title: Japanese apricot improves symptoms of gastrointestinal dysmotility associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of Japanese apricot (JA) consumption on gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)-related symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants included individuals living in Minabe-cho, a well-known JA-growing region, who received specific medical check-ups by the local community health service in 2010. GERD-related symptoms were examined in 1303 Japanese individuals using a validated questionnaire, the Frequency Scale for Symptoms of GERD (FSSG), which consists of 7 questions associated with acid reflux symptoms and 5 questions asking about gastrointestinal dysmotility symptoms. Each question was answered using a 4-point scale, with higher scores indicating more severe GERD-related symptoms. Subjects were divided into two groups according to their intake of dried and pickled JA: daily intake (≥ 1 JA daily) (392 subjects) and none or occasional intake (< 1 JA daily) (911 subjects). FSSG scores were compared between subjects who consumed JA daily and those who did not. Next, subjects were stratified by age, gender and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) status for subanalyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Those who ate JA daily were significantly older than those who did not (60.6 ± 10.5 years vs 56.0 ± 11.0 years, P < 0.001). Total FSSG scores were significantly lower in subjects with daily JA intake than in those with none or only occasional intake (2.13 ± 3.14 vs 2.70 ± 3.82, P = 0.005). In particular, subjects who consumed JA daily showed significantly improved FSSG dysmotility scores compared with subjects who did not (1.05 ± 1.58 vs 1.46 ± 2.11, P < 0.001). In contrast, the FSSG reflux score did not differ between subjects with and without daily intake of JA (1.08 ± 1.90 vs 1.24 ± 2.11, P = 0.177). Subanalysis indicated that improvement in dysmotility by JA intake was specifically observed in non-elderly (1.24 ± 1.68 vs 1.62 ± 2.22, P = 0.005) and H. pylori-negative subjects (0.99 ± 1.58 vs 1.57 ± 2.06, P < 0.001). GERD patients (total FSSG score ≥ 8) were less frequently observed among subjects with daily intake of JA as compared to those without daily intake of JA (6.1% vs 9.7%, P = 0.040).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Daily JA intake may improve digestive dysmotility symptoms, resulting in relief of GERD symptoms. The effect is more obvious in non-elderly and H. pylori-negative subjects.
authors.affiliation: Takao Maekita, Jun Kato, Shotaro Enomoto, Takeichi Yoshida, Hirotoshi Utsunomiya, Izumi Inoue, Yoshimasa Maeda, Kosaku Moribata, Yosuke Muraki, Naoki Shingaki, Hisanobu Deguchi, Kazuki Ueda, Mikitaka Iguchi, Hideyuki Tamai, Masao Ichinose, Department of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama 641-0012, Japan.
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maekita
authors.affiliation: Takao Maekita, Jun Kato, Shotaro Enomoto, Takeichi Yoshida, Hirotoshi Utsunomiya, Izumi Inoue, Yoshimasa Maeda, Kosaku Moribata, Yosuke Muraki, Naoki Shingaki, Hisanobu Deguchi, Kazuki Ueda, Mikitaka Iguchi, Hideyuki Tamai, Masao Ichinose, Department of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama 641-0012, Japan.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: Takao Maekita, Jun Kato, Shotaro Enomoto, Takeichi Yoshida, Hirotoshi Utsunomiya, Izumi Inoue, Yoshimasa Maeda, Kosaku Moribata, Yosuke Muraki, Naoki Shingaki, Hisanobu Deguchi, Kazuki Ueda, Mikitaka Iguchi, Hideyuki Tamai, Masao Ichinose, Department of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama 641-0012, Japan.
authors.forename: Shotaro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Enomoto
authors.affiliation: Takao Maekita, Jun Kato, Shotaro Enomoto, Takeichi Yoshida, Hirotoshi Utsunomiya, Izumi Inoue, Yoshimasa Maeda, Kosaku Moribata, Yosuke Muraki, Naoki Shingaki, Hisanobu Deguchi, Kazuki Ueda, Mikitaka Iguchi, Hideyuki Tamai, Masao Ichinose, Department of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama 641-0012, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeichi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.affiliation: Takao Maekita, Jun Kato, Shotaro Enomoto, Takeichi Yoshida, Hirotoshi Utsunomiya, Izumi Inoue, Yoshimasa Maeda, Kosaku Moribata, Yosuke Muraki, Naoki Shingaki, Hisanobu Deguchi, Kazuki Ueda, Mikitaka Iguchi, Hideyuki Tamai, Masao Ichinose, Department of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama 641-0012, Japan.
