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Ma JL, Sun MY, Zhao HB, Yu QQ, Zhang QJ. Dietary patterns and gastroesophageal reflux disease in Sri Lanka: A regional food culture perspective. World J Gastrointest Surg 2026; 18(11): 121965 [DOI: 10.4240/wjgs.121965]
Jia-Le Ma, Ming-Yue Sun, Clinical Medical College, Jining Medical University, Jining 272000, Shandong Province, China
Hai-Bo Zhao, Qing-Qing Yu, Qiu-Jie Zhang, Department of Oncology, Jining First People’s Hospital, Jining 272000, Shandong Province, China
Co-first authors: Jia-Le Ma and Ming-Yue Sun.
Co-corresponding authors: Qing-Qing Yu and Qiu-Jie Zhang.
Author contributions: Ma JL and Sun MY curated the data, drafted the original manuscript, they contributed equally to this article, they are the co-first authors of this manuscript; Zhao HB, Yu QQ, and Zhang QJ supervised this research, reviewed and revised the manuscript; Yu QQ and Zhang QJ contributed equally to this article, they are the co-corresponding authors of this manuscript; and all authors read the full manuscript and approved the final submission version.
AI contribution statement: Portions of this manuscript were assisted by AI tools solely for translation and language polishing. The authors carefully reviewed, verified, and approved all AI-assisted outputs, and take full responsibility and accountability for all content of the manuscript. AI tools were not used to generate original scientific data, perform independent scientific analyses, or draw scientific conclusions.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Qing-Qing Yu, Professor, Department of Oncology, Jining First People’s Hospital, No. 269 Mengzi Avenue, Jining High-tech Zone, Jining 272000, Shandong Province, China. yuqingqing_lucky@163.com
Received: April 7, 2026 Revised: July 5, 2026 Accepted: July 28, 2026 Published online: November 27, 2026 Processing time: 219 Days and 17.1 Hours
Abstract
In this editorial, we comment on the article by Wickramasinghe et al published in the recent issue of the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery 2026; 24: 3908-3918. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common gastrointestinal diseases and dietary factors are often considered important in symptom generation. However, the associations among specific food, eating behavior ,nutritional intake and GERD remain inconsistent and may vary across regional and cultural contexts. The Sri Lankan nationwide community-based study included 1200 adults from 25 administrative regions and evaluated dietary triggers, eating habits, nutritional intake, and GERD symptoms. The study suggests that greasy foods, wheat products, coffee and acidic or vinegar foods are correlated with GERD symptoms. Skipping breakfast, nighttime meals and lying down shortly after meals were also related to symptom occurrence. In contrast, total calorie intake and obesity-related indicators were not clearly associated with reflux symptoms. The proposed explanations involving bread, wheat, fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols, yeast fermentation, delayed gastric emptying, and gluten sensitivity remain hypothetical and require further verification. Overall, this study provides important South Asian population evidence and supports culturally tailored dietary and lifestyle interventions in GERD management.
Core Tip: This editorial highlights the regional and cultural specificity of dietary factors associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Based on a nationwide Sri Lanka study greasy foods, wheat products, coffee, acidic foods, skipping breakfast, nighttime meals, and lying down shortly after meals were associated with GERD symptoms. In contrast, total calorie intake and obesity-related indicators were not clearly related to reflow symptoms. In summary, the article puts forward the view that in the clinical intervention of GERD, in addition to drug treatment, a diet and lifestyle adjustment plan in line with local cultural habits should also be implemented.
