The Gut Doctor: The root cause of IBS – and how to treat it | Dr. Will Bulsiewicz

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IBS affects over 300 million people globally, yet remains one of the most misunderstood gut conditions. In this episode, we explore the latest science uncovering the real drivers behind IBS - and why your gut microbiome may hold the key to understanding it.

Joining us is Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, a board-certified gastroenterologist and ZOE’s U.S. Medical Director. Dr. Will breaks down why IBS is so difficult to diagnose, how stress and modern lifestyles are making symptoms more common, and what “problematic” poo can tell us.

We then dive into the science: how the gut-brain axis influences everything from pain to food intolerances, why women are disproportionately affected, and how a disrupted microbiome plays a central role in IBS.

Finally, Dr. Will shares practical strategies backed by the latest research - from dietary changes to cutting-edge treatments - offering hope for healing and prevention.

Whether you're living with IBS or simply want to understand your gut better, this episode is packed with insights into one of the most common yet elusive health conditions of our time.

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Timecodes
00:00 1 in 5 patients have IBS
01:50 Quickfire questions
03:53 What is IBS?
05:14 How common is IBS?
07:30 Different types of IBS
09:03 Your poop should look like this
16:10 Is IBS caused by stress?
17:29 What is the gut-brain axis?
21:10 How the gut controls mood
22:45 The important nerve to know about
26:20 Your sympathetic nervous system
30:20 Why is IBS getting worse
35:10 The chemicals produced in your gut
36:30 How to reduce gut inflammation
48:11 Can diet reduce inflammation?

📚Books by our ZOE Scientists
The Food For Life Cookbook | https://amzn.to/4amfIMX
Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati | https://amzn.to/4blJsLg
Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector | https://amzn.to/4amZinu

Free resources from ZOE:
Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition | https://zoe.com/freeguide
Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks | https://zoe.com/gutguide

Mentioned in today's episode
Irritable Bowel Syndrome and the Gut Microbiome: A Comprehensive Review (2023) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles...
Diet and gut microbial associations in irritable bowel syndrome according to disease subtype (2023) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37786...
The association between low birth weight, childhood recollections of parental response to illness, and irritable bowel syndrome: a twin study (2020) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32715...
Analysis of brain networks and fecal metabolites reveals brain–gut alterations in premenopausal females with irritable bowel syndrome (2020) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles...

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Episode transcripts are available here: https://zoe.com/learn/category/podcasts