Katharina Buczek
Education is a crucial part of society that welcomes a plethora of benefits. Staying in school develops critical thinking that is key during adulthood and leads to greater life stability due to higher salary potential.
Yet another perhaps surprising benefit has just been added to the list, though. According to a new study conducted by Edith Cowan University (ECU), getting a better education has been genetically correlated with protection against numerous gut disorders.
Prior research conducted by the ECU team had found a genetic link between Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and gut health.
Although, it was difficult to conclude whether or not one caused the other.
Now, however, this most recent study has broken new ground. The findings have built upon the ECU Center for Precision Health’s (CPH) previous work and found even more substantial evidence of a strong relationship between the gut and the brain– otherwise known as the gut-brain axis.
“Gut disorders and Alzheimer’s may not only share a common genetic predisposition but may be similarly influenced by genetic variations underpinning educational attainment,” explained Professor Simon Laws, the study’s supervisor and director of CPH.
So, this large-scale study analyzed the genetic information of over seven hundred and sixty-six thousand individuals.
The researchers specifically emphasized cognitive traits, Alzheimer’s disease, and gut disorders– including gastritis-duodenitis, peptic ulcer disease (PUD), irritable bowel syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and diverticulosis.
The examination revealed that higher levels of cognitive functioning and education actually reduced patients’ risk of gut disorders– leading the researchers to claim that such a discovery could have widespread implications.
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