An Italian scientist has revealed that too many calories – not too much fat – is the reason why certain meals upset the stomach.
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According to Dr. Roberto Penagini, from the University of Milan, people who suffer from gastroesophogeal reflux disease (GERD) are often warned against eating fatty food, which is thought to exacerbate heartburn symptoms. But low-fat diets, he argues, do not necessarily help people with GERD, a chronic condition in which acid from the stomach flows back into the esophagus, causing severe heartburn.
Penagini, in a recent study, counted episodes of reflux in 13 healthy people and 14 patients with GERD after a high-fat meal in which 52% of calories came from fat, and after a meal in which 24% of calories came from fat. The study revealed that fat content did not appear to influence the incidence of GERD, but the excess of calories in these foods may be responsible for this effect.
Further details of Dr. Roberto Penagini research can be found in the European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology 2000;12:1343-1345.
