Food, Dietary Patterns, or Is Eating Behavior to Blame? Analyzing the Nutritional Aspects of Functional Dyspepsia

Abstract

Functional dyspepsia is a gastrointestinal disorder characterized by postprandial fullness, early satiation, epigastric pain, and epigastric burning. The pathophysiology of the disease is not fully elucidated and there is no permanent cure, although some therapies (drugs or herbal remedies) try to reduce the symptoms. Diet plays a critical role in either the reduction or the exacerbation of functional dyspepsia symptoms; therefore dietary management is considered to be of high importance. Several foods have been suggested to be associated with worsening functional dyspepsia, such as fatty and spicy foods, soft drinks, and others, and other foods are thought to alleviate symptoms, such as apples, rice, bread, olive oil, yogurt, and others. Although an association between functional dyspepsia and irregular eating habits (abnormal meal frequency, skipping meals, late-night snacking, dining out, etc.) has been established, not many dietary patterns have been reported as potential factors that influence the severity of functional dyspepsia. A higher adherence to Western diets and a lower adherence to FODMAPs diets and healthy patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet, can contribute to the worsening of symptoms. More research is needed on the role of specific foods, dietary patterns, or specific eating habits in the management of functional dyspepsia.

Dietary Patterns and Nutritional Value in Non-Communicable Diseases

“…Functional dyspepsia affects 10–30% of adults, with food being one of its main triggering factors. A review tried to shed light on whether specific food categories, dietary patterns, or eating habits influence the symptomatology of functional dyspepsia [ 15 ]. The authors concluded that, although several foods and patterns have been proposed as dyspepsia triggers, evidence on the association between diet and symptomatology is scarce and inconsistent, highlighting the need for more research in this field [ 15 ].…”