Gravity and the Gut: A Hypothesis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Does your irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) flare-up on airplanes, amusement park rides, or while hiking up to higher altitudes? Gravity could be the reason. Dr. Brennan Spiegel, Director of Health Services Research at Cedars-Sinai joins us to discuss a hypothesis he published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology about the effects of gravity on irritable bowel syndrome. Dr. Spiegel explains what we already know about IBS, connects the dots with patient experiences and calls for research in order to determine whether IBS, as well as other gastrointestinal conditions, could result from the body’s inability to manage gravity. He also helps us imagine the possible implications for new treatments based on new understandings of the role of gravity on the gut.