https://medicalxpress.com/digestive-health-news/ en-us Latest health news and information about Digestive Health A new study published in Stem Cell Reports demonstrates how a human stem cell-derived model of the intestine can be used to identify potential therapies for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), highlighting glycyrrhizin as a promising candidate for reducing intestinal inflammation and cell death. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-black-licorice-compound-slashes-gut.html Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:00:05 EDT news695548621 A significant number of Brazilians engage in improper food hygiene and handling practices at home. Examples include washing meat in the kitchen sink and failing to properly wash vegetables. These findings were revealed by a nationwide survey that examined food hygiene, handling, and storage habits in 5,000 households of various income levels across all regions of Brazil. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-poor-hygiene-food-bacterial-outbreaks.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 22:00:03 EDT news695486225 Giant migrating contractions (GMCs) are powerful waves of colonic movement that propel intestinal contents toward the anus and are essential for defecation. Yet despite their physiological importance, the mechanisms that initiate these contractions—and particularly the factors that regulate spontaneous GMCs—have remained poorly understood. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-bowel-movements-newly-atp-colon.html Wed, 15 Apr 2026 16:00:06 EDT news695478002 At any moment, your body hosts trillions of microorganisms, on your skin, in your hair, and especially in your gut. Together they form the microbiome. It plays a crucial role in digestion, immunity, and overall health. Yet despite decades of research, microbiome-based interventions such as probiotics or fecal transplants still produce inconsistent results. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-rethinking-gut-microbiome-health-staying.html Thu, 09 Apr 2026 18:20:01 EDT news694971902 Research by Milena Bogunovic, MD, Ph.D., associate professor of pathology, sheds light on how inflammation in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, such as that associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), can lead to long-lasting consequences for patients who end up developing functional motility disorders like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, the study revealed that intestinal inflammation changes how nerves are arranged in the intestine, which in turn affects how intestinal muscles contract. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-gut-inflammation-rewire-brain-triggering.html Wed, 08 Apr 2026 17:40:07 EDT news694876410 A research team led by scientists from the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in São Paulo, Brazil, has made significant progress in understanding the relationship between gut microbiota and intestinal cells. The study, published in the journal Gut Microbes, showed how microbiota and the compounds it produces, such as butyrate, influence the functioning of cells that line the large intestine. This intestinal layer is in close contact with bacteria and produces mucus that contributes to its barrier function, helping to prevent bacteria from entering the body. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-loss-microbiota-profile-cells-intestinal.html Wed, 08 Apr 2026 14:40:04 EDT news694877582 When you're an expert on the gut, you're used to conversations others might shy away from. So a book on pooping and what can go wrong in the process is on brand for Trisha Pasricha, a second-generation gastroenterologist whose childhood was marked by matter-of-fact directness. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-bathroom-habits.html Tue, 07 Apr 2026 22:00:01 EDT news694777787 In a preclinical study from Mass General Brigham, researchers have found that even short-term exposure to high levels of dietary fat results in a quick and selective loss of critical gut immune cells called ILC3s, promoting intestinal permeability and inflammation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-highfat-diets-linked-rapid-decline.html Mon, 06 Apr 2026 15:40:02 EDT news694708503 Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University investigators have for the first time created human intestinal organoids that include functional Paneth cells, a specialized cell type that is found in the inner lining of the intestine. This achievement, published in Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, facilitates study of the cells' role in health and disease and opens new opportunities for understanding gastrointestinal disorders. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-specialized-gut-cells.html Mon, 06 Apr 2026 11:40:01 EDT news694693382 Many people with celiac disease are advised to eat more fiber to support digestion and manage symptoms, either through diet or prescribed fiber supplements. New research from McMaster University shows that the benefits of that fiber may depend on whether the right bacteria are present in the gut to break it down. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-celiac-disease-blunt-high-fiber.html Tue, 31 Mar 2026 11:40:07 EDT news694174081 Chances are you've experienced constipation at some point in your life. It's one of the most common gastrointestinal complaints, affecting people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds. Constipation is typically defined as having fewer than three bowel movements per week, along with stools that are hard, dry, difficult to pass, or accompanied by straining and a sense of incomplete evacuation. While it's usually temporary, constipation can significantly affect quality of life and, if left unmanaged, may lead to complications such as hemorrhoids or fissures. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-constipation-common-simple.html Mon, 30 Mar 2026 20:40:01 EDT news694079168 The origin of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's or dementia isn't limited to the brain. The state of your gut can quietly set off a cycle of chronic, system-wide inflammation that nudges the brain toward cognitive decline. But how does the pathogenesis of a disease that seems purely brain-based begin in the gut—an organ that is mostly busy producing chemicals for digesting food? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-boosting-good-gut-bacteria-population.html Sun, 29 Mar 2026 12:00:04 EDT news693564705 If you've ever tried a diet to fix gut symptoms, you'll know it can be hit or miss. One person swears it changed their life. Another follows it carefully and feels no better. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-ibs-diets-dont-food.html Fri, 27 Mar 2026 10:20:12 EDT news693825182 Enriching the diet with wheat fiber protects mice against intestinal inflammation, according to a study published by researchers at the Institute for Biomedical Sciences (IBMS) at Georgia State University. The finding helps explain why the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has increased, and suggests eating whole wheat foods may reduce one's risk of developing it. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-fiber-wheat-foods-gut-inflammation.html Wed, 25 Mar 2026 14:00:01 EDT news693655802 New research from the University of Newcastle has found that people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) show detectable biological changes, challenging the long-held perception that the condition lacks a physical basis. The large-scale systematic review and meta-analysis combined data from 124 studies involving nearly 15,000 people. It found that individuals with IBS exhibit signs of low-grade inflammation and immune system activation compared to healthy individuals. The paper is published in the journal eBioMedicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-meta-analysis-people-links-ibs.html Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:40:13 EDT news693653033 When living with a partner, you might be sharing more than just the same home, lifestyle, and interests. You might also share various microscopic organisms residing on and in you. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-couples-gut-bacteria-affect-health.html Mon, 23 Mar 2026 13:30:01 EDT news693484595 Intestinal worms can help reduce inflammation in the human body—but only if they have enough dietary fiber. Without it, they switch into a hibernation-like state and their protective effect disappears. This is the finding of a new study by parasitologists from the Biology Center of the Czech Academy of Sciences, published in the journal Nature Communications. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-gut-microbiome-fiber-tapeworms.html Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:00:04 EDT news693133127 According to a team of researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Tongji University and collaborating institutions, weaning or switching from milk to solid food in early life doesn't just change what babies eat, it helps reprogram the gut's immune defenses to mount faster and stronger responses that can last into adulthood. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-solid-food-early-life-reprogram.html Thu, 19 Mar 2026 06:00:05 EDT news693067261 Imagine a patient with Crohn's disease—after months of flares, they are finally in clinical remission. Their biomarkers are stable, their pain has subsided, and their doctors are satisfied. They are on the gold standard of care: Advanced biologic therapy designed to suppress the immune system. But beneath the surface, a silent storm continues to brew. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-hidden-crohn-disease-remission-recovery.html Mon, 16 Mar 2026 17:00:09 EDT news692876950 Poor gut health could increase the risk of dying early or being hospitalized by almost 10% for people with heart failure, and in the first year after being admitted to hospital with heart failure, people are 8% more likely to die or be readmitted if they show signs of an unhealthy gut, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Leicester published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-bad-gut-bacteria-premature-death.html Tue, 10 Mar 2026 20:00:01 EDT news692371609 Gut health plays a vital role in overall well-being, with constipation remaining one of the most widespread and frustrating digestive issues that people face today. It affects individuals of all ages and backgrounds, leading not only to physical discomfort such as bloating, straining, and infrequent bowel movements, but also to emotional stress, reduced productivity, and a diminished quality of life. