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The exposome and inflammatory bowel disease: a framework for primary and primordial prevention
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This review paper argues that everyday environmental exposures, like food chemicals, pollution, and even microplastics, may play a bigger role in triggering inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) than previously thought. The authors propose a prevention strategy: identifying at-risk individuals early, while also reducing harmful exposures for everyone to lower IBD risk community-wide.
The role of the environment in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is acknowledged as being critical, yet enquiry into the exposome and IBD is limited. Recognizing the exposome as encompassing all physical, chemical, biological and psychosocial factors that influence human health over the lifespan is central to unravelling its role in IBD, as well as overlapping immune-mediated diseases. Here, we summarize the latest in exposome research in IBD, differentiate between early life and later exposures, highlight the limitations of traditional epidemiological methods and introduce lesser-explored exposures (for example, food contact contaminants). We discuss innovation in exposomics, such as high-resolution mass spectrometry platforms, integrative statistics and the relevance of microplastics and nanoplastics, a growing pollutant of concern, in IBD. Next, we highlight the prevention framework, emphasizing the relevance of the actionable exposome and differentiating between primary and primordial prevention. Although the former implies risk stratification and prevention in at-risk individuals, primordial prevention focuses on risk mitigation in the general population. We discuss individual and community-level mitigation strategies and global considerations to lower IBD risk. This Perspective provides a path to implement exposomics in IBD prevention, which might also be relevant towards other chronic health outcomes.
More Papers Like This
Environmental pollutants and the rising burden of inflammatory bowel disease in East Asia: a narrative review
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This review pulls together existing research on why inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is rising sharply in East Asia, pointing to air pollution, heavy metals in water and food, pesticides, and microplastics as likely contributors. Scientists think these pollutants may harm health by disrupting gut bacteria and weakening the intestinal lining, which can trigger chronic inflammation. This matters because it suggests that cleaning up our environment—not just changing diets or genetics—could be a real tool for preventing this painful, lifelong digestive disease.
Raising the Alarm: Environmental Factors in the Onset and Maintenance of Chronic (Low-Grade) Inflammation in the Gastrointestinal Tract
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This review examined how environmental factors including food additives, pesticides, microplastics, and other ubiquitous exposures can trigger chronic low-grade inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, contributing to inflammatory bowel conditions through disrupted microbiota and epithelial barrier function.
Environmental and Lifestyle Factors in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
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This review pulls together existing research on how everyday habits—diet, exercise, sleep, stress, and smoking—affect inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a chronic condition causing gut inflammation. It found that eating more whole foods and Mediterranean-style meals (instead of heavily processed Western diets), staying active, and managing stress may help control symptoms, while emerging evidence suggests environmental pollutants like microplastics, pesticides, and heavy metals could also play a role in triggering or worsening the disease. The takeaway: for people with IBD, lifestyle choices matter alongside medication, though
Micro- and Nanoplastics: A Paradigm Shift in the Pathogenesis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease
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This review paper summarizes research showing that tiny plastic particles from food and water may contribute to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a painful condition affecting the digestive system. Early studies suggest these microscopic plastics can damage the gut lining and trigger inflammation, though more research is needed to prove they directly cause IBD. Since plastic exposure can potentially be reduced, understanding this connection could lead to new ways to prevent or treat digestive diseases.
Adverse health effects of emerging contaminants on inflammatory bowel disease
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This review summarizes how emerging environmental contaminants, including microplastics, endocrine disruptors, herbicides, and heavy metals, may contribute to inflammatory bowel disease. Researchers found evidence that these pollutants can disrupt gut barrier function, alter the microbiome, and trigger immune responses linked to bowel inflammation. The study suggests that reducing exposure to these increasingly common contaminants could help lower the rising incidence of inflammatory bowel disease.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.