use healthy lifestyle A new study finds that it may reduce the risk of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
For middle-aged and elderly people who are physically active, get enough sleep, and eat enough good quality foodModerate drinking or no smoking reduces the risk of gastrointestinal disease by up to 42%, according to research published Tuesday Gut Journal.
People with irritable bowel syndrome experience abdominal pain, bloating, and abnormal bowel habits. Chronic illness can cause cramping, gas, diarrhea or constipation, According to the Mayo Clinic.
This common disease affects 5% to 10% of the global population, or one in 10 people worldwide.The disease’s effects on the stomach and intestines, and About mental healthThe phenomenon is widely recognized, but the reasons aren’t entirely clear, the study authors wrote.
The Hong Kong research team found that the healthier lifestyle study participants followed, the greater their ability to prevent the onset of irritable bowel syndrome. Participants who exhibited one behavior had a 21% lower risk of developing IBS symptoms People who took both actions had a 36% lower risk than those who took neither action. Those who exhibited three to five behaviors had a 42% lower risk.
“This suggests that lifestyle changes have the potential to be an effective primary prevention strategy for irritable bowel syndrome,” said study co-authors. Zhong Zhihaosaid a professor at the Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in an email. “To our knowledge, our study is one of the first large-scale studies to confirm that a combination of healthy lifestyle behaviors … can significantly reduce the risk of developing irritable bowel syndrome.”
He added that to date, most consensus reports on irritable bowel syndrome have focused on diagnosis and treatment rather than prevention.
previous learning According to the study, unhealthy personal lifestyle factors are associated with an increased risk of irritable bowel syndrome, and researchers wanted to see if a combination of healthy factors could help prevent the disease.
The study evaluated 64,268 participants aged 37 to 73 who had never been diagnosed with the disease before. British Biobank, a large biomedical database. After 12.6 years, 961 (1.5%) cases of IBS were reported in this group, with those who did not maintain any healthy behaviors at greatest risk of developing the disease.
The researchers defined healthy lifestyle behaviors as maintaining a high level of vigorous physical activity, eating a high-quality, balanced diet every day, drinking only moderate amounts of alcohol (5 to 15 grams) a day, sleeping seven to nine hours a night, and never Smoking.
When analyzing these behaviors individually, the team found that getting enough sleep each night was most influential in reducing the risk of irritable bowel syndrome, Chung said. Compared with people with poor sleep quality, people with good sleep quality had a 27% lower risk of developing the disease. Engaging in more strenuous physical activity was associated with a 17% lower risk, while never smoking was associated with a 14% lower risk.
The researchers also found that moderate drinking combined with four other healthy lifestyle behaviors reduced the risk of irritable bowel syndrome to a greater extent than abstaining from alcohol altogether. Zhong said the researchers found this to be a surprising result that requires further investigation.
“It is important for individuals to consider their own health status when implementing these findings in daily life,” Zhong said. “For example, abstinence from alcohol can still provide benefits if it is consistent with personal choice, and older adults can engage in moderate physical activity rather than strenuous exercise.”
The research team divided participants into groups based on the number of actions they took, grouping people who took three to five actions together to increase the sample size for the analysis.The majority of this group are young women with lower BMI Researchers said those with a higher body mass index (BMI) were less likely to have a family history of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
“It’s important to research and develop primary prevention strategies for IBS because so many people have IBS, and most of them are women,” said Dr. Beverly Greenwood-Van MerveldeProfessor of Physiology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center said in an email. “Evidence from this large group suggests that lifestyle choices play a key role in the development of irritable bowel syndrome.”
The study did not include stress reduction as part of the observed lifestyle behaviors. Greenwood-Van Meerveld studied the role of stress In this disease, this omission is surprising because stress has been studied as a factor that plays a significant role in irritable bowel syndrome. Additionally, the age limit is concerning, she said, because irritable bowel syndrome typically develops in early adulthood, but the current study recruited participants whose average age was 55.
“These measures are limited, but because of the large sample size, they do provide valuable insights into how to reduce the likelihood of irritable bowel syndrome in middle-aged and older adults,” said Dr. Dr. Margaret Heitkemperwrote in an email.
“As the authors note, IBS is a heterogeneous disease and many other factors may be at play.” Heitkemper was not involved in the study.
Maintain good sleep hygiene and gut health
Heitkemper, who studies sleep in women with IBS, said further research into the impact of sleep quality on preventing IBS is needed because sleep labs provide more concrete evidence than self-reported sleep in a home setting, as the researchers said.
Heitkemper said research finds it’s important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. She added that following sleep hygiene principles, such as not using electronic devices before bed and avoiding caffeine in the evening, will help those who struggle to get better sleep.
