Effects of alkaline water intake on gastritis and miRNA expression (miR-7, miR-155, miR-135b and miR-29c)

Authors
Journal
American Journal of Translational Research
Year
Study Type
Human
Outcome
Positive
Peer Reviewed
Yes
Country
Brazil
Health Condition
Gastritis
Body System
Gastrointestinal system

TL;DR

Drinking alkaline water with a higher pH for 5 months reduced the severity of gastritis and changed the levels of certain microRNAs in the stomach lining of patients.

Key Finding

After 5 months of drinking alkaline water, 43% of patients with moderate gastritis improved to mild gastritis, and two protective microRNAs (miR-135b and miR-29c) showed significantly increased expression.

Summary

Researchers studied whether drinking alkaline water (water with a higher pH, making it less acidic) could help people with gastritis, a condition involving stomach inflammation. Fifty people with gastritis in Brazil switched from regular drinking water to alkaline water with a pH between 8.5 and 10.0 for 5 months. The study found that gastritis symptoms improved in many patients, and certain molecular markers (microRNAs) associated with stomach health increased in their tissue samples.

Practical Takeaway

This small study suggests alkaline water may help reduce gastritis severity, but important limitations apply: the study had no control group (comparison group drinking regular water), the sample size was small and limited to one geographic region, and it's unclear whether the improvement came from the water's pH or other factors. More rigorous research with larger, diverse populations is needed before drawing firm conclusions about alkaline water's benefits for gastritis.

Abstract

It is known that abnormal expression of miRNAs in the gastric cancer (GC) contributes to its carcinogenesis. Therefore, ingestion of commercial (usual) water on a daily basis may be a contributing factor for the occurrence of alterations in the gastric mucosal. In this study, it was evaluated the expression of the miRNAs miR-29c, miR-7, miR-155, and miR-135b in the gastric tissue of patients with gastritis before and after the consumption of alkaline water (pH range from 8.0 to 10.0), as well as the clinic pathological characteristics. Methods: 50 subjects from the Amazon region, diagnosed with gastritis that routinely used commercial (usual) water with a pH lower than 5.0, were enrolled to change the consume water to a pH of 8.5 to 10.0 for 5 months. Results: Endoscopic findings of gastritis were such different (less severe disease), P = 0.024; in 43% diagnosed with moderate gastritis upfront esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) presented mild gastritis after the consumption of alkaline water, according to study methods; there were no worsening gastritis and there were a significant increase in the expression of miR-135b (P = 0.039) and miR-29c (P = 0.039). Conclusion: Modified pH range water (from 8.0 to 10.0) ingested for 5 months was able lead to a less severe gastritis according to the Sidney classification system, suggesting that this lifestyle change represented a clinical benefit in patients with gastritis on the Amazon region. In addition, higher expression of miR-135b and miR-29c was observed after the consumption of alkaline water for 5 months.