Gastrointestinal Problems News

March 23, 2026

Top Headlines

New Drug Protects Liver After Intestinal Surgery and Boosts Nutrient Absorption

Mar. 18, 2026 A risky but often lifesaving surgery that removes damaged parts of the small intestine can leave patients facing a new threat: serious liver damage with no available treatment. Now, scientists have ...

Scientists Link Childhood Stress to Lifelong Digestive Issues

Mar. 17, 2026 Early life stress may set the stage for long-term digestive problems by disrupting the gut-brain connection. Studies in both mice and thousands of children found links to symptoms like pain, constipation, and IBS. Scientists discovered that ...

MIT Scientists Discover Gut Protein That Traps and Kills Dangerous Bacteria

Mar. 16, 2026 Scientists at MIT have discovered that a little-known protein called intelectin-2 plays a powerful double role in defending the gut. The protein strengthens the mucus layer that lines the gastrointestinal tract while also trapping and disabling ...

How Often Do People Really Fart? Scientists Built Smart Underwear to Find Out

Mar. 14, 2026 Researchers have created “Smart Underwear,” a wearable device that measures flatulence by detecting hydrogen produced by gut microbes. Early tests suggest people may pass gas about 32 times a ...

Gut Bacteria That Make Serotonin May Hold the Key to IBS

Mar. 13, 2026 Researchers have identified two gut bacteria that can produce serotonin, a key chemical that regulates bowel movements. In experiments with mice lacking serotonin, the microbes boosted serotonin levels, increased nerve cells in the colon, and ...

Study Finds Two Types of Colon Polyps Can Raise Bowel Cancer Risk Fivefold

Mar. 13, 2026 Researchers studying over 8,400 colonoscopies discovered that having both adenomas and serrated polyps in the bowel can raise the risk of serious precancerous changes by up to five times. These two polyp types may represent separate cancer pathways ...

Hidden Metabolism Found Operating Inside the Cell Nucleus

Mar. 9, 2026 Researchers have found hundreds of metabolic enzymes attached to human DNA inside the cell nucleus. Different tissues and cancers show unique patterns of these enzymes, forming a “nuclear metabolic fingerprint.” Some of the enzymes gather around ...

Scientists Say This Simple Diet Change Could Transform Your Gut Health

Mar. 8, 2026 A growing trend called “fibermaxxing” is putting dietary fiber in the spotlight—and for good reason. Fiber plays a powerful role in keeping the body healthy, from supporting digestion and feeding beneficial gut microbes to helping regulate ...

Feb. 26, 2026 Popular acid reflux drugs such as Prilosec, Nexium, and Protonix may carry hidden risks when taken long term. A new study found that extended use disrupted iron and calcium levels in rats, changes associated with anemia and osteoporosis risk. ...

Training Harder Could Be Rewiring Your Gut Bacteria

Feb. 23, 2026 Training harder may do more than build muscle—it could transform your gut. Researchers found that intense workouts change the balance of bacteria and important compounds in athletes’ digestive systems. When training loads dropped, diet quality ...

Scientists Finally Explain Why Chronic Constipation Treatments Often Fail

Feb. 19, 2026 A newly discovered bacterial duo may be the hidden cause of chronic constipation. The two microbes break down the colon’s protective mucus layer, leaving stool dry and hard — a problem traditional laxatives don’t fix. Parkinson’s patients, ...

Scientists Discover a Hidden Gut Bacterium Linked to Good Health

Feb. 14, 2026 A global study has uncovered a mysterious group of gut bacteria that shows up again and again in healthy people. Known as CAG-170, these microbes were found at lower levels in people with a range of chronic diseases. Genetic clues suggest they help ...

Latest Headlines

updated 5:46am EDT

This Kefir and Fiber Combo Beat Omega-3 in Slashing Inflammation

Feb. 11, 2026 A six-week study from the University of Nottingham suggests that pairing fermented kefir with a diverse prebiotic fiber mix may deliver a powerful anti-inflammatory boost. This “synbiotic” ...

