Background: Buckwheat is a commonly cultivated crop with growing evidence that it is beneficial to gastrointestinal (GI) health. This systematic review summarizes the role of buckwheat in... Show moreBackground: Buckwheat is a commonly cultivated crop with growing evidence that it is beneficial to gastrointestinal (GI) health. This systematic review summarizes the role of buckwheat in modifying GI health outcomes and microbiomes. Methods: Four medical databases and Google Scholar were systematically searched. Clinical trials, observational studies, animal in vivo, and in vitro studies with human and animal GI-derived samples were included. Results: There were 32 studies (one randomized controlled trial [RCT], one non-randomized trial, 3 observational, 9 in vitro, and 18 animal in vivo studies) included. In preclinical studies, buckwheat extracts were observed to have cytotoxic potential against human-derived GI cancer cell lines. Animals fed with buckwheat had lower GI mucosal inflammation, higher alpha diversity in the GI microbiome, and higher levels of fecal short-chain fatty acids. Human evidence studies and clinical trials were limited and predominantly of moderate risk of bias. The majority of in vitro studies with GI-derived samples and in vivo studies were reliable without restrictions in study design. Conclusion: In vivo and in vitro studies show that buckwheat may have potential GI benefits due to its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory potential; however, human evidence remains limited, and its impact on health in humans remains to be elucidated in future trials. Show less
Objectives: To evaluate the severity and evolution of patient-reported gastrointestinal tract (GIT) symptoms in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients, assess predictive factors for progression and... Show moreObjectives: To evaluate the severity and evolution of patient-reported gastrointestinal tract (GIT) symptoms in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients, assess predictive factors for progression and determine the impact of standard of care treatment. Methods: SSc patients from the Leiden and Oslo cohorts were included. We assessed clinical data and patient-reported GIT symptoms measured by the validated University of California, Los-Angeles Gastrointestinal-tract (UCLA-GIT) score at baseline and annually. GIT severity and progression was determined. Logistic regression was applied to identify risk factors associated with baseline GIT symptom severity. Linear mixed-effect models were applied to assess progression in GIT symptom burden and to identify predictive factors. We repeated all analysis in patients with early disease (inception cohort) to exclude the effect of longstanding disease and increase insights in development of GIT symptom burden early in the disease course. Results: We included 834 SSc patients with baseline UCLA GIT scores, 454 from Leiden and 380 from Oslo. In the total cohort, 28% reported moderate-severe GIT symptoms at baseline, with increased risk for severity conferred by ACA, smoking and corticosteroid use, while use of calcium channel blockers appeared protective. In the inception cohort, 23% reported moderate-severe GIT symptoms at baseline, with increased risk for females and with smoking. Over time, symptom burden increased mainly for reflux/bloating. Female sex and ACA predicted GIT symptom progression. Conclusion: High GIT symptom burden is present early in SSc disease course. Both for prevalence and for progression of GIT symptom burden, female sex and smoking were identified as risk factors. Show less
