Does IBS run in the family?

Does IBS run in your family? I always ask my IBS clients if their parents have ongoing gut issues, or if anything runs in the family to understand the family picture.

It’s likely that someone else in your family also has IBS. In one study IBS prevalence was 17% in patients’ relatives versus 7% in spouses’ relatives 

Influence of genes on IBS in families

IBS could be down to the genes we inherit from our parents. It’s thought genes are the factor in about 1-20% of IBS cases.

After all, your genetic make-up can influence your personality, immunity and neurobiology, which all impact your digestion.

If you have IBS, it doesn’t mean your children will end up with it – it’s not something that automatically gets passed down the generations. This is because you can have the genes associated with IBS but they haven’t been switched on. You can think of it like ‘The genes load the gun, the environment pulls the trigger’.  This means while you can have a predisposition to slow motility, low digestive enzyme production or bile acid malabsorption, the symptoms may or may not show up.

What you eat, whether or not you’ve experienced trauma, how stressful your life is, your economic status, how many people you live with – these all contribute to your potential to get IBS.

Which elements of digestion can be influenced by genetics?

A genetic mutation, known as a polymorphism, can create the conditions for IBS. For example, serotonin affects your gut motility. People with a polymorphism on genes that code for serotonin therefore may have slower digestion. You have many mutations in genes controlling functions like stomach acid production, digestive enzyme production or motility of the gut.

Non-genetic factors: Family environment role in IBS

We learn how to eat from our families, so it’s no wonder we can have the same habits (healthy or unhealthy) as our siblings and parents. If IBS runs in your family think about these areas which can affect our digestive health:

• Mood disorders – A family member with mental health issues might affect your own mental wellbeing and growing up in a house where a parent struggles with depression or anxiety may increase your risk.
• Emotional responses – Exposure to stress, addiction, trauma or abuse
• Eating habits – Whether you cook most meals from scratch or eat pre-prepared food
• Food timing – Do you eat late at night? Are you a family of snackers, or do you skip meals? Was one of your parents always on a diet?
• Gut microbes – We can share bacteria with our family and pets meaning you could also share digestive impact of those microbes.

Essentially, if IBS runs in your family, it’s probably down to a range of factors, including genetics and environmental reasons.