Gut issues are more common in women
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects up to 15% of the population – and disproportionately affects women. “For some reason, it’s more likely in women than men. I don’t know whether it’s an oestrogen-related thing. Possibly,” says Dr Bobart. “Also, I think women are more in tune with their physical health… so it might be underdiagnosed in men.”
That includes more serious conditions like Crohn’s disease, which she says can present in several ways – and can have knock-on effects far beyond digestion.
“Crohn’s can present [with] bloody diarrhoea. It’s a malabsorption problem – several bowel motions throughout a day, potentially bloody. But Crohn’s affects [the body] from the gum to the bum. You get ulcerations all along the gastrointestinal tract, but also can present with something like a low B12, low folate or low serum iron because of that malabsorption as well.”
These nutrient deficiencies can impact energy, concentration and mood – symptoms often dismissed as hormonal or stress-related, but which could be rooted in gut dysfunction. For those with Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis, she advises against taking probiotics without guidance:
“In malabsorption diseases, it’s important not to just take any probiotic… potentially taking any probiotic can exacerbate the Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis.”
Symptoms like bloating, discomfort, and changes in bowel habits that come and go are common, but she warns: “Irritable bowel should always be diagnosed when everything else has been investigated. Make sure it’s nothing to do with the ovary. Make sure it’s not fibroids.”
Anyone over 35 with new bowel symptoms “has to be investigated,” she stresses. “Don’t assume it’s irritable bowel.”