A Study of Chios Mastic Water in Dyspepsia

NCT ID: NCT06909890

Last Updated: 2025-09-15

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

60 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-07-10

Study Completion Date

2026-12-31

Brief Summary

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Chios mastic is a natural product with strong antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and well-established benefits for dyspeptic disorders. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effectiveness of a natural aqueous extract of Chios mastic (mastic water), a by-product of Chios mastic processing, in the management of dyspepsia. This will be a 3-month randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial in adults with dyspepsia. Participants will be blindly randomized to an intervention group, which will receive 600 mL/d of a carbonated beverage enriched with Chios mastic water (0.2%), or a control group, which will receive 600 mL/d of an identical placebo beverage with no active ingredients. Participants will be evaluated in terms of anthropometric indices, lifestyle habits, severity of dyspepsia-related gastrointestinal symptoms, quality of life, as well as biochemical markers, both pre- and post-intervention.

Detailed Description

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The term "dyspepsia" encompasses a wide range of upper gastrointestinal symptoms, including early satiety, abdominal pain, flatulence, bloating, postprandial fullness or discomfort, nausea, vomiting, and heartburn. These symptoms are common in several gastrointestinal diseases and affect up to 40% of the population worldwide. Dyspepsia leads to reduced quality of life, functionality, and productivity, and has a significant detrimental impact on healthcare systems due to repeated patient visits to healthcare professionals and unnecessary prescription and use of medications.

Several natural plant products have emerged as potential therapeutic agents, due to their high content of bioactive compounds that can inhibit the manifestation of pathophysiological processes. Chios mastic is the resin of the mastic tree (Pistacia Lentiscus var. Chia), produced exclusively in the southern part of the Greek island of Chios. References about the medical use of Chios mastic from Greek populations for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders or as a cosmetic agent can be found in ancient texts. Nowadays, this versatile resin has been rediscovered, not only as a traditional remedy and aromatic agent, but also as a potent phytotherapeutic product with strong anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. In 2015, Chios mastic was recognized as an herbal medicinal product by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), with two therapeutic indications: mild dyspeptic disorders and skin inflammation/healing of minor wounds (EMA/HMPC/46758/2015).

Over the last years, Chios mastic has been widely used in medicinal products and food supplements, and has become the object of intense study in the fields of Nutrition and Pharmacotechnology with the aim of investigating its beneficial effects on pathological conditions mainly located in the gastrointestinal system. The few available randomized controlled clinical trials in the field have mainly investigated the effect of supplemental administration of Chios mastic in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn's disease), irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia, highlighting its benefits in reducing the severity of gastrointestinal symptoms and improving quality of life. However, no study to date has focused on the integration of a food/beverage enriched with Chios mastic into the usual diet of individuals with gastrointestinal disorders and on investigating its potential beneficial effects on gastrointestinal health, symptoms and health-related quality of life.

Given the beneficial effect of Chios mastic on gastrointestinal health, the aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of beverages, without added sugars or artificial sweeteners and enriched with natural aqueous extract of Chios mastic (mastic water), in individuals with dyspepsia. The research hypothesis is that the incorporation of beverages enriched with mastic water into the diet of individuals with dyspepsia will lead to an improvement in the severity of gastrointestinal symptoms and associated quality of life, highlighting them as functional substitutes for conventional beverages.

The study will be a 3-month parallel, randomized (allocation ratio 1:1), controlled, double-blind clinical trial in a sample of 60 adult patients with dyspepsia. Participants will be excluded on the basis of the presence of other chronic gastrointestinal diseases, the presence of other serious comorbidities, or recent significant changes in lifestyle habits. Participants will be randomized to an intervention group (IG) or a control group (CG). The IG will be provided with 600 mL of a sparkling beverage (Mastiqua lemon lime) containing the natural mastic aqueous extract (0.2%) to be consumed daily (3 bottles of 200 mL each). The CG will be provided with the same quantity of a placebo sparkling beverage, which will be identical in appearance and organoleptic characteristics, including the characteristic Chios mastic aroma. Randomization will be performed by an investigator with no clinical involvement, while all patients and study team members will be blinded to patient allocation in study groups. All enrolled patients will be asked to maintain their usual dietary and physical activity practices and keep their standard medical treatment stable throughout the study. The study physician will systematically record potential side-effects and will be in charge of terminating the intervention if needed.

