Latest news with #Gastroenterology
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The Best Diets to Help Prevent Constipation, According to a New Study
Reviewed by Dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RDThis study found that Mediterranean and plant-based diets may prevent constipation. Vegetables, nuts and healthy fats had the strongest associations. Start incorporating these foods into your meals and snacks to lower constipation you've ever struggled to poop, you know how annoying, and sometimes painful, it can be. Constipation is clinically defined as having fewer than three bowel movements a week. But that's not all. If your stools are hard, dry or lumpy, or you have to strain to get them out, you might be constipated. And if you're able to go but feel like you can't get it all out? That's also a sign of constipation. If you can relate to any of this, know that you're not alone. About 16% of American adults have symptoms of constipation. This number increases to 33% for those over 60. And constipation can be costly. Some experts estimate that people with constipation and commercial health insurance average $8,700 more annually in health care costs compared to people without constipation. Typically, increasing fiber and fluid intake are two things that are recommended to help get things moving. But a new study done by researchers at Mass General Brigham in Boston has a few more suggestions regarding diet and which foods may help. They published their findings in the journal Gastroenterology. Let's break down what they found. Researchers drew data from three large, previously conducted, long-term U.S. studies: the Nurses' Health Study (NHS), the Nurses' Health Study II (NHSII) and the Health Professionals' Follow-Up Study (HPFS). The NHS started in 1976 and included 121,700 female nurses; the NHSII included over 116,400 female nurses and began in 1989. Starting in 1986, the HPFS enrolled just over 51,500 male health care workers. From these cohorts, researchers pulled data on participants who met their criteria, resulting in almost 28,000 women from the NHS with an average age of 78, about 56,000 women from the NHSII with an average age of 61, and over 12,200 men from the HPFS with an average age of 79. They also took data on demographics, including age, sex, race, smoking status, physical activity, medical history, medications, supplements, BMI and socioeconomic status. Constipation was assessed in biannual questionnaires, asking, 'In the past year, have you been bothered by constipation for at least 12 weeks (not necessarily consecutive)?' Individuals with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation subtype (IBS-C) were identified by answering yes to the constipation question, plus to 'If yes, were your bowel movements associated with abdominal pain?' Researchers defined chronic constipation as having a bowel movement every three or more days. In all three cohorts, food frequency questionnaires were completed every four years. The FFQs included 131 food and beverage items, asking how often and how much participants ate. Responses were converted into average servings per day. Researchers then applied this to five different eating patterns, resulting in scores for each one, including the alternate Mediterranean diet (aMED) score, plant-based diet index (PDI), low-carb diet (LCD) score, Western diet and the empirical dietary inflammatory pattern (EDIP) score. The EDIP attempts to quantify the amount of inflammatory food you eat by tracking 18 food groups that may raise inflammatory markers in the body. Based on their scores, participants were placed into groups called quintiles. The quintiles ranged from low to high scores. During the study follow-up periods, which were 25 to 30 years, there were over 7,500 cases of chronic constipation. After running statistical analyses, including adjusting for confounding factors (e.g., demographics and fiber intake), researchers found: Compared to the lowest groups, the groups that scored highest on Mediterranean diet and plant-based diet experienced a 16% and 20% decreased risk for constipation, respectively. The groups that scored highest on the inflammatory diet scale (EDIP) and Western diet scale were associated with a 24% and 22% increased risk for constipation, respectively. Among the individual dietary components, higher intake of all types of vegetables, nuts and salad dressing were associated with lower risks for constipation. Comparing the highest quintile (Q5) to the lowest (Q1), greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet and a plant-based diet were associated with a 25% and a 27% decreased risk for irritable bowel syndrome with constipation, respectively. These results suggest that greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet or a plant-based diet reduces the risk of chronic constipation. This is independent of fiber intake. In other words, researchers adjusted for total fiber intake and still found that, even by taking away any influence fiber might have on constipation, these eating patterns still helped reduce the risk of constipation. In particular, they found that tomatoes, cruciferous vegetables, leafy green vegetables and dark yellow vegetables appeared to be