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A new study suggests that genes passed on to us by our parents may influence how often we poop. Additionally, key genes involved in proper bowel movement may provide clues to the causes of gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is mainly caused by stress and can present with abdominal pain, gas, diarrhea or constipation.
- The study involved genetic sequences and health data for a total of 167 people from Great Britain, the Netherlands, the USA, Belgium and Sweden. Some of the patients participating in the study had IBS
- The respondents also had to answer the question of how many times a day they defecate
- Based on the information gathered, the research team concluded that the frequency of bowel movements is largely genetically dependent
- To determine which participants experienced IBS, the researchers calculated a ‘polygenic risk score’. People in the top 1 percent the results showed a five-fold higher risk of developing IBS compared to other participants
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Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the common diseases of the digestive system. Symptoms of IBS include abdominal pain, gas, diarrhea, or constipation. Irritable bowel syndrome is considered to be caused by disturbances in the intestinal flora. A very important factor that generates or intensifies unpleasant ailments is severe stress. However, according to a study published on December 8, 2021 in the journal Cell Genomics, genetics may also have a minor effect on how often you pass stools.
The influence of genetics on the frequency of bowel movements
The study included genetic sequences and health data from 167. 875 people enrolled mainly in the UK Biobank biomedical database and four smaller databases operated by the Netherlands, USA, Belgium and Sweden. Some of the patients in the study also had irritable bowel syndrome. In addition to providing their DNA for analysis, the subjects were required to answer the question – how many times a day they defecate on average. Based on the participants’ responses and their genetic sequences, the research team concluded that stool frequency showed ‘modest but detectable heritability’, meaning that it was at least partly genetically dependent.
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The researchers also identified 14 genome segments that are most likely related to the frequency of bowel movements. People who poop less often than other participants showed similar patterns of genetic variation in these 14 areas. Similar genetic makeup in these genome regions was also found in people who pooped more than others.
- Treat with diet – how to relieve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome?
Further part below the video.
Polygenic risk
Based on the genetic profiles of the participants in the study, the researchers also decided to check which of them had experienced Irritable Bowel Syndrome. To this end, they calculated a “polygenic risk score” for each person. This result indicated the amount of bowel frequency for each participant. Thanks to their calculations, scientists found that people from the top 1 percent. The results showed a fivefold higher risk of developing Irritable Bowel Syndrome relative to the rest of the participants, specifically the IBS-D subtype which causes increased diarrhea.
When analyzing these 14 genome segments, scientists looked at how one of the genes codes for Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), a protein that helps, among other things, to process nerve cells throughout the body. The evidence gathered by the researchers suggests that increasing BDNF levels in the gut could increase the rate at which material travels through the digestive tract.
Stress – how to prevent it?
Scientists’ reservations
It is currently unclear how different versions of the BDNF gene may affect stool frequency, but the analyzes performed provide the team with a starting point for future research. In the future, they plan to conduct more detailed studies to define each stretch of DNA, and to determine which genes are most important for stool frequency and IBS symptoms. Speaking to Live science, the author of the study, Dr. Mauro D’Amato, professor of medical genetics at Libera Universita ‘del Mediterraneo in Italy, also emphasized that their goal was to address some of the limitations of the current study. Among other things, the fact that they had no data on the participants’ diet, which would greatly affect both the frequency of bowel movements and the potential symptoms of IBS. The fact that the participants were only asked about how many times they defecate during each day, and not each week or month, was of great importance to the results of the study.
It should be noted, however, that there is some overlap with the results of the study by D’Amato and his colleagues (published on November 5, 2021 in the journal Nature Genetics), which found that the genetic risk factors for IBS overlap with those for anxiety and depression. According to Dr. Emeran Mayer, a professor, gastroenterologist and neurobiologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, who did not participate in the study, we must remember for the time being that it is dietary changes and stress-reduction therapies that greatly reduce gut symptoms. “Patients should be aware that while genetics may play a very small role in the overall disorder, there are many behavioral and lifestyle factors that are more important and that can be modified,” he told Live Science.
- Also read: How should we sit on the toilet? We do it wrong all our lives
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