At baseline and at the end of the 3-month study, participants will be evaluated in terms of anthropometric indices (body weight, height and waist circumference), body composition, lifestyle (diet and physical activity) habits, the presence and severity of dyspepsia-related gastrointestinal symptoms and quality of life. In addition, 12-h fasting blood samples will be collected and various biochemical markers (e.g., glucose metabolism indices, lipidemic profile, liver enzymes and inflammatory markers) will be measured in serum/plasma samples both pre- and post-intervention.

Conditions

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Dyspepsia

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

QUADRUPLE

Participants Caregivers Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Intervention group

This arm will consume 600 mL of a sparkling beverage enriched with Chios mastic per day for a 3-month period.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Chios mastic beverage

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Participants of this intervention arm will be provided with a sparkling beverage enriched with the natural mastic aqueous extract (0.2%), a by-product of Chios mastic processing, and will be asked to consume it daily (3 bottles of 200 mL each) for 3 months. Participants will also be instructed to maintain their usual lifestyle practices and medical treatment stable.

Control group

This arm will consume 600 mL of a standard sparkling beverage per day for a 3-month period.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo beverage

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Participants of this intervention arm will be provided with a placebo sparkling beverage (same organoleptic characteristics with experimental beverage but no active ingredients) and will be asked to consume it daily (3 bottles of 200 mL each) for 3 months. Participants will also be instructed to maintain their usual lifestyle practices and medical treatment stable.

Interventions

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Chios mastic beverage

Participants of this intervention arm will be provided with a sparkling beverage enriched with the natural mastic aqueous extract (0.2%), a by-product of Chios mastic processing, and will be asked to consume it daily (3 bottles of 200 mL each) for 3 months. Participants will also be instructed to maintain their usual lifestyle practices and medical treatment stable.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Placebo beverage

Participants of this intervention arm will be provided with a placebo sparkling beverage (same organoleptic characteristics with experimental beverage but no active ingredients) and will be asked to consume it daily (3 bottles of 200 mL each) for 3 months. Participants will also be instructed to maintain their usual lifestyle practices and medical treatment stable.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Age 30-60 years old.
* Body mass index of 20-35 kg/m2.
* Presence of dyspepsia.

Exclusion Criteria

* Presence of chronic diseases (e.g. diabetes mellitus, cancer, cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, respiratory, chronic inflammatory and psychiatric diseases).
* Presence of other chronic gastrointestinal diseases (e.g. gastroesophageal reflux, inflammatory bowel disease and celiac disease).
* Use of immunosuppressants, anti-inflammatories, antibiotics and corticosteroids.
* Use of dietary supplements or other products with Chios mastic.
* Excessive alcohol consumption (\>210 g and \>140 g of ethanol per week for men and women, respectively).
* Currently on a weight-loss diet or recent (within 6 months) significant change in lifestyle habits.
* Pregnancy or breast feeding (for women)
Minimum Eligible Age

30 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

60 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Harokopio University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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GIANNIS ARNAOUTIS

Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Giannis Arnaoutis, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Sciences and Education, Harokopio University of Athens

Labros Sidossis, PhD

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Sciences and Education, Harokopio University of Athens

Locations

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Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Sciences and Education, Harokopio University of Athens

Kallithea, Attica, Greece

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Greece

Central Contacts

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Giannis Arnaoutis, PhD

Role: CONTACT

+302109549100 ext. 321

Michael Georgoulis, PhD

Role: CONTACT

+302109549100 ext. 321

Facility Contacts

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Giannis Arnaoutis, PhD

Role: primary

+302109549100 ext. 321

Michael Georgoulis, PhD

Role: backup

+302109549100 ext. 321

Other Identifiers

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470/05-02-2025

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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