the primary dietary components driving the protective associations between the aMED and PDI with reduced risk of constipation. Eating patterns that increased the risk of constipation included the Western diet and EDIP. The Western diet, sometimes referred to as the typical American diet, is characterized by high intake of red or processed meats, refined grains, french fries, high-fat dairy products, sweets, desserts and butter. In addition to vegetables, researchers also found strong associations between nuts and healthy fats with reduced risk of constipation. Since researchers adjusted for fiber, they essentially removed fiber's effects on constipation for analysis. This suggests that there is some other component in these foods that is responsible for reducing the risk of constipation. 'Although the study did not specifically address the mechanisms by which these diets were protective, we suspect that bioactive compounds found in vegetables and nuts—such as polyphenols, antioxidants and healthy fats (e.g., monounsaturated fats)—likely contribute to constipation prevention,' says senior study author Kyle Staller, M.D., M.P.H. 'These benefits are most likely driven by the way they impact our gut microbiome, the community of bacteria and other microbes that live in our gut. It's possible that these foods promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria that produce compounds that we think may be beneficial to the lining (and therefore function) of the gut, like short-chain fatty acids.' Still, Staller says that fiber is still a key nutrient for avoiding constipation and supporting a healthy gut. If you're not ready to go all in with the Mediterranean or plant-based diets, you can start adding the foods that seem to have more influence over constipation, according to this study: tomatoes, cruciferous vegetables, leafy green vegetables, dark yellow vegetables, nuts and healthy fats, like olive oil. Need some inspiration? Try our Roasted Squash & Lentil Kale Salad to get your leafy green/cruciferous and dark yellow veggies, plus olive oil. Or our mouthwatering Tomato Salad with Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette to get your fill of tomatoes and olive oil. If you're ready to go for it, a great place to start is with our 7-Day Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan for Beginners or our 7-Day Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan for a Healthy Gut. The Mediterranean diet is loaded with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, seafood, lean protein, healthy fats and a little dairy. If you're interested in trying a meal plan with no meat, but a little yogurt or kefir, check out our 7-Day Plant-Based Diet Meal Plan for Beginners. If you think plant-based means boring, this will change your mind! Other habits that can influence constipation include physical activity, stress and fluid intake. And while alcohol may help you go, these study authors caution against using it as a constipation cure, since it can have negative consequences on your gut health and other organs, including your brain. Plus, in the long run, regularly imbibing can increase chronic inflammation, which, in turn, increases disease risk—exactly the opposite of what you're trying to accomplish. This study suggests that the Mediterranean and plant-based diets are associated with lower rates of constipation. On the other end of the spectrum fall the Western diet and inflammatory diets, which are associated with higher rates of constipation. According to these researchers, it's not just fiber that contributes to a reduced risk of constipation. The antioxidants in vegetables, nuts and healthy fats also appear to contribute. There are many reasons the Mediterranean diet has been ranked as the healthiest eating pattern for several years. Following the Mediterranean diet also helps reduce disease risk, including heart disease, dementia, osteoporosis and macular degeneration. Now we can add constipation to the list. Read the original article on EATINGWELL
South China Morning Post
10-07-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
HKU launches clinical trial in Hong Kong to treat chronic hepatitis B patients
The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has launched a clinical trial for a gene-related therapy aimed at treating chronic hepatitis B infection, giving patients hope for a cure in the future. Professor Yuen Man-fung, chief of the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at HKU's medical faculty, said on Thursday that existing medication for hepatitis B patients could only suppress the virus and had to be taken for decades. He expected that the new treatment could enable patients to discontinue long-term medication. 'If we can suppress the virus and also eradicate the virus if possible, then the patients will not suffer or will have a minimal risk or lower risk of suffering from liver cancer development and cirrhosis or liver failure,' he said. 'And that obviously will bring hope … [to the] patients.' Chronic hepatitis B affects more than 300 million people worldwide and is a primary cause of liver cirrhosis, cancer and liver failure. Around 6.2 per cent of the population of Hong Kong is affected by the condition.
