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Adopting a healthy lifestyle may reduce your risk of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a new study has found.
Adults over middle age who are physically active, get enough sleep, eat a high-quality diet, and limit their alcohol intake or don't smoke are less likely to experience gastrointestinal problems, according to research published Tuesday. The risk of developing the disease was reduced by up to 42%. Journal “Gut”.
People with irritable bowel syndrome experience abdominal pain, bloating, and abnormal bowel habits. According to the Mayo Clinic, this chronic disease can cause cramps, gas, diarrhea and constipation.
This common disease affects 5% to 10% of the world's population, or up to 1 in 10 people. Although the disease's effects on the stomach, intestines, and mental health are well known, the causes of the condition are not fully understood, the study authors wrote.
A research team in Hong Kong found that the healthier lifestyle behaviors study participants had, the greater their protection against developing IBS. Participants who exhibited one behavior had a 21% lower risk of developing IBS symptoms Compared to those who followed none, those who took both actions had a 36% lower risk. The risk for those who performed 3 to 5 actions was 42% lower.
Kseniya Ovchinnikova/Moment RF/Getty Images
Irritable bowel syndrome is a common disease that affects up to 1 in 10 people worldwide. The causes of the disorder are not fully understood, but researchers say it may be preventable through a healthy lifestyle.
“This suggests that lifestyle modifications may be an effective primary prevention strategy for irritable bowel syndrome,” said study co-author and professor at the Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. said Vincent Chiho Chong in his paper. 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.”
So far, most consensus reports on irritable bowel syndrome have focused on diagnosis and treatment rather than prevention, he added.
According to the study, previous studies have linked unhealthy lifestyle factors in individuals to an increased risk of irritable bowel syndrome, and researchers believe that a combination of healthy factors may help avoid the condition. I wanted to see if it helps.
The study evaluated 64,268 participants aged 37 to 73 who had not been previously diagnosed with the disease from the UK Biobank, a large biomedical database. After 12.6 years, 961 cases (1.5%) of IBS were reported in the group, with those who did not maintain any healthy behaviors having the highest risk of developing IBS.
Researchers believe that healthy lifestyle behaviors include maintaining high levels of vigorous physical activity, eating a high-quality balanced diet each day, and drinking moderate amounts of alcohol (5 to 15 grams) each day. It was defined as consuming only 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. And never smoke.
When analyzing behaviors individually, the research team found that getting enough sleep each night was most effective in reducing the risk of irritable bowel syndrome, Chong said. People who sleep well have a 27% lower risk of developing this disorder compared to those who don't. Engaging in more vigorous physical activity reduced the risk by 17%, and not smoking reduced the risk by 14%.
Researchers also found that moderate alcohol consumption, when combined with four other healthy lifestyle behaviors, significantly lowered the risk of developing IBS compared to abstaining from alcohol completely. . The researchers found this to be a surprising result that warrants further investigation, Chung said.
“It is important for individuals to consider their own health status when implementing these discoveries in their daily lives,” Chung said. “For example, abstinence from alcohol can be beneficial if it is in line with personal choice, and older people can engage in moderate to moderate levels of physical activity rather than strenuous exercise.”
The research team grouped participants based on the number of behaviors they adopted, grouping participants who adopted three to five behaviors to increase the sample size for analysis. The majority of this group were young, female, had a low body mass index (BMI), and were less likely to have a family history of IBS, the researchers said.
“Research into developing primary prevention strategies for irritable bowel syndrome is critical because so many people suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, and most of them are women,” University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center for Physiology said Professor Dr. Beverly Greenwood-van Meerveld. on mail. “Evidence from this large cohort suggests that lifestyle choices play an important role in the development of IBS.”
This study did not include stress reduction as part of the observed lifestyle behaviors. Dr. Greenwood Van Meerveld, who studies the role stress plays in the disorder, said this omission was surprising because stress has been studied as a factor that plays an important role in irritable bowel syndrome. Ta. Additionally, she said, while IBS often develops in early adulthood, the age limit is a concern, but the current study enrolled participants with an average age of 55.
Professor Margaret Heitkemper from the University of Washington said: “Although the measures are limited, the very large sample size provides valuable insight into whether middle-aged and older people can reduce their likelihood of developing IBS as they age.'' “It will be done,” he said. She emailed the Department of Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Informatics and an adjunct professor in the Department of Gastroenterology.
“As the authors point out, irritable bowel syndrome is a heterogeneous condition and many more factors may be involved,” said Heitkemper, who was not involved in the study. .
Maintain good sleep hygiene and gut health
More research is needed into the impact of high-quality sleep on preventing irritable bowel syndrome, researchers say, says Heitkemper, who studies sleep in women with irritable bowel syndrome. stated that a sleep laboratory may provide more concrete evidence than self-reported sleep in a home setting.
Heitkemper said the study found that maintaining healthy lifestyle factors is important. And following sleep hygiene principles such as not using electronic devices at bedtime and avoiding caffeine in the evening will help those struggling to get better quality sleep, she added.
“Gut health can never be taken for granted and should be protected,” says Dr. Greenwood Van Meerveld. “My advice is to eat healthy and lower your stress levels through daily stress reduction tools such as meditation.”
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