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Healthy lifestyle choices can significantly reduce your risk of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to new research.
Research published in journals intestinefound that adopting 3 to 5 healthy behaviors reduced the risk of IBS by 42%.
These actions include quitting smoking. Get enough sleep. Engage in high levels of strenuous physical activity. Eat a healthy and balanced diet. and moderate alcohol intake.
Three of these behaviors (non-smoking, sleep, and physical activity) were all independently associated with reduced risk.
Lifestyle factors as a means of preventing the development of IBS
IBS is a common disease that affects the gastrointestinal tract. It affects approximately 1 in 10 people and is characterized by symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation.
The exact cause of IBS is unknown, but certain factors are believed to be involved. These include strong or weak muscle contractions in the intestines, neurological problems in the digestive system, severe infections, childhood stress, and changes in the gut microbiome.
Previous research has linked individual lifestyle factors to increased risk of irritable bowel syndrome, but few studies have focused on whether a combination of these factors can improve symptoms. .
To test this, the researchers used data from the UK Biobank. A total of 64,286 people (mean age 55 years) completed at least two 24-hour dietary recall questionnaires asking about the number of “healthy behaviors” they adhered to.
At the beginning of the monitoring period, 12% reported engaging in no healthy behaviors, 32% reported engaging in one, and 34% reported engaging in two. 22% reported he had 3 to 5 behaviors.
Participants were then monitored for 12.5 years and 961 (1.5%) IBS cases were recorded.
The higher the number of healthy behaviors, the greater the risk reduction
After considering potentially influencing factors, the researchers concluded that the higher the number of healthy behaviors, the lower the risk of IBS.
One action had a 21% lower risk, two actions had a 36% lower risk, and three to five actions had a 42% lower risk.
Of the three behaviors that were independently associated with reduced risk of IBS, not smoking reduced risk by 14%, high levels of activity reduced risk by 17%, and getting a good night’s sleep reduced risk by 27%. decreased.
These associations were independent of age, gender, employment status, region of residence, enteric infections, family history of IBS, or other lifestyle choices.
The value of changing your lifestyle
However, this study is observational and cannot determine the cause. The authors also noted that participants self-reported information, that their findings may not apply to younger age groups, and that they were unable to account for lifestyle changes during the monitoring period. It also mentions various other limitations.
Nevertheless, Ho FF, Sun H, Zheng H, et al. conclude that lifestyle modifications as a means of preventing the development of this condition should be treated with great caution.
“IBS has a complex etiology involving biological, genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors. Our findings highlight the value of lifestyle modification in the primary prevention of IBS. “Our findings suggest that healthy lifestyle choices may significantly reduce the impact of etiological factors on the incidence of IBS,” the researchers concluded.
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