According to a study, for adults in their midlife and older, who were physically active, got good sleep, followed a healthy diet, moderated their alcohol intake and/or did not smoke, the risk of developing this disorder dropped by up to 42 per cent.

A new study has concluded that leading a healthy lifestyle can lower the risk of irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS. It is not a disease, but a group of symptoms that arise due to certain changes in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. The symptoms of IBS are so common and similar to other digestive problems that people do not always go to a doctor, leaving IBS cases undiagnosed and untreated. Some common symptoms include stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation and bloating, and gas. According to the study published Tuesday in the journal ‘Gut’, for adults in their midlife and older, who were physically active, got good sleep, followed a healthy diet, moderated their alcohol intake and/or did not smoke, the risk of developing this disorder dropped by up to 42 per cent.

IBS: How Healthy Habits Can Offer Protection

Citing the study, a CNN report stated that a research team based in Hong Kong found the more healthy lifestyle behaviours that study participants exhibited, the ‘higher the protection was against the occurrence of IBS’. In fact, those who followed even one healthy behaviour, had a 21 per cent lower risk of developing IBS symptoms. Those who took on two behaviours had a 36 per cent lower risk; those with three to five of the behaviours, or good lifestyle habits, had a 42 per cent lower risk.

Study co-author Vincent Chi-ho Chung, a professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, was quoted as telling the outlet: “This suggests lifestyle modifications have the potential to be an effective primary prevention strategy for IBS. To the best of our knowledge, our study is one of the first large-scale studies to confirm that a combination of healthy lifestyle behaviours…can significantly reduce the risk of developing IBS.”

He also reportedly said that thus far, most reports on IBS have focused on its diagnosis and treatment, and not so much on prevention.

What The Study Found

Per the CNN report, the study evaluated 64,268 participants between 37 and 73 years of age, who had not been diagnosed with the disorder previously. After almost 12 years, 961 cases (or 1.5 per cent) of IBS were reported; those who followed no healthy habit were at the ‘highest risk of developing the condition’.

What Are These Healthy Habits?

Researchers listed them as: ‘maintaining a high level of vigorous physical activity’, ‘eating a high-quality balanced diet daily’, ‘consuming a moderate amount of alcohol daily’, ‘getting between seven and nine hours of sleep nightly’, and ‘never smoking’. Interestingly, getting a good amount of sleep every night was ‘most influential’ factor in reducing IBS risk.

Symptoms Of IBS

• Stomach pain
• Stomach cramps
• Bloating
• Flatulence
• Diarrhea or constipation

Other Signs Of IBS

• Urge to defecate
• Painful and straining bowel movement
• Feeling of incomplete bowel movement
• Passing clear fluid called mucus that protects the tissues in GI tract