Benefit of dietary integrators for treating functional dyspepsia: a prospective pilot study

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Pharmacology
• Dietary Supplements

Background:

• Functional dyspepsia (FD) has a complex pathogenesis, necessitating alternative treatments beyond antacids.
• Current therapeutic strategies for FD often focus on symptom management, with varying degrees of success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a dietary integrator composed of sodium alginate, sodium bicarbonate, bromelin, and essential oils in treating functional dyspepsia.
• To assess the impact of the supplement on symptom improvement in FD patients negative for Helicobacter pylori infection.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 53 consecutive patients diagnosed with functional dyspepsia and H. pylori negative.
• Patients were categorized by predominant symptom (ulcer-like, motility-like, reflux-like, nonspecific) and treated with TUBES gastro (0.80 g oral tablets bid) for at least 3 months.
• Treatment efficacy was quantified using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS).

Main Results:

• Out of 51 patients who completed the study, 35 (68%) reported improvement in their VAS scores.
• A statistically significant reduction in VAS scores was observed, with a mean difference of -1.9+/-2.1 cm (P=0.0001).
• The overall improvement in dyspeptic symptoms was 23.8+/-40.8% compared to baseline.

Conclusions:

• The dietary integrator TUBES gastro demonstrated significant short-term efficacy in improving dyspeptic symptoms in H. pylori negative patients.
• The observed benefits are attributed to the synergistic action of its components: alginate for acid buffering, bicarbonate for pH balance, essential oils for motility regulation, and bromelin for enzymatic stimulation.
• This formulation presents a promising alternative therapeutic strategy for managing functional dyspepsia.