New research has revealed wheat consumption could be triggering digestive issues that impacts 10 per cent of all Australians.

“Functional Dyspepsia” gives sufferers a pain below their sternum or a full feeling before they have completed their meal. An expert in the condition, Professor Nick Talley of the University of Newcastle, NSW, told the ABC’s Health Report that the condition has often been misdiagnosed as reflux but that a new understanding of the disease is now coming to light.

“We have recent data which implicates wheat may be relevant, Professor Talley told the ABC health Report’s Dr Norman Swan.

“We have to prove this, and there’s a lot of work to do, but we certainly strongly suspect that wheat allergy may be one of the factors that is highly relevant in this syndrome,” he said.

Professor Talley also stated that bacteria change may be relevant with new evidence revealing that the bacteria in the small intestine changes in sufferer. He said this could be due to changes in diet or previous infections but whatever the cause, the change in bacteria may be linked to functional dyspepsia and its symptoms.

Connection to anxiety

In the past anxiety has been listed as a cause for functional dyspepsia by Professor Talley said that new researched indicated that it is more the case that the condition causes a sufferer to experience anxiety.

Australia’s global Functional Dyspepsia expert

Professor Talley is the Pro Vic-Chancellor of Global Research at the University of Newcastle and is highly regarded for his achievements in gastroenterological research. He is also the President of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

Professor Talley recently co-published a review of the latest global findings in functional dyspepsia for The New England Journal of Medicine (Volume 373, Issue 19).

Functional Dyspepsia: Key Facts

• Despite sufferers often not being able to complete an entire meal, only a small number of people will lose weight. The condition does however generally prevent sufferers from experiencing obesity.
• Overweight sufferers might experience less symptoms by losing weight
• Elevating the head whilst sleeping might help bring relief
• Medication can be issued to help treat the condition
• It is estimated that 20 – 45 per cent of Canadians have the condition but most will not go and see a doctor about it

Share