Health Line
04-07-2025
- Health
- Health Line
Biologics for Crohn's Disease: 6 Ways They May Benefit You
If other treatments haven't worked for you, biologics may be worth considering for managing Crohn's disease. In certain instances, they can be an excellent treatment option. As someone living with Crohn's disease, you've likely heard about biologics. These are a type of prescription drug administered via an injection or intravenous (IV) drip. They manage inflammation by blocking certain proteins or chemical pathways. You may have thought about trying them yourself. Here are six reasons this advanced type of treatment may be helpful for you and what you may want to consider. Your Crohn's isn't responding to traditional treatments Perhaps you've been taking different Crohn's disease medications, such as steroids and immunomodulators, for a while now. However, you're still having flare-ups several times a year. American College of Gastroenterology guidelines strongly recommend taking a biologic agent if you have moderate to severe Crohn's disease that's resistant to steroids or immunomodulatory therapy. Your doctor may also consider combining a biologic with an immunomodulator, even if you haven't tried those drugs separately yet. You have a new diagnosis Traditionally, treatment plans for Crohn's disease involved a step-up approach. Less expensive drugs, like steroids, were tried first, while more expensive biologics were a last resort. More recently, guidelines have suggested a top-down approach with a new diagnosis. This is when stronger drugs are tried first, as evidence has pointed to better results when biologic treatments are started right after diagnosis. A 2021 review of 31 trials found that for people with moderate to severe Crohn's disease, the combination of a biologic drug (infliximab) with a non-biologic drug (azathioprine) had the most promising results for managing symptoms. The 2025 ACG guidelines also recommend the combination of both drugs over either individually. You experience a complication known as fistulas Fistulas are abnormal connections between body parts. In Crohn's disease, a fistula can occur when an ulcer extends through your intestinal wall, which connects your intestine and skin, or your intestine and another organ. If a fistula becomes infected, it can be life threatening. If you have a fistula, your doctor may prescribe biologics known as TNF inhibitors because they're so effective. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved biologics specifically to treat Crohn's disease with fistulas and to maintain fistula closure. You want to maintain remission Corticosteroids are known to bring about remission but aren't able to maintain that remission. If you've been taking steroids for 3 months or longer, your doctor may suggest you try a biologic instead. Clinical studies show that anti-TNF biologics are able to maintain remission in people with moderately severe Crohn's disease. Researchers note that the benefits of these drugs in maintaining remission generally outweigh the risks for most people. Dosing may only be once per month The thought of an injection may be scary, but after the initial few doses, most biologics are administered only once every two months. This may be once every month if your condition does not respond. However, it may be reassuring to know that the needle is very small, and the medication is injected just under your skin. Most biologics are also offered in the form of an auto-injector, which means you can get the injections without ever seeing a needle. You can even give yourself certain biologics at home after you're trained properly on how to do so. Some self-administered biologics may need to be given biweekly, such as Humira and Entyvio. They may have fewer side effects than steroids Corticosteroids, such as prednisone or budesonide, work by suppressing the entire immune system. Biologics, on the other hand, work in a more selective way by targeting specific proteins in your immune system that are proven to be associated with Crohn's inflammation. As they are more precise, they typically have fewer side effects than corticosteroids. However, almost all drugs carry the risk of side effects. For biologics, the most common side effects are related to how they're administered. You might experience minor irritation, redness, pain, or a reaction at the site of injection. There's also a slightly higher risk of infection, but the risk is not as high as with other drugs, such as corticosteroids. »MORE: What to know about switching to biologics Biologics safety The first biologic for Crohn's disease was approved in 1998, so biologics have quite a bit of experience and safety testing to show for themselves. You may be hesitant to try a biologic because you heard they were 'strong' drugs, or you're concerned about the high costs. However, while biologics are considered a more aggressive treatment option, they're also more targeted drugs, and they work very well. Unlike some older treatments for Crohn's disease that weaken the whole immune system, biologic drugs target specific inflammatory proteins known to be involved in Crohn's disease. In contrast, corticosteroid drugs suppress your entire immune system. However, you'll still want to consider all side effects and discuss with your doctor whether biologics are the best option for you. Choosing a biologic Before biologics, there were few treatment options aside from surgery for people with severe Crohn's disease. Now, there are several options: adalimumab (Humira, Exemptia) certolizumab pegol (Cimzia) infliximab (Remicade, Remsima, Inflectra) natalizumab (Tysabri) ustekinumab (Stelara) vedolizumab (Entyvio) risankizumab (Skyrizi) guselkumab (Tremfya) You'll have to work with your insurance company to find out whether a particular biologic is covered under your plan. Takeaway Biologic medications are targeted treatment options for Crohn's disease and other autoimmune conditions. They are typically strong but effective and may have fewer side effects than some other traditional treatments. However, like with all drugs, there are things you'll want to consider to determine if this option is right for you. Certain factors may mean this type of treatment is suitable for you, but it'll depend on your specific circumstances. Speaking with your doctor can help you figure out if biologics are a good option.
