https://medicalxpress.com/digestive-health-news/ en-us Latest health news and information about Digestive Health It's no accident that we spend a third of our lives asleep. It is essential to our health, and even animals for whom resting is complicated—such as aquatic mammals that need to surface to breathe, or birds that go up to 10 days without touching dry land—manage to sleep with surprising adaptations. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-good-night-healthy-gut-bacteria.html Sun, 07 Jun 2026 20:30:02 EDT news699540301 Food insecurity may leave a measurable biological signature in the gut microbiome of children, according to new research presented at ASM Microbe 2026. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-food-insecurity-linked-gut-microbiome.html Sat, 06 Jun 2026 10:00:01 EDT news699885181 Abdominal pain before an important exam, nausea during intense stress, or sudden intestinal problems following difficult life experiences—many people regard such symptoms as a temporary bodily reaction. However, a growing body of evidence confirms that the relationship between the brain and the gut is far deeper. A publication co-authored by Professor Agata Mulak of Wroclaw Medical University indicates that gastrointestinal health is influenced not only by genes, diet and gut bacteria, but also by culture, social relationships, economic status and the way individuals function within society. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-culture-stress-social-life-gut.html Wed, 03 Jun 2026 21:00:01 EDT news699724201 When the intestinal lining breaks down, harmful gut bacterial antigens can slip into the bloodstream alongside nutrients. This breach in the gut's protective barrier, known as "leaky gut," is more than a digestive issue—it's a sign of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and has been increasingly linked to a number of chronic conditions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-common-food-compound-key-leaky.html Mon, 01 Jun 2026 14:00:04 EDT news699537001 Trillions of microorganisms live in the human gut, collectively forming the gut microbiome. They support important bodily functions, including digestion, metabolism, and the immune system. While this microbial community remains stable for many years, it often becomes unbalanced with age: diversity declines, certain microorganisms gain the upper hand, and the risk of inflammation increases. Why the gut microbiome loses its balance with age is one of the central unanswered questions in aging research. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-aging-immune-gut-microbiome.html Wed, 27 May 2026 17:20:04 EDT news699114602 New research suggests probiotics could help reduce "gastro bugs" in children attending childcare and kindergartens—potentially easing the familiar cycle of gastro lurgies for parents and families. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-probiotics-childcare-gastrointestinal-bugs.html Wed, 27 May 2026 10:20:01 EDT news699093116 For many people living with HIV, today's treatments can suppress the virus and dramatically improve health. But even when HIV is controlled, damage to the gut caused by the disease can persist, fueling chronic inflammation linked to serious health problems. A new Tulane University study published in JCI Insight helps explain why. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-broccoli-compounds-hiv-linked-gut.html Mon, 25 May 2026 14:20:01 EDT news698933282 Schizophrenia is a severe mental health disorder characterized by hallucinations, false and rigid beliefs (i.e., delusions), impaired mental functions, disorganized speech and, in some cases, repetitive body movements. This debilitating disorder is typically treated with antipsychotics, medications that alter the signaling between neurons. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-gut-lung-microbe-shifts-clozapine.html Fri, 22 May 2026 08:50:01 EDT news698589397 When stress affects the gut, the stomach tightens, digestion slows. For some, these symptoms resolve quickly. For others—particularly people with constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C) and related conditions—they don't. In a new study, investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) show how stress hormones directly interfere with gut function, slowing digestion through a newly defined pathway. In preclinical models, the findings point toward a potential way to treat stress-associated constipation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-network-nerves-disrupt-digestion-potential.html Wed, 20 May 2026 14:20:04 EDT news698500096 South Africa has a paradox when it comes to food availability. Its supermarkets are overflowing. But it continues to record high levels of stunted growth. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-gut-health-food-wont-childhood.html Tue, 19 May 2026 12:00:06 EDT news698405402 Researchers at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine have identified new evidence suggesting that tiny particles produced in the gut may help drive inflammation and chronic disease associated with aging. These findings offer new insight into how sleep, metabolism, and immune health may be interconnected. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-gut-particles-aging-trigger-inflammation.html Mon, 18 May 2026 14:20:01 EDT news698328961 Chronic abdominal pain affects an estimated 10%–15% of children and is a leading cause of school absence and daily disruption for families. For many children, the experience does more than hurt—it teaches them something potentially harmful: that their bodies cannot be trusted. A new study by researchers at Duke University challenges that assumption, suggesting that how children learn to relate to their bodies may be just as important as how their symptoms are treated. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-kids-chronic-stomach-pain-relief.html Mon, 18 May 2026 08:40:04 EDT news698310021 University of Minnesota researchers are developing a personalized approach to track how individual food choices impact the gut microbiome. Researchers from the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences and The Hormel Institute are creating an algorithm that uses mobile health technologies and artificial intelligence to collect and analyze large amounts of dietary information to better understand the bacteria living in a person's gut. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-individual-food-patterns-healthier-gut.html Wed, 13 May 2026 12:04:46 EDT news697892642 Bitter-tasting herbal extracts have traditionally been used to support digestion, yet the molecular basis of their effects has remained largely unclear. The Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich has now gained new insights into this mechanism. Using a cellular model, its researchers demonstrated that herbal extracts can stimulate proton secretion in human gastric cells as a key mechanism of gastric acid production, with combinations of extracts showing particularly strong effects. Extracts rich in polyphenols proved especially potent. The study further identified three human bitter taste receptor subtypes as key mediators of this response. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-bitter-herbal-spur-stomach-acid.html Mon, 11 May 2026 18:40:04 EDT news697733322 A new mouse study led by Johns Hopkins Children's Center researchers suggests a link between a high-fat prenatal diet and induction of potentially deadly symptoms of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in premature babies. Findings from the study are published in Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-high-fat-diets-pregnancy-worsen.html Thu, 07 May 2026 19:00:04 EDT news697392541 Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common gastrointestinal condition worldwide, affecting about 1 in 10 people, primarily women. Those who have it suffer abdominal pains and also often develop mental-health issues such as anxiety and depression, significantly impacting their quality of life. IBS cannot be cured and no single treatment is universally effective, so what's left is to manage the symptoms. Diet is key, but it must be tailored to the individual. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-online-tool-tackling-bowel-syndrome.html Mon, 04 May 2026 12:20:07 EDT news697111621 If you're over the age of 10, the World Health Organization recommends that you consume at least 25 grams of fiber every day. The best fiber-containing foods come from plants: fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains and legumes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-fiber-strong-indigestibility-digestive-healthy.html Mon, 04 May 2026 11:40:01 EDT news697109762 Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that infect and kill bacteria. These microscopic predators are found everywhere, from soil and water to food and the human gut. Because they attack only specific bacteria, researchers are increasingly exploring them as tools for reducing harmful bacteria in humans and animals without disturbing helpful microbes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-bacteriophages-viruses-superbugs.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:40:03 EDT news696684541 The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) has released a new clinical practice update providing expert guidance on the diagnosis and treatment of hemorrhoids, a common condition affecting approximately 50% of people by age 50. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-fiber-bathroom-habits-key-hemorrhoids.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 08:00:03 EDT news696579767 Aerobic fitness may be influenced by microbes in the gut, but men and women appear to show a different connection, according to a first-of-its-kind study. Researchers will present these findings at the 2026 American Physiology Summit in Minneapolis (APS 2026). The abstract is titled "Relationship Between the Gut Microbiome and Measures of Aerobic Fitness in Humans." https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-men-women-differ-linked-gut.html Mon, 27 Apr 2026 09:00:01 EDT news696496321 It's well known that chronic stress can disrupt bowel function, sending people running to the bathroom or making them constipated. New research presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2026 suggests that eating late at night amplifies these effects, with implications for both digestive health and the gut microbiome. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-stress-nighttime-toilet.html Thu, 23 Apr 2026 16:40:07 EDT news696154038 In a new study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the low FODMAP diet and the antibiotic rifaximin provided similar and significant relief for patients with irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-ibs-treatment-response-gut-microbiome.html Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:20:07 EDT news696070441 New research from APC Microbiome Ireland, a research center at University College Cork, has comprehensively explored the mechanisms behind coffee's positive effects on the gut–brain axis for the first time. The study published in Nature Communications reveals how regular consumption of both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee can affect the gut microbiome, and in turn influence mood and stress levels. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-coffee-reshapes-gut-brain-axis.html Tue, 21 Apr 2026 05:00:01 EDT news695923921 Analysis of microbes in the gut can reveal whether a person faces an elevated risk of Parkinson's disease, before they have developed any symptoms, suggests a new study led by University College London (UCL) researchers. The scientists found that people with Parkinson's disease have a distinctive makeup of gut microbes, as do healthy individuals who are genetically at risk of Parkinson's disease, they report in the new Nature Medicine study. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-gut-microbiome-parkinson-disease.html Mon, 20 Apr 2026 11:00:07 EDT news695651341 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