Gastrointestinal Problems News

October 15, 2026

Top Headlines

Your Gut Bacteria Could Be Changing How Many Calories You Absorb

Oct. 12, 2026 Scientists have developed a model showing that gut bacteria play a surprisingly important role in how many calories we absorb, meaning food labels may not tell the full story. In a controlled study, people eating a high-fiber diet absorbed about 116 ...

Eating Olive Oil Before Carbs Has a Surprising Effect on Blood Sugar

Oct. 11, 2026 A simple change in the order you eat your food could help prevent blood sugar spikes. Scientists discovered that giving mice olive oil before carbohydrates slowed digestion and activated a surprising combination of hormones and nerve signals that ...

Taking Antibiotics? Sugar May Be Making the Damage Worse

Oct. 7, 2026 Eating more sugar while taking antibiotics was linked to greater disruption of the gut microbiome and increased growth of potentially harmful bacteria. Researchers say temporarily cutting back on sweets during and after antibiotic treatment could be ...

MIT Scientists Find a Hidden Cancer Risk of the Keto Diet

Oct. 5, 2026 A ketogenic diet increased small-intestinal tumors in cancer-prone mice while reducing tumors in the colon, revealing a strikingly different response within neighboring parts of the gut. Researchers traced the increased risk not to ketones, but to ...

Easing Constipation: A 20-minute Walk Can Get Your Gut Moving Almost Immediately

Oct. 4, 2026 Researchers found that just 20 minutes of comfortable walking can rapidly stimulate the gut. Within one to two minutes after exercise, bowel sounds became stronger, more frequent, and lasted longer, ...

Mulberry May Reshape Gut Bacteria and Influence Metabolism

Sep. 30, 2026 Mulberry compounds may reshape the gut microbiome in ways that support intestinal health and metabolism, with some combinations showing especially strong effects in animal studies. However, the results vary depending on the plant part and processing ...

Scientists Just Discovered What Coffee Really Does to Your Gut and Brain

Sep. 28, 2026 A new study suggests coffee may influence mood and brain function by changing the activity of microbes in the gut. Both caffeinated and decaf coffee were linked to lower stress, depression, and impulsivity, while also producing measurable changes in ...

Blood Tests Reveal Why Astronauts Get Constipated in Space

Sep. 28, 2026 Spaceflight may dramatically change the gut within weeks, causing bacteria to break down more protein as food moves more slowly through the intestines. The shift could help explain astronaut constipation and may have wider effects on health, making ...

Hidden Gut Defect That May Explain Why IBD Keeps Coming Back

Sep. 19, 2026 Researchers have uncovered a hidden molecular warning sign of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that can linger even when patients feel well and appear to be in remission. By studying around 900 human gut biopsies and patient-derived mini-intestines, ...

Scientists Find a Natural Gut Compound That Helps Heal the Intestine

Sep. 17, 2026 A natural compound produced by gut bacteria after digesting foods such as pomegranates, walnuts, and berries may help repair and protect the intestinal lining. The discovery reveals a surprising beneficial side of an inflammatory pathway and could ...

Sep. 13, 2026 Sucralose, the artificial sweetener used in Splenda, came under scrutiny after a study found that a related chemical damaged DNA and weakened the gut barrier in laboratory experiments. But later findings have complicated that alarming ...

A Hidden Compound in Healthy Foods May Worsen IBD

Sep. 12, 2026 A natural compound found in foods such as spinach, almonds, and sweet potatoes may aggravate gut inflammation in people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis because their intestines appear to handle it differently. Researchers say the ...

Latest Headlines

updated 12:26am EDT

Study of 1.9 Million People Finds a Striking Link Between ADHD and Gut Problems

Sep. 11, 2026 Researchers analyzing data from more than 1.9 million people found that ADHD is associated with substantially higher rates of digestive problems. ...

One Sugary Drink a Day Linked to More Than Double the Risk of Stomach Cancer

Sep. 9, 2026 People who drank at least one sugar-sweetened beverage a day had roughly 2.45 times the risk of gastric cancer compared with those who rarely ...

Your Gut Microbiome May Be More Contagious Than Scientists Thought

Sep. 7, 2026 Scientists have found evidence that some gut bacterial populations can spread rapidly between people and across continents, suggesting the microbiome may be more transmissible than previously ...

Common Medications May Change Your Gut for Years

Aug. 24, 2026 Common medications may reshape the gut microbiome long after the last dose is taken. In a study of more than 2,500 people, researchers found lasting microbial changes linked not only to antibiotics, ...

Scientists Discover How Gut Bacteria “train” the Intestine to Fight Inflammation

Aug. 20, 2026 A compound made when gut bacteria break down dietary fiber may do more than briefly calm inflammation—it could leave a lasting protective ...

When Gut Microbes Run Low on Fiber, They May Start Eating You

Aug. 15, 2026 Gut microbes need something to eat, and when fiber is limited, they may begin consuming proteins from the mucus lining that protects the gut. Researchers found that fiber can suppress this process, ...