Daily Mail
23-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
The REAL reason you feel bloated and gassy - and how you can tackle it for good: Dietitian and scientist DR EMILY LEEMING
Do you often feel painfully bloated by the end of the day? Are you frequently gassy? If the answer is yes then there's a good chance you have been told it's irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) – but there could be another underlying reason for your symptoms that's often missed. Research, such as a study published in the Journal of Gastroenterology in 2020, has found that as many as half of those diagnosed with IBS also have small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).
Medical News Today
14-06-2025
- Health
- Medical News Today
Celiac disease: Is an easier way to diagnose it on the horizon?
Could a blood test diagnose celiac disease without the need to trigger symptoms? Image credit: Alvaro Lavin/Stocksy. Celiac disease has to do with an abnormal immune response of the body to gluten. Experts are interested in the best ways to test for celiac disease. A recent study discovered that a blood test called WBAIL-2 could aid in diagnosing celiac disease and even contribute to biopsy-free diagnosis. Celiac disease occurs when someone's immune system responds abnormally to gluten. Efforts to improve celiac disease diagnosis are ongoing. A study recently published in Gastroenterology evaluated the effectiveness of using a blood test that measures the cytokine interleukin-2 to diagnose celiac disease. The study's results indicated that the test to be highly effective for celiac disease diagnosis, even for people following a gluten-free diet. The test could offer another option to help with celiac disease diagnosis — importantly, one that would not require triggering symptoms to confirm the disease. The authors of the current study note that there is often a delay or lack of diagnosis when it comes to celiac disease. Diagnosis usually involves people having to eat gluten and get biopsies of the small intestine. Celiac disease also has to do with the response of a group of immune cells, CD4+ gluten-specific T-cells. For this study, researchers wanted to determine if the use of a blood test that measures interleukin-2 — a protein produced by some T-cells — release could help to accurately diagnose celiac disease. This research involved a total of 181 adult participants between 18 and 75 years old. Of these participants, 88 had celiac disease, and others were controls. Among controls, 32 participants had a non-celiac gluten sensitivity and were on a gluten-free diet. The rest were healthy controls who did not have gluten sensitivity. All participants provided blood samples, and researchers collected data on medications and medical history. A subset of participants, including healthy controls, participants with non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and treated celiac disease, went on a gluten-free diet for four weeks or more and then consumed gluten for 'a single-dose open-label gluten challenge.' Some participants with treated celiac disease also did an oral gluten challenge that lasted 3 days. If participants underwent the oral gluten challenge, they used diaries to keep track of their symptoms. Researchers utilized a blood test called a WBAIL-2 assay, which measures the release of interleukin-2 in vitro after adding gluten peptides. In general, the test was able to effectively confirm celiac disease, with higher concentrations and fold change of interleukin-2 in participants who had celiac disease. However, the results were less sensitive for participants with a certain, less common genotype. Analysis results also found that the WBAIL-2 assay correlated with age and the number of years participants had been following a gluten-free diet. Next, researchers tested participants' serum levels of interleukin-2 after they did an oral gluten challenge. The levels of interleukin-2 were higher for participants with celiac disease following the oral gluten challenge. Researchers also found these levels 'positively correlated with the WBAIL-2 results.' So, if the levels of interleukin-2 were elevated on one test, they were also elevated on the other. They also tested how the WBAIL-2 results related to the presence of gluten-specific T cells, which were higher among participants with celiac disease. They did find that the presence of these cells, as well as activated versions of these cells, correlated with the WBAIL-2 test. The researchers further found that gluten-specific T cells, activated versions of these cells, and