New research reveals the three surprising lifestyle habits that can beat IBS
- IBS affects between 25 and 45 million people in the US; about 2 in 3 are women
- Not smoking and high levels of vigorous physical activity were found to help
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Three lifestyle hacks can help you beat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a study has found.
Not smoking, high levels of vigorous physical activity and at least seven hours of sleep a night appeared to keep the condition at bay, researchers from China found.
IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome, is a common condition that causes cramps, abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea and constipation. It affects between 25 and 45 million people in the US.
The study, published in the journal Intestinelooked at the effect of five known healthy behaviors on the risk of suffering from the condition.
Habits include never smoking, sleeping at least seven hours every night, a high level of vigorous physical activity every week, a high-quality balanced diet every day, and moderate alcohol intake.
Not smoking, high levels of vigorous physical activity and getting enough sleep appeared to keep the condition at bay, researchers from China found
Participants included 64,286 people with an average age of 55 years, who were followed for an average of 12.5 years.
They had completed at least two questionnaires covering 24 diets.
During the study period, approximately 961 volunteers developed IBS – approximately 1.5 percent of participants.
For participants to be considered to have a high level of vigorous physical activity, they had to engage in moderate physical activity (such as jogging or cycling) for 150 minutes or more per week, or vigorous physical activity for 75 minutes or more per week. .
After taking other factors into account, researchers found that the higher the number of healthy behaviors, the lower the risk of IBS.
One behavior was associated with a 21 percent lower risk, while two behaviors were associated with a 36 percent lower risk; and three to five were associated with a 42 percent lower risk.
Three of the behaviors were independently associated with a lower risk of IBS: never smoking (14 percent lower); high levels of physical activity (17 percent lower); and a good night’s sleep (27 percent lower).
These associations persisted regardless of age, sex, employment status, area of residence, intestinal infection, family history of IBS or other lifestyle choices.
The researchers suggested that not smoking might help, because smoking slows down the emptying of food into the stomach, which can lead to bloating and constipation.
Disrupted sleep, meanwhile, can cause an increase in inflammatory substances that can cause IBS.
One of the many benefits of exercise is that it reduces intestinal inflammation and regulates the gut microbiota, which the researchers say could explain the underlying mechanism of its effect on lowering the risk of IBS.
However, the researchers point out that because the study was observational, other factors may still be at play and therefore it cannot be concluded with certainty that a lack of these healthy behaviors causes IBS.