Welcome to the
Ruscio Research Report |
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In each edition, I’ll share the most interesting and actionable findings from the latest health studies so you can stay informed (without sifting through dense medical journals).
Here’s what I found this month:
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Vagus Nerve Stimulation May Help IBS |
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A 2025 review explored whether stimulating the vagus nerve, the main communication line between the brain and gut, could offer a new treatment path for IBS.
The results were promising. VNS improved multiple aspects of gut function at once, including:
- Inflammation
- Pain sensitivity
- Gut motility
- Intestinal permeability
- Microbiome composition
In clinical studies, patients also reported more regular bowel movements, less abdominal pain, and better quality of life.
What makes this interesting is the multi-system effect. Rather than addressing one symptom at a time, VNS appears to reset several broken pathways simultaneously.
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Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Synbiotics May Help Reduce Gut Permeability |
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A 2025 meta-analysis pooled data from 24 trials and 1,603 subjects to examine how probiotics, synbiotics, and prebiotics affect markers of intestinal permeability.
Key findings:
• Probiotics and synbiotics improved markers of leaky gut (LPS levels and serum zonulin)
• Prebiotics also improved LPS levels but did not affect fecal calprotectin
These results suggest that probiotics, synbiotics, and prebiotics can meaningfully improve certain markers of leaky gut & gut inflammation. But the benefits take time, often requiring two to three months to appear.
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Probiotics Significantly Relieved Chronic Constipation in Older Adults |
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A 2026 randomized controlled trial (RCT) split a group of 132 middle-aged and older adults with chronic constipation, comparing those who took a multi-strain probiotic to those who took a placebo for 28 days.
The multi-strain probiotics group had nearly double the number of bowel movements as the probiotic group (4.5 vs. 2.4) each week, with improvements in stool formation and reductions in bloating.
This suggests that a short course of a multi-strain probiotic can produce substantial relief for older adults struggling with chronic constipation.
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Rifaximin Works Faster Than Low-FODMAP for IBS, but Both Get There |
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A 2026 RCT compared rifaximin to a low-FODMAP diet over four weeks in 100 IBS patients.
By Week 2, rifaximin was clearly ahead on global symptoms (90% vs. 72%), bloating (84% vs. 58%), and abdominal pain (80% vs. 58%). By Week 4, response rates had converged (56% vs. 48%).
The rifaximin group made no dietary changes and still matched the diet group's outcomes. That speaks to how much bacterial overgrowth can drive IBS symptoms. At the same time, low-FODMAP remains a reliable, accessible option for people who are not candidates for antibiotics.
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Dr. Michael Ruscio, DC
Adjunct Professor, University of Bridgeport
Clinical Researcher |
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