Changing When You Eat Dramatically Reduced Crohn’s Disease Symptoms

Feb. 11, 2026 A new clinical trial suggests that changing when you eat could make a meaningful difference for people living with Crohn’s disease. Researchers found that time-restricted feeding, a form of ...

Scientists Discover Protein That Could Heal Leaky Gut and Ease Depression

Feb. 2, 2026 Chronic stress can damage the gut’s protective lining, triggering inflammation that may worsen depression. New research shows that stress lowers levels of a protein called Reelin, which plays a key ...

Why Chronic Gut Inflammation Can Turn Into Colon Cancer

Jan. 25, 2026 A newly uncovered immune chain reaction in the gut may explain why people with inflammatory bowel disease face a much higher risk of colorectal cancer. Researchers found that a powerful inflammatory ...

Chemotherapy Rewires Gut Bacteria to Block Metastasis

Jan. 23, 2026 Chemotherapy’s gut damage turns out to have a surprising upside. By changing nutrient availability in the intestine, it alters gut bacteria and increases levels of a microbial molecule that travels ...

A Blood Test Could Reveal Crohn’s Disease Years Before Symptoms

Jan. 22, 2026 A new blood test may reveal Crohn’s disease years before symptoms begin. The test detects an unusual immune response to gut bacteria in people who later develop the condition. By studying healthy ...

A Common Vitamin Could Influence Bathroom Frequency

Jan. 22, 2026 Scientists studying genetic data from over a quarter million people have uncovered new clues about what controls how fast the gut moves. They identified multiple DNA regions linked to bowel movement ...

Doctors Discover the Source of Mysterious Intoxication

Jan. 13, 2026 Some people get drunk without drinking because their gut bacteria produce alcohol from food. Researchers have now identified the microbes and biological pathways behind this rare condition, ...

Scientists Uncover a Hidden Aging Program in the Gut That Fuels Cancer Risk

Jan. 10, 2026 Although the gut renews itself constantly, its stem cells accumulate age-related molecular changes that quietly alter how genes are switched on and off. Scientists found that this “epigenetic ...

Scientists Found a Way to Help Aging Guts Heal Themselves

Jan. 3, 2026 Researchers have discovered a way to help aging intestines heal themselves using CAR T-cell therapy. By targeting senescent cells that build up over time, the treatment boosted gut regeneration, ...

Your Roommate’s Genes May Be Shaping Your Gut Bacteria

Dec. 23, 2025 Scientists studying thousands of rats discovered that gut bacteria are shaped by both personal genetics and the genetics of social partners. Some genes promote certain microbes that can spread ...

Harvard Gut Discovery Could Change How We Treat Obesity and Diabetes

Dec. 14, 2025 Scientists found that certain molecules made by gut bacteria travel to the liver and help control how the body uses energy. These molecules change depending on diet, genetics, and shifts in the ...

Is Your Gut Being Poisoned? Scientists Reveal the Hidden Impact of Everyday Chemicals

Dec. 2, 2025 Researchers discovered that 168 common chemicals can disrupt the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, with some also promoting antibiotic resistance. Many of these substances—found in food, water, ...

This Tiny Pill Could Change How We Diagnose Gut Health

Nov. 21, 2025 Tiny ingestible spheres filled with engineered bacteria can detect intestinal bleeding by glowing when they encounter heme. Early tests in mice suggest they could become a quick, noninvasive way to ...

This Simple Ingredient Makes Kale Way Healthier

Dec. 8, 2025 Scientists found that kale’s prized nutrients are hard for the body to absorb unless they’re eaten with oil. Cooking doesn’t improve absorption, but adding oil-based dressings—or even more ...

