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Adopting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle might prevent up to 60% of inflammatory bowel disease cases—Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Researchers drew on participant data from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS). The researchers created modifiable risk scores (MRS) based on established modifiable risk factors for IBD to estimate the proportion of IBD cases that could have been avoided. The MRS ranged from 0-6. These risk factors included weight (BMI); smoking; use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; physical activity; and daily intake of fruit, fiber, vegetables, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and red meat. The researchers then estimated the proportion of avoidable cases...

For many people, an enjoyable summer staple food is a scoop of their favorite ice cream. What they may not know is that this creamy treat often contains refined dietary fibers, such as guar gum, that could have negative effects on intestinal health, according to researchers. Guar gum is a common food additive used for its thickening and stabilizing characteristics in ice cream, processed cheeses, bakery products, salad dressings, beverages and more. However, a recent study discovered that ultra-processed diets containing guar gum showed an increased likelihood of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in an animal model. To determine the...

An international team has found a compound in ginger, called furanodienone (FDN), that selectively binds to and regulates a nuclear receptor involved in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Through a screen to identify chemical components of ginger that bind to receptors associated with IBD, the team observed a strong interaction between FDN and the pregnane X receptor (PXR). FDN reduces inflammation in the colon by activating PXR's ability to suppress the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the body. "We found that we could reduce inflammation in the colons of mice through oral injections of FDN," said Jiabao Liu. IBD patients typically...

An antibiotic used to treat infective diarrhea could be an effective drug for a type of inflammatory bowel disease, a new study has found. Results revealed that an antibiotic called vancomycin may also be effective in treating people who have a specific type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which develops in the context of an incurable autoimmune liver disease called primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). Notably, four in five patients who participated in the study achieved remission after taking the drug as part of a clinical trial. This study is significant, as several participants with this disease had not responded to...

A four year-long research study has found that particles secreted by an intestinal worm may assist in treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), an ailment suffered by millions of people globally. The paper found that extracellular vesicles (EVs, particles that cells release) from the worm Ascaris suum demonstrated a significant reduction in inflammation in mice that had colitis, a common IBD. The research lays the groundwork for novel therapeutic approaches to IBD. "I believe that the ultimate goal is to create semi-synthetic extracellular vesicles that can be used as new therapeutics for IBD and other chronic inflammatory conditions such as arthritis...

Researchers have found that tapping into the nervous system could help reduce the gut inflammation that drives inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A new study reveals how electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve—a major nerve connecting the brain and gut—may combat the stress-related inflammation that worsens IBD symptoms. The study showed that vagus nerve stimulation in stressed mice with colitis, a form of IBD, reduced inflammation, improved symptoms, and boosted survival rates. By engaging the parasympathetic nervous system, the team observed that inflammation could be eased by inhibiting SUMOylation, a cellular process that shapes immune response. Ayman Youssef, MD, analyzed data...

The mucosal layer in the small intestine degrades with age in rats, allowing digestive enzymes to slowly escape and leak into organs outside the intestine, including the liver, lung, heart, kidney and brain. As the enzymes are unable to distinguish tissues from food, they break down collagen and destroy many receptors on cell membranes, such as the insulin receptor which leads to type 2 diabetes. The researchers call this process autodigestion. Digestion requires powerful enzymes that are synthesized in the pancreas. They are delivered from the pancreas into the lumen of the small intestine, where they digest all the food...

Researchers have delved deeper into the relationship between manganese deficiency and inflammatory bowel disease and found that low levels of the micronutrient can exacerbate intestinal injury and inflammation. Their study centers around the genetic variant of the manganese transporter SLC39A8, which affects manganese levels in the body. People with a genetic variant in SLC39A8, or ZIP8, can have manganese deficiency, which this and prior studies have linked to inflammatory diseases of the intestines such as Crohn's and colitis. "Our research reveals the crucial role of the manganese transporter SLC39A8 in maintaining healthy manganese levels and intestinal health. Our work also...

Inulin, a type of fiber found in certain plant-based foods and fiber supplements, causes inflammation in the gut and exacerbates inflammatory bowel disease in a preclinical model, according to a study. The study shows that inulin, which is found in foods such as garlic, leeks and sunchoke, as well as commonly used fiber supplements and foods with added fiber, stimulates microbes in the gut to release bile acids that increase the production of molecules that promote intestinal inflammation. Feeding inulin to mice in the context of a model of inflammatory bowel disease increased the production of certain bile acids by...

A team of researchers is uncovering how the juice from red cabbage, long used in traditional medicine, can alleviate inflammation-associated digestive health conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in mice, offering hope to Americans who suffer from IBD, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Santayana Rachagani's team found red cabbage juice boasts a diverse array of bioactive compounds that improved gut health and alleviated the symptoms of IBD in mice. "Red cabbage juice alters the composition of gut microbiota by increasing the abundance of good bacteria, resulting in increased production of short chain fatty acids and other bacteria derived...