authors.forename: Hirotoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Utsunomiya
authors.affiliation: Takao Maekita, Jun Kato, Shotaro Enomoto, Takeichi Yoshida, Hirotoshi Utsunomiya, Izumi Inoue, Yoshimasa Maeda, Kosaku Moribata, Yosuke Muraki, Naoki Shingaki, Hisanobu Deguchi, Kazuki Ueda, Mikitaka Iguchi, Hideyuki Tamai, Masao Ichinose, Department of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama 641-0012, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.affiliation: Takao Maekita, Jun Kato, Shotaro Enomoto, Takeichi Yoshida, Hirotoshi Utsunomiya, Izumi Inoue, Yoshimasa Maeda, Kosaku Moribata, Yosuke Muraki, Naoki Shingaki, Hisanobu Deguchi, Kazuki Ueda, Mikitaka Iguchi, Hideyuki Tamai, Masao Ichinose, Department of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama 641-0012, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hanamitsu
authors.affiliation: Takao Maekita, Jun Kato, Shotaro Enomoto, Takeichi Yoshida, Hirotoshi Utsunomiya, Izumi Inoue, Yoshimasa Maeda, Kosaku Moribata, Yosuke Muraki, Naoki Shingaki, Hisanobu Deguchi, Kazuki Ueda, Mikitaka Iguchi, Hideyuki Tamai, Masao Ichinose, Department of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama 641-0012, Japan.
authors.forename: Izumi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.affiliation: Takao Maekita, Jun Kato, Shotaro Enomoto, Takeichi Yoshida, Hirotoshi Utsunomiya, Izumi Inoue, Yoshimasa Maeda, Kosaku Moribata, Yosuke Muraki, Naoki Shingaki, Hisanobu Deguchi, Kazuki Ueda, Mikitaka Iguchi, Hideyuki Tamai, Masao Ichinose, Department of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama 641-0012, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshimasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.affiliation: Takao Maekita, Jun Kato, Shotaro Enomoto, Takeichi Yoshida, Hirotoshi Utsunomiya, Izumi Inoue, Yoshimasa Maeda, Kosaku Moribata, Yosuke Muraki, Naoki Shingaki, Hisanobu Deguchi, Kazuki Ueda, Mikitaka Iguchi, Hideyuki Tamai, Masao Ichinose, Department of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama 641-0012, Japan.
authors.forename: Kosaku
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Moribata
authors.affiliation: Takao Maekita, Jun Kato, Shotaro Enomoto, Takeichi Yoshida, Hirotoshi Utsunomiya, Izumi Inoue, Yoshimasa Maeda, Kosaku Moribata, Yosuke Muraki, Naoki Shingaki, Hisanobu Deguchi, Kazuki Ueda, Mikitaka Iguchi, Hideyuki Tamai, Masao Ichinose, Department of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama 641-0012, Japan.
authors.forename: Yosuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Muraki
authors.affiliation: Takao Maekita, Jun Kato, Shotaro Enomoto, Takeichi Yoshida, Hirotoshi Utsunomiya, Izumi Inoue, Yoshimasa Maeda, Kosaku Moribata, Yosuke Muraki, Naoki Shingaki, Hisanobu Deguchi, Kazuki Ueda, Mikitaka Iguchi, Hideyuki Tamai, Masao Ichinose, Department of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama 641-0012, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shingaki
authors.affiliation: Takao Maekita, Jun Kato, Shotaro Enomoto, Takeichi Yoshida, Hirotoshi Utsunomiya, Izumi Inoue, Yoshimasa Maeda, Kosaku Moribata, Yosuke Muraki, Naoki Shingaki, Hisanobu Deguchi, Kazuki Ueda, Mikitaka Iguchi, Hideyuki Tamai, Masao Ichinose, Department of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama 641-0012, Japan.
authors.forename: Hisanobu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Deguchi
authors.affiliation: Takao Maekita, Jun Kato, Shotaro Enomoto, Takeichi Yoshida, Hirotoshi Utsunomiya, Izumi Inoue, Yoshimasa Maeda, Kosaku Moribata, Yosuke Muraki, Naoki Shingaki, Hisanobu Deguchi, Kazuki Ueda, Mikitaka Iguchi, Hideyuki Tamai, Masao Ichinose, Department of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama 641-0012, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.affiliation: Takao Maekita, Jun Kato, Shotaro Enomoto, Takeichi Yoshida, Hirotoshi Utsunomiya, Izumi Inoue, Yoshimasa Maeda, Kosaku Moribata, Yosuke Muraki, Naoki Shingaki, Hisanobu Deguchi, Kazuki Ueda, Mikitaka Iguchi, Hideyuki Tamai, Masao Ichinose, Department of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama 641-0012, Japan.
authors.forename: Mikitaka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iguchi
authors.affiliation: Takao Maekita, Jun Kato, Shotaro Enomoto, Takeichi Yoshida, Hirotoshi Utsunomiya, Izumi Inoue, Yoshimasa Maeda, Kosaku Moribata, Yosuke Muraki, Naoki Shingaki, Hisanobu Deguchi, Kazuki Ueda, Mikitaka Iguchi, Hideyuki Tamai, Masao Ichinose, Department of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama 641-0012, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tamai
authors.affiliation: Takao Maekita, Jun Kato, Shotaro Enomoto, Takeichi Yoshida, Hirotoshi Utsunomiya, Izumi Inoue, Yoshimasa Maeda, Kosaku Moribata, Yosuke Muraki, Naoki Shingaki, Hisanobu Deguchi, Kazuki Ueda, Mikitaka Iguchi, Hideyuki Tamai, Masao Ichinose, Department of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama 641-0012, Japan.
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ichinose
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D004032:Diet; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D027861:Prunus; D020127:Recovery of Function; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Dysmotility; Frequency Scale for Symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease; Gastroesophageal reflux disease; Japanese apricot; Umeboshi