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-gut-motility-minutes-physical.html Tue, 10 Mar 2026 18:00:06 EDT news692372749 The gut microbiome—the trillions of bacteria and other microbes that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract—drives a process vital for protecting the colon against tissue injury, according to the findings of a study co-led by Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University investigators. The discovery, published in Cell, has important implications for understanding how a wide variety of intestinal disorders may develop. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-gut-bacteria-colon-tissue.html Tue, 10 Mar 2026 16:10:08 EDT news692376002 Scientists have identified why some gut microbes successfully stay in the gut after fecal transplants, while others are much more transient. The King's College London discovery could help make the treatment—which involves transferring feces from a healthy donor into the gut of a patient—safer and more effective. The findings are published in the journal Gut Microbes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-03-stay-stray-gut-microbes-persist.html Mon, 09 Mar 2026 18:20:02 EDT news692286241 Living in a poorer neighborhood in the UK could impact the makeup of your gut microbiome, potentially leading to worse health. New research, led by King's College London and the University of Nottingham, found that people living in areas of higher social deprivation have a less diverse range of bacteria in their gut. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-uk-links-higher-social-deprivation.html Sun, 01 Mar 2026 11:30:06 EST news691165682 Scientists have identified a new way to distinguish healthy guts from diseased ones and track how some illnesses progress by measuring how gut bacteria interact with one another. According to a study published in Science, a collaboration between scientists at Rutgers University, Universidad de Granada in Spain and Princeton University found that healthy and diseased gut microbiomes behave like two distinct ecological states, driven not by individual microbes but by how entire bacterial communities compete and cooperate. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-gut-health-index-microbial-interactions.html Thu, 26 Feb 2026 14:00:11 EST news691326661 People have long given up on the search for the Fountain of Youth, a mythical spring that could reverse aging. But for some scientists, the hunt has not ended—it's just moved to a different place. These modern-day Ponce de Leóns are investigating whether gut microbes hold the secret to aging well. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-gut-microbes-anti-aging-scientists.html Sun, 22 Feb 2026 11:00:03 EST news690725188 Deep in the folds of the intestine, in microscopic pockets called crypts, a quiet surveillance system is always at work. Stem cells lining the gut wall are not just rebuilding tissue—they are listening and signaling. When certain strains of Escherichia coli brush past, these cells can sense a telltale molecular signature: flagellin, the protein that powers a bacterium's whip-like tail. That signal sets off a chain reaction, summoning immune cells that repair damage and help restore the gut's protective barrier. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-silent-network-deep-gut-inflammatory.html Sat, 21 Feb 2026 13:00:02 EST news690803697 Most bacterial gastrointestinal illnesses in Australia are thought to be caused by two pathogens, Campylobacter and Salmonella. But an emerging pathogen, Aeromonas, is much more common than previously thought, with UNSW researchers revealing that more than two years ago it was the second-most common bacterial intestinal pathogen in Australia. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-overlooked-aeromonas-emerges-gastro-illness.html Sat, 21 Feb 2026 09:30:01 EST news690797005 A new study demonstrates that computer models of gut metabolism can predict which probiotics will successfully establish themselves in a person's gut and how different prebiotics affect production of health-promoting short-chain fatty acids. The findings are published in PLOS Biology by Sean Gibbons of the Institute for Systems Biology, US, and colleagues. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-probiotics-gut-metabolism-success.html Thu, 19 Feb 2026 15:36:58 EST news690737761 Scientists at Nagoya University in Japan have found two gut bacteria working together that contribute to chronic constipation. The duo, Akkermansia muciniphila and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, destroy the intestinal mucus coating essential for keeping the colon lubricated and feces hydrated. Their excess degradation leaves patients with dry, immobile stool. This discovery, published in Gut Microbes, finally explains why standard treatments often fail for millions of people with chronic constipation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-scientists-bacterial-constipation-disease-gut.html Thu, 19 Feb 2026 00:30:01 EST news690642773