An increased serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) is independently associated with a lower risk for bowel resection with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to a study. Lintao Dan and colleagues examined the association between serum vitamin D levels and the risk for bowel resection in individuals with IBD. The analysis included 5,474 individuals with IBD followed for a mean 13.1 years. The researchers found that compared with participants with vitamin D deficiency, nondeficient participants showed a significantly reduced bowel resection risk in IBD (hazard ratio [HR], 0.72), Crohn disease (CD; HR, 0.74), and ulcerative colitis (UC; HR, 0.73). For...

A new U-M study finds a complex interplay between diet, genes, and the gut microbiota that could explain why IBD develops. The newest study builds on previous work that found that a low fiber diet led to a proliferation of mucin degrading bacteria—bacteria that thrive by eating the mucus lining of the intestine. In some people, genetic loss of a cytokine—a protein that affects the immune system—known as interleukin-10 (IL-10) or its receptor, leads to the early onset of IBD. While some of these mice spontaneously developed inflammation in their intestinal tracts as well, the level of severity varied and...

Adopting a healthy lifestyle is strongly linked to a lower risk of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), finds new research. Previously research has linked lifestyle factors with a heightened risk of IBS, and the researchers wanted to find out if a combination of these factors might ward off the condition. They looked at the big five healthy behaviors—never smoking; at least seven hours of sleep every night; a high level of vigorous physical activity every week; a high-quality balanced diet every day; and moderate alcohol intake—among middle-aged participants (average age 55) of the U.K. Biobank. The final analysis included 64,286 people,...

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) exposure is associated with later occurrence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to a research letter. Manasi Agrawal, M.D. and colleagues examined the association of PFAS mixture concentrations in prediagnostic serum in patients with adult-onset IBD participating in a pilot study within the preclinical Proteomic Evaluation and Discovery in an IBD Cohort of Tri-service Subjects study. The analysis included military personnel with Crohn disease (CD), those with ulcerative colitis (UC), and age-, sex-, and race-matched healthy controls (25 in each group). The researchers found that estimated mean concentrations in the study population were 5.19 µg/L...

Researchers have shown that changes can be detected in blood tests up to eight years before a diagnosis of Crohn's disease and up to three years before a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis. This means the beginnings of inflammatory bowel diseases start a long time before symptoms occur, and in the future may provide an opportunity for doctors to take preventative action before symptoms begin, or prescribe medication when it will be most effective. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are collectively known as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). They are incurable conditions which involve excessive inflammation in the gut, leading to symptoms...

Chronic bowel inflammation is based on an excessive or misdirected inflammatory reaction. Experts assume that the immune system also reacts incorrectly to microorganisms in the intestine that do not cause an inflammatory immune reaction in a healthy state. Now, researchers have discovered that yeast fungi could play an important role in this. Trillions of microorganisms colonize the human body, especially the intestine. This microbiome consists mainly of viruses and bacteria, but to a lesser extent also of fungi. However, according to current research, this interaction is disturbed in Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease where the immune cells react...

New research has found a link between the important micronutrient zinc and a sensor protein in the gut in the prevention and management of a range of bowel conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Professor Christer Hogstrand investigated the role of zinc and a sensor named the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AHR) that helps the body react to nutrients, drugs and toxic substances in the bowel. Mice fed a diet containing zinc and a chemical from cruciferous vegetables—such as broccoli—that stimulates the AHR were almost completely alleviated of IBD. In contrast, mice fed a zinc-deficient diet received no benefit from...

Could a unique loaf of bread be the solution to irritable bowel syndrome? Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop website has lauded a Mayo baker’s €25 ‘miracle loaf’ known as ‘magic poo bread’. The €25 Happy Tummy Loaf, created by the Irish Happy Tummy Company in Westport, Co. Mayo, was praised by Gwyneth Paltrow‘s site on a date not specified. The loaf, also known as ‘2 Day Soaked Wholegrain Chia Teff Loaf’, is made from 15 ingredients including unconventional flours like buckwheat and teff, a grass seed, along with chia seeds, crushed linseed, nuts, eggs, lemon juice, cinnamon, and apple cider vinegar, writes...

Higher consumption of dietary fiber was associated with a lower risk for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to a study. Minzi Deng, Ph.D. and colleagues examined associations between dietary fiber intake and subsequent incidence of IBD, Crohn disease, and ulcerative colitis. The analysis included 470,669 participants from the U.K. Biobank. The researchers found that during an average follow-up of 12.1 years, there was an inverse association between dietary fiber intake and risk for IBD (lowest versus highest quintile: hazard ratio, 0.74; 95% confidence interval, 0.58 to 0.93; P = 0.011) and Crohn's disease (hazard ratio, 0.48; 95% confidence interval, 0.32...

Credit: Fernandolive on Wikimedia Commons Could a dose of hookworms provide a medication-free alternative to people with inflammatory bowel disease? The Malaghan Institute's Hookworm Therapy team, who recently published the results from their year-long clinical study, think it's possible. Published in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, the feasibility study found that hookworms were a safe and long-lasting treatment for participants with ulcerative colitis—paving the way for wider clinical studies. The Malaghan Institute has been exploring the potential therapeutic benefits of human hookworms for patients suffering allergic and inflammatory disease for a number of years. This current study was the first of its...