Lycopene, the Anti-Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) Phytochemical

By Kyle J. Norton

Acid Reflux or heartburn is a condition characterized by the going back up of acidic stomach contents to the esophagus.

Most cases of acid reflux are happened immediately after eating causing a burning sensation or pain in the lower chest area.

According to the statistics, in the US, approximately, 20% of people with acid reflux will develop gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

 More than 65% of people who suffer from acid reflux are 40 years old or older. And, 15 to 30 5 of the U.S. population has GERD.

There is no single cause of GERD. Epidemiologically, eating large meals or lying down right after a meal, snacking close to bedtime, smoking, being overweight or obese, overeating certain foods such as citrus, tomato, chocolate, mint, garlic, onions, or spicy or fatty foods are some prevalent factors associated with the risk of GERD.

Furthermore, long-term intake of certain medications such as bronchodilators for asthma, progestin for birth control or to treat abnormal menstrual bleeding, sedatives for insomnia and anxiety, calcium channel blockers for high blood pressure.

First-time pregnancy women may also experience GERD caused by increasing levels of hormones combined with pressure from the growing fetus.

Dr. P J Kahrilas and colleagues in examing the smoking risk associated with the onset of GERD wrote, "Studies were done to evaluate the lower oesophageal sphincter function of chronic smokers compared with non-smokers and to ascertain the acute effects of smoking on the sphincter and the occurrence of acid reflux".

And, "The mechanisms of acid reflux during cigarette smoking were mainly dependent upon the coexistence of diminished lower oesophageal sphincter pressure. Fewer than half of reflux events occurred by transient lower oesophageal sphincter relaxations. The majority of acid reflux occurred with coughing or deep inspiration during which abrupt increases in intra-abdominal pressure overpowered a feeble sphincter".


Therefore, if you currently a smoker, your risk GERD is substantially higher comapred to non-smokers.

Lycopene is a phytochemical found in tomato in the class of carotenoid, a natural pigment with no vitamin A activity found abundantly in tomatoes and other red fruits and vegetables, such as red carrots, watermelons, and papayas,

Tomatoes provide about 80% of the lycopene in the world diet. In plants, lycopene protects the host against excessive photodamage and performs various functions in photosynthesis.

On finding a potential compound for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), researchers examined the role of lycopene on experimental reflux esophagitis.

Selected rats included in the study groups of rats induced esophagitis treated by lycopene (50 and 100 mg/kg, po) and pantoprazole (30 mg/kg, po).

Based on the tested analysis, treatment with lycopene showed physiological protection when scrutinized for pH, acidity (total and free), the volume of gastric juices and esophagitis index.

Furthermore, lycopene also protected the esophagus tissue by inhibiting the expression of oxidative stress against lipid and protein peroxidation and enhancing the production of the enzymatic activity of SOD and catalase.

Moreover, levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were also diminished observed in the lycopene treatment group.

The efficacy of lycopene in the protection of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) was dose-dependent.

Based on the findings, researchers said, "lycopene can impart momentous protection against experimental esophagitis by wrapping up the reactive oxygen species and through dual inhibition of the arachidonic acid pathway".

Taken altogether, lycopene found in tomato may be considered supplements for the prevention and treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), pending on the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Intake of lycopene in the form of supplement should be taken with extreme care to prevent overdose acute liver toxicity.

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Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.

Sources
(1) Effect of lycopene against gastroesophageal reflux disease in experimental animals by Giri AK1, Rawat JK2, Singh M3, Gautam S4, Kaithwas G. (PubMed)
(2) Mechanisms of acid reflux associated with cigarette smoking by P J Kahrilas and R R Gupta. (PMC)