Beware; eating too much sacrificial meat can trigger Gerd disease.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition that develops when there is a backflow of stomach contents into the esophagus. This disease can appear as non-erosive reflux disease or erosive esophagitis. This activity describes the evaluation and treatment of GERD and highlights the role of the interprofessional team in improving the care of patients with this condition.

The prevalence of GERD in Asia is relatively low compared to western countries. In America, almost 7% of the population has complaints of heartburn, and around 20%–40% are estimated to suffer from GERD. 1 However, other studies report an increase in the prevalence of GERD in Asian countries such as Iran, which ranges from 6.3% to 18.3%; Palestine. shows a higher figure, namely 24%; Japan and Taiwan around 13%–15%. 4.5 This is different from East Asia; the prevalence of GERD ranges from 2% to 8%.

The typical clinical picture of GERD is heartburn and regurgitation. However, GERD can also appear with various other symptoms which include:

• Difficulty swallowing
• Pain when swallowing
• Burp
• Heartburn, and nausea.
• Heartburn is defined as a burning sensation or retrosternal discomfort that can spread to the neck and usually occurs after eating or when lying down. Regurgitation is the return of acidic stomach contents into the mouth.
• GERD is considered atypical when patients present with symptoms such as chest pain, chronic cough, asthma, sore throat, tooth erosion, and hoarseness.

Diet plays an important role in digestive health, with certain foods worsening GERD symptoms. Foods high in fat, alcohol, chocolate, and carbonated drinks can reduce esophageal sphincter pressure and increase acid exposure. Eating a healthy diet with a high content of fruit and whole grains, such as a Mediterranean diet, can improve GERD symptoms. Improving eating habits can be a cost-effective strategy to reduce the occurrence of GERD compared to relying on medication alone.

Caution should be paid to high-calorie, large-volume, and high-fat foods, as these dietary factors have been associated with exacerbating esophageal reflux.

Eid al-Adha is a moment for Muslims to sacrifice goats or cows; this moment is a holiday where Muslims will get a lot of sacrificial meat. Meat is a food high in fat. One of the foods that can aggravate GERD is fatty foods, but those that are high in calories. Scientific evidence supports the idea that fat does not have a significant impact on the sensitivity of the esophagus to acid. Exposure to stomach acid that refluxes into the esophagus may be more severe after consuming high-calorie foods compared to low-calorie foods with the same fat content. At the same time, the percentage of fat content in a person's diet has a significant impact on the frequency of reflux symptoms.

So eating too much sacrificial meat can trigger GERD if your calorie and fat intake is high at one time, but if you eat sacrificial meat in sufficient portions and don't overdo it, this is still permissible as long as you don't overdo it. Processed sacrificial meat can also aggravate GERD conditions if it is prepared with dishes that can trigger stomach acid to rise, such as spicy preparations, with coconut milk or acid.

Reference :

• Antunes C., Aleem A., and Curtis SA. Gastroesophageal reflux disease [Updated 2023, July 3]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441938/
• Herdiana Y. Functional Food in Relation to Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Nutrients. 2023;15(16):3583. Published 2023 Aug 15. doi:10.3390/nu15163583
• Bunga F., Teuku M., and Teuku R. Hubungan Pola Makan Dengan Terjadinya Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). JNC Indonesia.2020