Digestive System News and Research

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Struggling with constipation? Two green kiwifruits a day may help

A narrative review of 33 publications found that consuming two fresh green kiwifruits daily for approximately four weeks can improve bowel movement frequency and gastrointestinal comfort in adults with functional constipation or constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C). Clinical studies reported broadly similar improvements with kiwifruit, psyllium, and prunes, although more research is needed to establish long-term benefits and differences between kiwifruit varieties.

5 Nov 2026

Gut-brain dopamine pathway drives learned food preferences over time

If you can remember your first sip of coffee, the memory might not be a pleasant one. Coffee's bitter flavor is one we naturally steer clear of. So how do coffee fans learn to love it?

4 Nov 2026

Skin barrier disruption exacerbates chronic dermatological and systemic conditions

Your skin works hard for you every day, quietly shielding you from the outside world while telling a story about what is happening on the inside.

3 Nov 2026

What parents can expect during a stressful NICU stay

Lyndsay Gardner was enjoying a normal, healthy pregnancy until her water broke at 31 weeks. Due around Christmas in 2023, she gave birth to her son just before Halloween instead.

29 Oct 2026

Antibody patterns may predict inflammatory bowel disease years before diagnosis

A large-scale study, presented today at UEG Week 2026, has identified distinct antibody patterns up to 10 years before the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), potentially opening new avenues for earlier risk detection and providing insights into future disease course.

19 Oct 2026

Fluorescent sensors could help researchers see diabetes in action

Researchers from the University of Bath have developed fluorescent molecular probes that can detect changes in glucose levels inside living animals, giving scientists new ways of visualizing sugar uptake, studying diabetes, cancer and other metabolic diseases in whole organisms in real time.

1 Oct 2026

Biolife granted U.S. patent for novel effervescent oral peptide delivery technology

BioLife today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has granted U.S. Patent 12,667,605 B2 for its novel effervescent oral peptide delivery technology, designed to support current and future peptide therapeutics for obesity, diabetes and metabolic disease.

10 Sep 2026

Microplastics transport toxins and antibiotic resistance across ecosystems

Microplastics are often viewed as pollutants in their own right, but their environmental impact may extend far beyond the plastic particles themselves.

4 Sep 2026

Higher BPA exposure tracked with higher estrogen and progesterone in women

Researchers found that higher urinary concentrations of BPA and several phthalate metabolites were associated with higher serum estrogen and progesterone levels in 90 premenopausal women from Iran. The cross-sectional study also identified positive associations for combined chemical exposures, although the authors cautioned that the mixture findings are exploratory and cannot establish causality.

24 Aug 2026

Study maps rising lifetime risk of digestive cancers in China

The global landscape of oncology is shifting, and nowhere is this transition more complex or consequential than in China.

24 Aug 2026

Piezo ion channels: Key regulators of digestive health and disease

Mechanosensitive Piezo ion channels, particularly Piezo1 and Piezo2, are gaining recognition as central regulators of digestive system physiology and disease.

7 Aug 2026

KCNE gene family emerges as a promising target for future precision medicine

A growing understanding of the KCNE gene family is reshaping how scientists view the regulation of electrical signaling across the human body, highlighting its essential role in maintaining normal physiological function and its connection to a wide range of diseases.

5 Aug 2026

Digital twin of the gut-brain axis aims to advance neurostimulation therapies

The gut and brain are in constant conversation, exchanging signals that regulate hunger and digestion, as well as the body's response to stress.

3 Aug 2026

Using DNA sequencing for accurate identification of microbial infections in cystic fibrosis patients

Lung infections are a constant risk for people living with cystic fibrosis (CF), a life-threatening genetic disorder which impairs lung function, predisposes people to persistent airway infections and exposes them to acquiring multidrug resistant infections.

3 Aug 2026

Signals traveling from the gut through the vagus nerve help form memories

When French writer Marcel Proust famously recalled his childhood from the taste of a Madeline cookie, his stomach may have done some of the work.

27 Jul 2026

Time zone changes disrupt vital gut bacteria during travel

A dream holiday, an exotic destination, a long-haul flight, and finally some well-deserved rest. The problem is that many travelers arrive at their destination only to spend the first days of their vacation struggling with fatigue, sleep disturbances, low energy levels, and digestive issues.

23 Jul 2026

Study finds some sweeteners can slow the growth of gut bacteria

Cambridge researchers have shown how commonly-used sweeteners slow the growth of certain gut bacteria.

16 Jul 2026

LEAP2 hormone may predict anorexia nervosa relapse risk

People with anorexia nervosa have unusually high levels of a hormone called LEAP2 in their blood when they are in the acute phase of the disorder, according to research presented today (Thursday) at the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Forum 2026.

8 Jul 2026

New AI framework outperforms conventional biomarkers in predicting cancer survival

Digestive system cancers, including hepatobiliary and gastrointestinal malignancies, remain a major global oncological burden. Although immune checkpoint inhibitors have changed the treatment landscape for some patients, their overall efficacy remains limited, with only about 15% to 30% of patients achieving durable clinical benefit.

1 Jul 2026

Childhood factors causing later menarche impact lifelong adult health

Problems in adulthood such as tobacco use disorder and some conditions related to the digestive system, heart, bladder, joints and brain, are all shown to be affected by some influences that occurred in childhood, according to research presented Saturday at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago, Ill.

15 Jun 2026