It is known that food stimulates the production of gastric acid and we now understand that eating late in the evening increases acid production during the night. A study reported in 1982 showed that duodenal ulcer patients swallowed four times as often as those who do not suffer ulceration. The authors of the study feel that the air swallowed distends the stomach, causing a higher acid production. A high fiber diet may shorten the time it takes to pass this air through the intestinal tract, possibly causing less distention and less acid production. S. L. Malhotra observed that recurrence of duodenal ulcer was lower in patients who were placed on an unrefined wheat diet forced more chewing of the food, which increased saliva production and decreased acid and biliary output.
Many athletes develop diarrhea after running.
Dr. George Sheehan of New Jersey reports that exercise-induced diarrhea is almost always due to food allergy, and suggests the elimination of milk, eggs, and wheat from the diet. A five day trial of applesauce, rice and seltzer-water will produce relief of diarrhea if it is due to food allergy. Some runners prove to be sensitive to monosodium glutamate or gluten. Some commercial preparations of burdock root tea have been contaminated with a substance presumed to be atropine. Her symptoms had begun shortly after she drank some burdock root tea and resolved within 48 hours.