bowel

Plant-based foods provide a variety of healthy perks, like lower risks of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. Eating fruits and vegetables regularly might even reduce the risk of developing some types of cancer.A new study on 79,952 men in the United States has found that a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds is associated with a 22 percent lower risk of developing colorectal cancer compared to those who eat the least amount of plant-based food.The…

Probiotic bacteria can’t help improve gut health if they don’t survive the trip to the intestines. Scientists have now kitted out good bugs with protective armor and backpacks loaded with molecules that can help them treat inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).Every one of us harbors a vast ecosystem of bacteria, viruses and other microbes that play key roles in the health of our digestive systems and, as we’re regularly learning, its influence spreads throughout the body. If this microbiome is thrown out of whack, it can…

This schematic illustration shows probiotic bacteria (teal) coated in a layer of biomaterial as they travel through a human intestine. Attached to the bacteria are reactive oxygen species nano-scavengers. Credit: Quanyin HuProbiotic bacteria, like elite firefighters heading into the wilderness to combat an uncontrolled blaze, do a better job of quelling gut inflammation when they’re outfitted with the finest gear.Just how much promise some well-equipped gut-friendly bacteria hold for improving treatments of inflammatory…

New Delhi, November 13 Well-equipped, gut-friendly bacteria can help treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, according to a new study. Combined with probiotics, nanoparticle backpacks could significantly improve, and simplify, IBD treatments, according to research at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the US which was led by Quanyin Hu, a biomedical engineer and professor. "IBD is a complicated disease, and you need to…

According to new research, environmental chemicals increase the risk of inflammatory bowel disease.Using multiple research platforms, including a machine learning approach, researchers have identified environmental factors that promote gastrointestinal inflammation.Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a condition that is becoming increasingly common in industrialized countries, is characterized by chronic gastrointestinal inflammation. While investigators have identified roughly 200 genetic tags associated with the disease,…

New research led by a team from New York University has found evidence a common viral infection can trigger inflammatory bowel disease in genetically susceptible people. Across a series of mouse experiments the researchers demonstrated how a norovirus infection can bring on Crohn’s disease.Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory condition that is generally diagnosed in young adulthood. The causes of Crohn’s are unknown but it is strongly suspected to be triggered by a combination of genetic, environmental and microbial…

A mystery surrounding Crohn’s disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease, may have been solved by a new study. This image depicts an intestine affected by Crohn’s disease.New research may have solved a mystery surrounding Crohn’s disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease where immune defenses meant to attack invading microbes mistakenly target the body’s own digestive tract instead. Norovirus is a common infection that causes vomiting and diarrhea. It is also one of several viruses and bacteria thought to trigger…

Daikenchuto comprises four medical herbs: zanthoxylum fruit, processed dried ginger, ginseng, and malt sugar.A new study explains how daikenchuto, an herbal medicine containing ginger, pepper, ginseng, and maltose, protects the gut against inflammatory bowel disease.The benefits of a traditional herbal medicine on colitis, one of two disorders that compose inflammatory bowel disease, are reported by Zhengzheng Shi and colleagues at the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS) in Japan (IBD). The research, which…

Newly published research links high consumption of ultra-processed foods and increased risks of cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer, and death.Findings add further evidence in support of policies that limit ultra-processed foods.Two large research studies published by The BMJ last week find links between high consumption of ultra-processed foods and increased risks of cardiovascular disease, bowel (colorectal) cancer, and death.The results provide more evidence in favor of policies that limit ultra-processed foods…

Two new studies have highlighted the importance of judicious antibiotic use. One study found antibiotics can increase a person’s risk of fungal infections by causing defects to immune system activity in the gut, while another study suggests heavy antibiotic use in old age is linked to higher rates of inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s.While a great deal of attention has rightly been directed at the growing problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, that isn’t the only reason we should be cautious of how often we…