Simple Light Trick Reveals Hidden Brain Pathways in Microscopic Detail

Dec. 9, 2025 Microscopic fibers secretly shape how every organ in the body works, yet they’ve been notoriously hard to study—until now. A new imaging technique called ComSLI reveals hidden fiber orientations ...

A 25-Year Crohn’s Disease Mystery Finally Cracked by AI

Nov. 3, 2025 UC San Diego researchers combined artificial intelligence with molecular biology to unravel how immune cells in the gut decide between inflammation and healing, a process gone awry in Crohn’s ...

MIT Discovers Amino Acid That Helps the Gut Heal Itself

Oct. 23, 2025 MIT scientists have found that an amino acid called cysteine can help the gut heal itself. In mouse studies, a cysteine-rich diet activated immune cells that release a molecule speeding up tissue ...

Hidden Gut Cells Could Transform Food Allergy Treatment

Sep. 8, 2025 Scientists have uncovered a surprising new pathway behind life-threatening food allergies. Instead of histamine, a different chemical called leukotrienes drives severe reactions in the gut. These ...

Smoking’s Hidden Gut Bacteria Trick May Lead to New Colitis Treatments

Sep. 19, 2025 For decades, scientists have puzzled over why smoking makes Crohn’s disease worse but seems to protect people from ulcerative colitis. Now, researchers at RIKEN have discovered that smoking creates ...

Tiny Green Tea Beads Trap Fat and Melt Away Pounds Without Side Effects

Aug. 24, 2025 Researchers have created plant-based microbeads that trap fat in the gut, helping rats lose weight without side effects. Unlike current drugs, the beads are safe, tasteless, and easy to mix into ...

A Hidden Sugar Source in Ketchup, Salad Dressing, and Toothpaste

Aug. 25, 2025 UBC researchers revealed that gut bacteria can digest cellulose-based food thickeners, once thought indigestible, by using enzymes activated by natural dietary fibers. This discovery suggests these ...

The Pandemic’s Secret Aftershock: Inside the Gut-Brain Breakdown

July 30, 2025 A new global study reveals a striking post-pandemic surge in gut-brain disorders like IBS and functional dyspepsia. Researchers compared data from 2017 and 2023 and discovered sharp increases IBS up ...

This Gut Hormone Could Explain 40% of IBS-D Cases—and Lead to a Cure

July 29, 2025 A mysterious gut hormone may be behind many cases of chronic diarrhea, especially in people with undiagnosed bile acid malabsorption, a condition often mistaken for irritable bowel syndrome. ...

Your Gut Microbes Might Be Turning Fiber Into Extra Calories

Oct. 24, 2025 ASU scientists found that people whose gut microbes make more methane extract more calories from fiber-rich foods. Methanogens help the microbiome turn fiber into energy by consuming hydrogen and ...

Preventing Chronic Inflammation from Turning Into Cancer

June 2, 2025 Chronic inflammatory bowel disease is challenging to treat and carries a risk of complications, including the development of bowel cancer. Young people are particularly affected: when genetic ...

IBD on the Rise: International Research Highlights Spread in Africa, Asia, and Latin America

May 28, 2025 New research conducted by an international consortium shows that IBD and related conditions are now spreading through developing regions in Africa, Asia, and Latin ...

Gut Bacteria May Hold Key to Unlocking Better Cancer Treatment

May 28, 2025 'Biomarkers' may help to improve detection and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases such as gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, and inflammatory bowel ...

A High-Fat Diet Sets Off Metabolic Dysfunction in Cells, Leading to Weight Gain

May 28, 2025 Researchers find high-fat diets set off metabolic dysfunction in cells, leading to weight gain, but these effects can be reversed by treatment with an ...

Gut Bacteria and Acetate, a Great Combination for Weight Loss

May 19, 2025 Feeding the gut acetate, paired with the right Bacteroides bacteria, led mice to shed fat without losing muscle. The combo pushed their metabolism into fat-burning mode, similar to fasting or a keto ...