Apple Cider Vinegar For GERD Heartburn.pdf

Zoe Yeh's thesis investigates the effectiveness of organic apple cider vinegar in relieving heartburn symptoms related to Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, cross-over study was conducted with four trial arms: chili (placebo), antacid after chili meal (positive control), vinegar added to chili, and diluted vinegar after chili meal. Twenty grams of vinegar were used in both vinegar treatments, and 10 grams of liquid antacid in the antacid trial. Heartburn severity was assessed using a five-point Likert scale and a 10-cm visual analogue scale (VAS) over a 120-minute period. Seven of 15 recruited subjects' data was analyzed (age: 39.6 ± 12.2 y, BMI: 29.4 ± 4.2 kg/m2, waist circumference: 36.4 ± 4.1 inch). There was no statistically significant difference in heartburn scores among different trials. However, when participants were divided into antacid responder (n=4) and non-responder groups (n=3), the antacid responder group showed significant improvement in heartburn scores when comparing antacid and 'vinegar added to chili' trials. Effect size analysis supported these findings. Future research is needed to examine if organic vinegar ingestion benefits heartburn alleviation in antacid non-responders.