic. If you find that your reflux symptoms seem to be worse after drinking caffeinated foods and beverages, stop eating them. Anecdotal reports about GERD trigger foods vary from patient to patient, so experiment with your diet under your doctor or dietitian's supervision to find what helps keep you symptom-free.
References
- "Annual Review of Medicine"; Clinical Pharmacology of Caffeine; Neal Benowitz; February 1990
- "Annals of Internal Medicine"; Meta-Analysis: Obesity and the Risk for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Its Complications; Howard Hampel, et al.; August 2005
- "Journal of the American Medical Association"; Are Lifestyle Measures Effective in Patients With Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease; Tonya Kaltenbach, et al.; May 2006
- "World Journal of Gastroenterology"; Epidemiology of gastroesophageal reflux disease: A general population-based study in Xi'an of Northwest China; Jin-Hai Wang, et al.; June 2004
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