CellMed

Indigestion refers to a term encompassing the symptoms of digestive disorders that occur after eating. It refers to all discomfort and symptoms that occur in the digestive organs, including the stomach, liver, and gallbladder, due to various causes. It is not just a single symptom, but includes all symptoms that occur along with digestive symptoms such as heartburn, belching, nausea, discomfort in the upper abdomen, bloating, and even abdominal pain. In Western countries, the prevalence of indigestion is as high as 25% even when excluding individuals with typical symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The annual incidence rate of indigestion is approximately 9-10%, and 15% of patients experience chronic (lasting for more than 3 months in a year) or frequent (occurring more than 3 times a week) episodes of indigestion, often accompanied by significant symptoms.

The causes of indigestion are highly diverse and can include digestive, cardiac, systemic, and psychological disorders. Indigestion can arise from diseases of the digestive system, such as pancreatitis, gallbladder disorders, chronic appendicitis, or stomach cancer, as well as from conditions outside the digestive system, such as congestive heart failure, urinary tract infections, anemia, or pulmonary tuberculosis. Improper dietary habits that prevent adequate action of digestive enzymes can also lead to indigestion. Factors such as smoking, consumption of coffee or alcohol, food sensitivities, irregular bowel habits, and various stressors in daily life can also contribute to indigestion.

Among them, hypochlorhydria manifests as symptoms of abdominal bloating, frequent burping, nausea, and heartburn.

The patient in this case frequently experienced burping due to indigestion but did not receive any medication for digestive issues despite visiting multiple hospitals. The excessive burping was causing significant distress to the patient's family, to the point where it was affecting his daily life. As a result, nutritional therapy was implemented, and the progress will be reported.

1. Subject

The study focused on a single case of a patient with chronic indigestion.

1) Name: Kim O O (M/60 years old)

2) Diagnosis: Chronic dyspepsia

3) Onset date: Too long to remember

4) Treatment period: from September 2022

5) Main symptoms: indigestion, gas, frequent belching

6) Past history: Urinary stones a few years ago (no surgery, present)

7) Social history: 5 years of smoking cessation; alcohol consumption once a week (frequent consumption with meals)

8) Family history: None

9) Medical history: Liver medicine Ursa 100mg, hyperlipidemic tablet Rosuvastatin 5mg

2. Method

The case subject was an individual who frequently consumed flour-based foods and enjoyed snacks. He was also engaged in a business that involved frequent alcohol consumption, but maintained a regular exercise routine. The focus was on correcting dietary habits, and for this purpose, the following nutritional therapy and liver medicine from other companies were applied to improve his chronic indigestion and low stomach acid symptoms.

Cyaplex Mineral Salt (111, 3 times a day, 1 sachet per day)

Heartberry Black (111, 3 times a day, 1 sachet per day)

Aqua SAC Pure (111, 3 times a day, 1 sachet per day)

Dissolved in 500ml of water and consumed.

The patient is a 60-year-old male who has been experiencing frequent belching and bloating for a long time. He did not seek medical treatment and did not take any medication for these symptoms. Based on the description of the symptoms, it appeared that low stomach acid and impaired liver function could be the underlying causes of the digestive disorder.

Initially, the patient had some doubts about dietary supplements, so we recommended a 5-day supply of Cyaplex Mineral Salt, Heartberry Black, and Aqua SAC Pure. After taking them for 5 days, the patient reported improved digestion and reduced belching. Encouraged by this result, the patient decided to continue taking the supplements for one month. Although there were some challenges in completely eliminating snacks and late-night meals, the patient made efforts to improve lifestyle habits along with the nutritional therapy. As a result, the symptoms of indigestion improved.

The frequency of belching has decreased, and digestion has improved since starting the supplements. The patient has continued taking them, and his family members who live together have also experienced an improvement in their quality of life and a sense of peace due to reduced belching (Table 1).

Table 1 . The indices related to the subjective symptoms experienced by the patient. The severity ranges from 1 to 5, with higher values indicating more severe symptoms..

Symptom	1st 22. 07.18	2nd 22. 7.23	3rd 22. 8.10	4th 22.9.10	5th 23. 4.1	Remarks
Belching	5	3	2	2	1
Indigestion	5	3	2	2	1
Abdominal bloating	5	3	2	2	1

The patient in this case is a male in his 60s who has been experiencing frequent belching and bloating for a long time. He did not seek medical treatment for his symptoms and did not take any medications separately.

Although no specific diagnosis was made at the hospital, the patient's symptoms were consistent with indigestion, particularly low stomach acid (hypochlorhydria). Nutritional therapy targeting hypochlorhydria was implemented.

Cyanidin present in Heartberry Black has excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and plays a role in protecting cells from reactive oxygen species.⁴ Organic acids not only stimulate pancreatic secretion, but also affect mucosal morphology, and act as substrates in intermediate metabolism. These can also contribute to improving the digestion, absorption and maintenance of many dietary nutrients.⁵ In addition, the polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) found in Heartberry Black has various functions that can potentially help improve indigestion caused by hypochlorhydria. These functions include regulating glucose metabolism, as well as the activity of α-amylase and α-glucosidase, and protecting internal organs.⁶ The salt components present in Aqua SAC Pure and Cyaplex Mineral Jukyeom have been reported to improve the inhibition of PGE2r synthesis within the gastric tissues of animals with gastritis, prevent the increase of MDA and TXB2 production, and restore the levels of free radical scavenging enzymes such as SOD and GSH, thus improving gastritis.⁷

Hypochlorhydria is a condition where there is insufficient supply of acidic substances in the stomach for the absorption of nutrients, which can potentially lead to other disorders.⁸

The highly active calcium in Aqua SAC exists in the form of ions, which enhances its reactivity and can contribute to the supply of necessary calcium components in the body.

This case study represents a single case and may not be universally applicable to all patients with hypochlorhydria or digestive disorders. However, it is presented with the patient's consent as a case that has shown improvement in symptoms.