A big team of doctors from the United States and the United Kingdom made a discovery. They found a link between our stomach and diseases that cause joint pain.
These diseases make our body parts red, swollen, and painful. They include conditions like ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
This discovery was reported in a science journal. They did a study, comparing the stomachs of healthy people and those with these painful diseases.
Old Discoveries and New Connections
In the past, scientists found that our stomach could be related to these diseases. But no one could say for sure. This time, these doctors wanted to find a clear link.
They invited 440 adults to help. Half of them were healthy, and the other half had one of these painful diseases.
The doctors asked everyone for a poop sample. This helped them learn more about the bacteria in each person’s stomach.
The Stomach: A World of Bacteria
From the poop samples, the doctors noticed something. The people with diseases had different bacteria in their stomachs compared to healthy people.
Some good bacteria, Roseburia intestinalis, and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, were less in these people. More bad bacteria, like Ruminococcus gnavus and Escherichia coli, were found.
The Role of Nutrients
Another important finding was about vitamins and minerals. People with these diseases had trouble getting vitamin B from food.
This vitamin is important for our body to work well. Also, their bodies stored less iron, a crucial mineral for our blood and muscles.
The doctors think this could be helpful. Knowing this, we might find better ways to help people with these diseases.
The Chicken or the Egg?
At the end of the study, the doctors made a clear point. They are still not sure about what’s causing what.
Is it the disease causing the changes in the stomach? Or is it the other way around? Maybe, it’s about the immune system. This system defends our body from sickness.
But they all agree on one thing. There is a link between our stomach and these diseases. This study adds more proof to it. This new knowledge may help us find better ways to fight these painful diseases.
If you care about gut health, please read studies that green tea could boost gut health and lower blood sugar, and this diet could boost your gut health and weight loss.
If you care about arthritis, please read studies about extra virgin olive oil for arthritis, and pomegranate: A natural treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.
The study was published in Science Translational Medicine.
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