“Hot girls have irritable bowel syndrome.” The statement became an unlikely rallying cry on social media in 2019, and its appeal has only grown.
Gut health plays an important role in a recent McKinsey report In the $1.8 billion global wellness market, demand for dietary supplements to relieve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome is expected to grow from $9 billion to $19 billion by 2033.
But “hot girls have irritable bowel syndrome” is more than a trending hashtag: it’s a sign of a very real and growing problem: irritable bowel syndrome. affects up to 45 million people in the United States. And about two out of three of those who suffer from there come women.
What is SCI?
IBS is not a disease, but a syndrome or functional disorder, characterized by a constellation of symptoms, such as constipation, diarrhea, chronic abdominal pain, bloating, and changes in bowel habits.
There is no specific test for IBS, but there are specific criteria around its different subtypes, as well as the frequency and duration of symptoms. This is why we speak of a diagnosis of exclusion, because doctors will first rule out other possibilities.
Roshini Raj, a gastroenterologist at Langone University in New York, typically first tests for celiac disease, lactose intolerance, and even Crohn’s disease or colon cancer. “Once we rule out anything else that could have similar symptoms, we diagnose irritable bowel syndrome,” says Raj, who is also the founder of the fiber supplement brand Yayday.
(Scientists Are Finally Studying Women’s Bodies. Here’s What They Learn.)
A National study conducted by Cedars-Sinai in December 2023 found that IBS is even more common than previously estimated. Parsley HealthA functioning medical practice with locations in New York and Los Angeles, intestinal and gastrointestinal issues are one of the main conditions they treat — and most of those patients are women, says Robin BerzinFounder and CEO of Parsley.
“Nearly 70% of people with a gastrointestinal symptom or condition are women,” Berzin says, adding that inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes autoimmune diseases like Crohn’s disease and celiac colitis, accounts for 80% of those cases.
Why is IBS worse in women?
There are many theories as to why women are more often diagnosed with IBS, but one of the main hypotheses is that it may be hormonal in origin.
Symptoms tend to be more acute during the menstrual phase of your cycle, says Near Georgiagastroenterologist at Putnam Hospital in Carmel, New York. After menopause, she adds, women with irritable bowel syndrome report worsening symptoms, as well as fatigue, anxiety, depression and lower quality of life.
There aren’t many studies directly linking IBS to hormone levels or examining which hormones are at play, from thyroid hormones to estrogen and progesterone to fertility-related hormones. But some evidence suggests that different hormones may play a role.
(How Your Menstrual Cycle Can Reshape Your Brain.)
Chelsea McCalluman accredited dietitian with Dietitians Australia, says that fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone may influence intestinal motility (or how quickly food moves) and lead to increased bloating, abdominal pain, and changes in bowel habits. Studies also suggest that hypothyroidism, more common in womencan lead to Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and, in turn, can play a role in SCI.
” There is research “There is evidence that taking care of gut health can address symptoms related to thyroid dysfunction and that gut health impacts thyroid autoimmunity,” Berzin says.
Postmenopausal women who take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) often find that it has no effect on IBS symptoms, but it can affect the gut microbiome, it says. Marc Pimentelexecutive director of Cedars-Sinai’s Medically Associated Science and Technology Program. “We recently published a study “Postmenopausal women have a different gut microbiome than premenopausal women and, interestingly, adding HRT made their microbiome appear younger,” he says.
Women also suffer more pain if they also have a gynecological disorder. “There are new preliminary data “Women with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and endometriosis tend to have more severe pelvic pain,” Close says. “Many young patients receive conflicting advice and are unsure whether their problem is gynecologic, genital, urinary, or gastrointestinal.”
Finally, a 2017 study revealed that the immune system may play a role in the development of IBS and It is known that women are more susceptible to autoimmune diseases.
Stress and the Gut-Brain Axis
Chronic stress and anxiety are probably another important factor in the increase in the number of IBS cases in women. Women are both more likely than men to experience stress and this affects them differently, including at the intestinal level.
“When you’re in a constant state of fight or flight, your gut stops moving consistently,” Berzin explains of the downstream effects of stress on the gut, which can lead to constipation, bloating, acid reflux, and SIBO (a common cause of irritable bowel syndromewhich can also manifest on the skin as rosacea).
(What is the difference between stress and chronic stress?)
Irritable bowel syndrome and our mental health are closely linked because of the gut-brain axis, essentially a system of messages flowing back and forth between the two.
“When someone is diagnosed with IBS, it is well established that anxiety, depression and stressors in general will trigger symptoms,” explains Rabia de Latourgastroenterologist at NYU Langone, adds that the gut lining is one of the largest producers of serotonin. “There’s also a lot of data emerging that dysbiosis and dysregulation in the gut can exacerbate a person’s mental health issues.”
How to Treat Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Because IBS presents differently in every person and comes with its own individualized triggers, proper treatment often requires a tailored approach from your gastroenterologist, functional medicine doctor, or nutritionist.
While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, there are some tips that are popular. Getting enough sleep and reducing stress levels are key to gut health. “Poor sleep can impact hunger hormones and make digestive symptoms worse,” says McCallum, adding that finding your stress management technique, whether it’s meditation, cognitive behavioral therapy, or exercise, is key to keeping symptoms under control.
(Does Meditation Really Work? Here’s What Science Says.)
Raj says antidepressants, given in low doses, have been shown to help because the same neurotransmitters are at play in depression and gut disorders.
Then there is the question of what you put into your body. After a low FODMAP diet Experts generally consider this approach effective. “It involves eliminating certain short-chain carbohydrates (FODMAPs) that are poorly absorbed in the small intestine and can be rapidly fermented by gut bacteria,” McCallum says.
One of the first questions Dr. de Latour asks patients with GI issues is simple: How much water are you drinking? Most aren’t drinking enough (she advises monitoring urine to make sure it’s clear, not dark), and that can have health implications, including constipation. “People are very busy, and there’s a lot of cognitive dissonance when it comes to hydration,” she adds.
The other big gap in our diet is fiber. “We have a dietary deficiency epidemic in our country,” de Latour says. Women should be getting 25 to 30 grams a day; most get just 10. Berzin points to diets high in sugar and refined, processed foods as the culprits. “These foods don’t have a lot of fiber or phytonutrients that are important for maintaining gut motility,” Berzin says.
For those who don’t want to actively think about the amount of fiber in their diet, a wave of brands has emerged with supplements that have little in common with the Metamucils of old.
Part of the reason is that it’s a simple solution to optimizing gut health. But these brands are also destigmatizing a topic that was once considered taboo.
“A lot of women feel discomfort, but they have to live with it,” Berzin says. She encourages patients to get tested—after all, she adds, the gut is home to the second brain and 70 percent of the immune system. “Our digestive system is very smart, and we have to listen to it.”