Anti-Heartburn Effects of Sugar Cane Flour: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Dietary interventions
• Clinical nutrition

Background:

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) impacts 20% of Australians, characterized by heartburn from stomach acid reflux.
• Anecdotal evidence suggests prebiotic sugarcane flour may alleviate GERD symptoms.
• A pilot study was conducted to investigate sugarcane flour's efficacy in GERD patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of prebiotic sugarcane flour in reducing GERD symptoms.
• To assess changes in heartburn, regurgitation, and overall quality of life in GERD patients.

Main Methods:

• A single-center, double-blinded, placebo-controlled randomized trial with 43 participants.
• Intervention group received 3g daily sugarcane flour; control group received 3g daily cellulose placebo.
• Symptoms were assessed using the GERD-HRQL questionnaire over three weeks.

Main Results:

• Sugarcane flour significantly reduced heartburn and total GERD symptoms (p < 0.05).
• The placebo group showed increased scores for regurgitation and total symptoms.
• No significant changes were observed in the placebo group for heartburn.

Conclusions:

• Prebiotic sugarcane flour demonstrated significant positive effects in reducing GERD symptoms.
• The findings support further investigation with a larger randomized controlled trial.
• Sugarcane flour shows potential as a therapeutic option for GERD symptom management.