The relationship between fruit and vegetable intake with gastroesophageal reflux disease in Iranian adults

Abstract

Background: Findings from studies that investigated the relationship between fruit and vegetable intake with gastroesophageal re?ux disease (GERD) were inconsistent. We aimed to assess the relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption and GERD among a large group of  Iranian adults. Materials and Methods: In this cross?sectional study on  3979 adults, a validated food frequency questionnaire was used to assess usual dietary intakes including fruits and vegetables. Te presence of heartburn sometimes or more during the past 3 months were considered as having GERD. Results: Te prevalence of GERD among study population was 23.9%. After adjustment for potential confounding factors, those with the highest consumption of fruits had 25% lower risk for GERD, in comparison to those with the lowest intake (odds ratio [OR] = 0.75, 95% confdence interval [CI]: 0.59–0.97). Vegetable intake was not signifcantly related to the risk of GERD in crude or multivariable?adjusted models. However, participants with the highest intake of fruits and vegetables had 33% lower risk of GERD (OR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.51–0.88), after  adjustment for confounders. Women with the highest fruit and vegetable intake had 36% lower risk for GERD (OR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.45–0.91). Overweight/obese participants in the last tertile of fruit consumption had 42% lower risk for GERD, in comparison to the frst category (OR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.42–0.83). Furthermore, participants with body mass index higher than 25 kg/m2 and higher intake of fruits and vegetables had 53% lower risk for GERD (OR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.32?0.69). Conclusion: We found inverse associations between fruit intake as well as fruit and vegetable intake and risk of GERD among Iranian adults.