מתוך medicontext.co.il
WESTPORT, CT (Reuters Health) – Patients with heartburn are often told to limit their intake of fat, which can exacerbate their condition. But according to new research, high-fat meals do not actually increase acid levels in the small intestine. Rather, they intensify the sensation of heartburn through another unknown mechanism.
Until now, the alternative hypothesis that fat in the small intestine might increase the perception of heartburn without causing acid reflux has never been tested, "but our results strongly support this idea," Dr. Emeran A. Mayer from the University of California, Los Angeles and co-authors report in the November issue of Gut.
The authors suggest that nerves in the small intestine may release signals in response to fatty acids, and that these signals may alter a person's threshold for pain and discomfort. However, further studies should investigate the mechanism by which fat appears to worsen symptoms of heartburn.
Dr. Mayer's preliminary study included 11 people between the ages of 28 and 74 years with painful heartburn. Patients took acid-suppressing drugs and fasted overnight. The researchers then injected patients with incremental doses of hydrochloric acid that contained either a salt solution or small amounts of fat.
Higher acid levels overall hastened the start and intensity of symptoms, but fat appeared to increase the speed and severity of heartburn symptoms even more, the report indicates.
"It would seem that many patients will already know from experience that fatty foods…are likely to increase their typical symptoms. If they haven't done so by trial and error, decreasing the intake of any kind of fat should benefit many patients," Dr. Mayer told Reuters Health.
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