A significant number of people suffer from joint, arthritic pain, especially after a certain age, but only a few are aware of the association with gastrointestinal disorders. To know more about this, go to the BOOKS folder on this website where you will find my booklet JOINT PAIN free of charge. Start by reading the articles below.
Hugo Rodier, MD
Bidirectional Association of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Irritable Bowel Syndrome
J. Mayo Clinic Proc Volume 101, Issue 4p626-637April 2026
“Overall, 8984 new IBS cases were identified in cohort 1 during a total of 5,980,083 person-years of follow-up. After adjustment for multiple confounders, RA patients exhibited a 1.30-fold increased risk (95% CI, 1.12 to 1.51) for development of IBS, with an even 1.4-fold higher risk in those with RA duration of 10 years or more. By contrast, a total of 5777 incident RA cases were identified during a median follow-up of 14.3 years in cohort 2. Patients with IBS demonstrated a 1.53-fold increased risk (95% CI, 1.39 to 1.68) for development of RA.”
Comment: inflammation is generated by an unbalanced, unhealth gut bacteria. Said inflammation leaks out of the gut to reach the joints. Eating a plant-based diet high in fiber is the best way to fix the problem. See below.
Prebiotic fiber supplement helped ease pain in people with knee arthritis
“HealthDay (3/17/26, Thompson) reports, “A prebiotic fiber supplement helped ease pain in people with knee arthritis, researchers recently” found. The research “focused on inulin, a natural dietary fiber found in chicory root, Jerusalem artichokes and other vegetables.” Investigators found that “both inulin and physical therapy reduced knee pain on their own,” but “inulin also improved patients’ grip strength and reduced their pain sensitivity, measures linked to how the nervous system processes pain.” The findings were published in J. Nutrients.”
Comment: fiber is a PREBIOTIC, or the food that feeds your friendly bacteria. Then they are in better shape to displace the inflammation-producing bacteria that loves ultra-processed foods.
Ultra-processed foods associated with adverse behavioral outcomes in preschoolers
Healio Minute, March 16, 2026
“Every 10% increase in energy intake from ultra-processed foods was linked to higher scores on measures of adverse behavior. Future research can assess strategies to increase minimally processed food consumption. Anxiety, aggression, hyperactivity and other adverse behaviors in preschoolers were associated with higher intake of ultra-processed foods, a study in JAMA Network Open found.”
Comment: unfortunately, government regulations to curve the marketing of these foods have gotten bogged down in the Office of Management and Budget, where it is unlikely to come out for some time. The Office is getting input from the food industry claiming that the economy would suffer if ultra-processed foods were to be banned. Related article below.
People have less depression, anxiety after cutting ultra-processed food intake
“HealthDay (9/24/26, Thompson) reports, “People had less depression and anxiety after cutting their ultra-processed food intake by more than 85%,” according to a new pilot study. “For the study, researchers recruited 20 participants diagnosed with depression. Among them, 14 also had anxiety.” Researchers found “that when people cut down on ultra-processed food, they scored significantly lower on three measures for depression. They also had modestly improved anxiety scores.” The results were published in JAMA Psychiatry.”
Comment: mente sana in corpore sano.
PFAS exposure may accelerate epigenetic aging in older men
“CNN (2/26/26, LaMotte) ‘Forever chemicals’ known as PFAS appear to be aging men faster in their 50s and early 60s.” For the study, “blood samples gathered at the time were examined for the presence of 11 types of PFAS chemicals. The DNA methylome…was also measured in the blood cells of the participants.” According to researchers, “the associations between PFAS exposure and accelerated epigenetic aging were strongest in men aged 50 – 65.” The study was published in J. Frontiers in Aging.”
Comment: epigenetics = above genetics. Environmental issues (good food and bad chemicals) affect your genes. The good news is that we lower our risk of genetic diseases in our DNA when we eat lots of veggies and avoid chemicals as much as possible.
Lifelong learning may lower risks of Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment in late life
“MedPage Today (2/13/26, George) reported, “A lifetime enriched with intellectually stimulating activities – including reading, writing, or frequently visiting museums – was associated with lower risks of Alzheimer’s disease dementia and mild cognitive impairment in late life… over nearly 8 years of follow-up, each 1-point increase in lifetime cognitive enrichment correlated with a 38% lower risk of Alzheimer’s dementia,” while “the risk of developing mild cognitive impairment also was reduced by 33%.” The findings were published in J. Neurology.”
Comment: dancing lowers risk by 50% and crossword puzzles by 79%.
Vaccination against herpes zoster was tied to significantly less dementia risk
“MedPage Today (1/26/26, George) reports, “Vaccination against herpes zoster (shingles) was tied to significantly less dementia risk, data from Canada’s network of primary care records showed.” Investigators found that “being eligible for a free live-attenuated zoster vaccine (Zostavax) was associated with reduced probability of a new dementia diagnosis by an absolute difference of 2.0 percentage points (95% CI 0.4-3.5, P=0.012) over 5.5 years.” The findings were published in J. Lancet Neurology.”
Comment: if the virus gets to your brain, it can do significant damage.
Two-thirds of health information videos produced by health professionals lack strong supporting evidence
“MedPage Today (1/24/26, Bankhead) reported, “Fewer than 20% of online health information videos produced by health professionals had high-quality evidence to support claims made in the videos, according to a review of content on…YouTube.” Researchers found that “two-thirds of the videos, all related to cancer or diabetes, had low, very low, or no evidence to support health claims.” Approximately “15% of the 309 videos had moderate-quality evidence.” Meanwhile, “a multivariate analysis showed that videos with lower-quality evidence attracted more views than those with the highest level of evidence.” The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.”
Comment: I often get articles in websites populated by MDs. After reviewing them I agree that most of them are based on shaky evidence designed to marketing their services. They tend to be provocative, and self-promoting. Buyer beware.
Daily multivitamin may slow biological aging in older adults
“NBC News (3/9/26, Leake) reports a study found that “for older adults, a daily multivitamin may slightly slow the aging process.” Researchers observed that in “a randomized study of 958 older adults, those who took a multivitamin daily for two years experienced slowed so-called biological aging by about four months. That is, during the 24 months, they aged only 20 months at a cellular level.” Furthermore, “people who had shown signs of accelerated biological aging at the start of the trial saw a greater benefit from daily multivitamins.” The study was published in the journal Nature Medicine.
Comment: a better way to consume multivitamins is in PREBIOTIC powder drinks that also boost microbiome health. A plant-based diet is best.
Low vitamin D levels linked to severity of respiratory tract infections
“MedPage Today (1/22/26, Rudd) ‘Very low serum vitamin D was linked to a greater risk of hospitalization for respiratory tract infections (RTIs)… over about 15 years of median follow-up, people with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) ≤15 nmol/L at baseline were more likely than those with 25(OH)D ≥75 nmol/L to be hospitalized for an RTI.” The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.”
Comment: if you lived in the northern states, sun exposure is not optimal. Check your levels.
