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A common bacteria found in yoghurts and fermented drinks may help treat acid reflux and prevent it from developing into oesophageal cancer, a study has found.
Around one in five British adults live with severe acid reflux, a condition in which stomach acid repeatedly travels up towards the throat.
The condition is best known for causing heartburn and a sour taste in the mouth, but it can also damage cells lining the oesophagus – the tube connecting the throat and stomach. Over time, this damage can cause inflammation and changes to cells’ DNA.
In some patients, this can lead to Barrett’s oesophagus, a condition often described as ‘pre-cancerous’ because it increases the risk of developing oesophageal cancer.
But now, researchers at the University of Central Florida have found evidence that probiotics – live bacteria commonly found in fermented foods and drinks such as yoghurt and kombucha – may help halt this process.
The study found that acid reflux can disrupt the throat’s bacterial environment through over-exposure to stomach bile and salts, which kills healthy bacteria in the region.
This can allow harmful bacteria to take its place, causing damage to the cells which in turn increases the risk of cancer developing.
However, introducing the probiotic known as Lactobacillus spp appeared to reverse these effects by tackling the harmful bacteria and taking its place.
A common bacteria found in yoghurts and fermented drinks may help treat acid reflux and prevent it from developing into oesophageal cancer, a study has found
Lead researcher Professor Claudia Andl said: ‘The reintroduction of beneficial bacteria works two-fold.
‘It restores a normal environment again, but also these Lactobacilli are known to suppress inflammation and repair the DNA damage.’
‘We all talk about how important it is to eat yogurt or drink kombucha so that we maintain a healthy bacterial residence in all your organs. And it’s the same in the oesophagus.’
Among those given the probiotic, early findings showed lower rates of Barrett’s oesophagus.
Researchers also found that when cancer did develop, it appeared significantly later than in those who did not receive the probiotic. .
Almost 10,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with oesophageal cancer each year, while around 7,900 die from the disease annually.
The cancer is most largely diagnosed in people aged 75 and over, and is more common for men than women.
Smoking is one of the biggest risk factors linked to the disease, with around 35 per cent of oesophageal cancer cases linked to tobacco use.
Combining smoking with heavy alcohol consumption increases the risk further, according to Cancer Research UK.
In addition to heartburn and acid reflux, symptoms of oesophageal cancer can include difficulty swallowing, known as dysphagia, as well as nausea and vomiting.
Other warning signs include indigestion, frequent burping, a persistent cough, a hoarse voice, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, and pain in the throat or chest.
Less common symptoms include coughing up blood or passing black stools.
Professor Andl believes her findings could help pave the way for future treatments aimed at preventing acid reflux from progressing to cancer.
She said: ‘We aim to improve outcomes for the large number of reflux patients at risk for cancer. Playing a role in that would be incredibly rewarding.’