WBAIL-2 increased after participants underwent a gluten challenge. However, one participant had lower gluten-specific CD4+ T cells and a lower WBAIL-2 test on day six. Researchers also looked at treated celiac disease participants and how the tests related to their symptoms after gluten exposure. When it came to gluten-specific T-cells, their frequency was higher in participants who experienced vomiting. The measurement of serum interleukin-2 following the gluten tolerance test was also elevated, as was the WBAIL-2 level. The WBAIL-2 level was also increased greatly for one participant who did not experience vomiting but did report severe tiredness. Further analysis also suggested that activated gluten-specific CD4+ T cells are the cells that lead to gluten-induced production of interleukin-2. The results suggest that the WBAIL-2 assay can help with celiac disease diagnosis, even when people are already following a gluten-free diet. There are some limitations to this study. For one thing, it was performed out of one area, most participants were female, and there were strict inclusion criteria, so it has a limited generalizability. It also had small sample sizes for some subgroups, which means more research may be particularly necessary in these subgroups. Since researchers did not test children or people taking immunosuppressants, more research is needed to see how well this testing method would work in these populations. Researchers also acknowledge an untested 'reproducibility across laboratories.' More research is thus needed before the WBAIL-2 assay can really be used in the clinical setting. Further, the authors did not examine the cost-effectiveness of the WBAIL-2 test and how well this would stack up against current ways of diagnosing celiac disease. Then, the test was not as accurate for some participants with a specific genotype, which means it might not work for everyone. However, the number of participants with this genotype was very small in this study, and it is possible that the level of interleukin-2 response of some participants with this genotype was just not able to be detected by the test. Overall, more research is required regarding this subtype of individuals and the use of this test. Ian Storch, DO, an osteopathic physician specializing in gastroenterology and internal medicine, and an American Osteopathic Association member, who was not involved in this study, spoke to Medical News Today about its findings. 'One limitation of this study is the poor performance in the DQ8 genetic arm, which makes up 10% of celiac patients. This will decrease the sensitivity and specificity for the control group or require HLA typing before the assay is run.' Researchers acknowledge that the serum analysis of interleukin-2 following a gluten challenge does not always line up with the results of the WBAIL-2 assay, which could have to do with the assays' differences. Shilpa Mehra Dang, MD, double board-certified in gastroenterology and internal medicine with Medical Offices of Manhattan and contributor to LabFinder, who was similarly not involved in this research, noted that 'we need to look at bigger samples to really see its clinical usefulness.' In addition to larger studies, research can also focus on more details regarding gluten-specific T cells. Celiac disease is a challenging condition to manage, and accurate diagnosis is important. Researchers suggest that examining WBAIL-2 and serum interleukin-2 after gluten consumption could allow people with celiac disease to not have to get biopsies done to confirm celiac diagnosis. The authors of this study also suggest that the WBAIL-2 assay could also become a first test among people following a gluten-free diet and help with symptom severity prediction. Storch said: 'I do not think that based on the data presented, removal of histology to confirm the diagnosis can be suggested.' Jeffrey D. Davis, DO, CMD, an osteopathic physician specializing in Family Medicine and Preventive Health and an American Osteopathic Association board member, who was not involved in the study, noted the following to MNT : 'I see potential for a commercially available rapid, simple, cost-effective laboratory test for physicians to use to assist in the accurate diagnosis of celiac disease. This study shows that especially in adults already on a gluten-free diet using this lab test versus currently available tests would improve our diagnostic capabilities for Celiac Disease. However, it would most likely be just another tool in our tool box to aid in the diagnosis along with other current diagnostic methods.'
