Practicing yoga or meditation may do more than reduce stress—research shows it can also help relieve some gut disorders. A new study published in the journal PLOS One looked at people who had irritable bowel syndrome (IBs) or irritable bowel disease (IBD) and found that those who practiced yoga and meditation daily for nine weeks had decreased symptoms associated with their conditions and relied less on their medications. Stress is known to play a big role in both IBs and IBD, so it makes sense that relaxing can help reduce symptoms. “If you suffer from bowel discomfort, it might be worth dedicating some time to practice relaxation techniques to see what impact it has on your bowels’ function,” says study author Braden Kuo, gastroenterologist at Massachusetts general Hospital.

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