Rice Bran Compound May Help Ease Irritable Bowel Symptoms

July 30, 2026 A compound in rice bran may help calm an overactive gut by reducing the calcium signals that cause intestinal muscles to contract. Ferulic acid suppressed contractions triggered by several chemical ...

A Daily Fiber Supplement Reduced Knee Arthritis Pain and Improved Strength

July 25, 2026 A prebiotic fiber supplement reduced knee osteoarthritis pain while also improving grip strength and pain sensitivity in a six-week trial. The results hint at a fascinating gut-muscle-pain connection ...

Colorectal Cancer Warning Signs Younger Adults Should Never Ignore

July 22, 2026 Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death among people under 50, and cases in younger adults continue to rise. Warning signs can include persistent bowel changes, recurring rectal ...

Scientists Found Mystery Bacteria Inside One of the Ocean’s Most Elusive Whales

July 21, 2026 Scientists studying decades of pygmy sperm whale strandings have uncovered three previously unknown types of Helicobacter bacteria hiding in the ...

Scientists Tested 39 Sweeteners and Found Unexpected Gut Effects

July 17, 2026 A large laboratory study found that many commonly used sweeteners can directly change the growth of gut bacteria. Researchers identified more than 100 cases in which sweeteners behaved differently ...

Experimental Drug Reverses Severe Fatty Liver Disease by Repairing the Gut

July 11, 2026 An experimental drug called DT-109 reversed severe fatty liver disease in animal studies by repairing the gut and preventing harmful toxins from damaging the liver. The discovery could open the door ...

Scientists Find the “Achilles’ Heel” of Deadly Gut Bacteria

July 5, 2026 Researchers discovered an “Achilles’ heel” shared by E. coli, Shigella, and other diarrhea-causing bacteria: enzymes they use to breach the gut’s protective mucus layer. By targeting this ...

This Common Vitamin Deficiency Can Mimic Normal Aging

June 25, 2026 Vitamin B12 is needed in microscopic amounts, but a shortage can have major effects on health and energy. The vitamin was first linked to a lifesaving liver treatment for pernicious anemia nearly 100 ...

Scientists Discover Hidden Gut-Brain Circuit That Triggers Protein Cravings

May 28, 2026 When the body runs low on protein, the gut sends powerful signals to the brain that reshape cravings and push animals to seek essential amino acids instead of sugar. Researchers say this newly ...

MIT Scientists Turn Chaotic Laser Light Into Powerful Brain Imaging Tool

Apr. 28, 2026 Scientists at MIT discovered that chaotic laser light can spontaneously form a highly focused beam instead of scattering—if the conditions are just right. This “pencil beam” enabled them to ...

Eating Chili Peppers May Raise the Risk of One Deadly Cancer

July 14, 2026 A major review found that people who consumed the most chili peppers had a substantially higher risk of esophageal cancer, though the evidence was less clear for stomach and colorectal cancers. ...

Your Gut Takes a “double Hit” from Stress and Late-Night Eating

May 1, 2026 Chronic stress is already tough on your gut—but new research suggests late-night eating could make things even worse. Scientists analyzing thousands of people found that those under high stress who ...

Scientists Just Discovered What Coffee Is Really Doing to Your Gut and Brain

May 3, 2026 Coffee doesn’t just energize—it actively reshapes the gut and mind. Researchers found that both caffeinated and decaf coffee altered gut bacteria in ways linked to better mood and lower stress. ...

Black Licorice Compound Shows Promise Against Inflammatory Bowel Disease

May 9, 2026 Researchers have developed a stem cell-based model of the human intestine that may transform how new IBD treatments are discovered. After testing thousands of compounds, they identified glycyrrhizin ...

Scientists Discover Gut Bacteria That May Help Protect Against Autism and ADHD

June 2, 2026 A major study suggests that some of the groundwork for brain development may be shaped before birth through a surprising partnership between a baby’s genes and gut microbes. Researchers found that ...

The People You Live With Could Be Changing Your Gut Bacteria

Apr. 13, 2026 Spending time with close companions might do more than strengthen bonds—it could also reshape your gut bacteria. In a study of island birds, those with stronger social ties shared more gut ...

Scientists Discover Why Your Appetite Suddenly Disappears When You’re Sick

Mar. 28, 2026 Scientists have uncovered how your body actually tells your brain to stop eating when you’re sick. In a new study, researchers found that specialized cells in the gut detect parasites and send ...

Scientists Discover the One Nutrient Beneficial Parasites Can't Live Without

July 10, 2026 A new study found that dietary fiber can determine whether beneficial intestinal worms help reduce inflammation or become essentially inactive. With plenty of fiber, the worms remained healthy and ...

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, ...

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 ...

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 ...

Most Americans Don’t Know This Food Raises Colon Cancer Risk

Mar. 25, 2026 Nearly half of Americans don’t know that processed meat increases colorectal cancer risk, according to a new poll. But once they learn the connection, most support warning labels—suggesting ...

Hidden Virus in Your Gut May Be Linked to Colon Cancer

Apr. 22, 2026 A newly discovered virus hiding inside a common gut bacterium could help explain one of medicine’s long-standing mysteries: why a microbe found in both healthy people and cancer patients is linked ...

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 ...