Sick of your bad marriage?

HAVING a row with your spouse over the in-laws or money can quite literally make you sick to your stomach, scientists have discovered.

The impact of stress from heated discussions can cause stomach contents to leak from the gut into the blood stream. This can lead to inflammation, raising the risk of significant illnesses.

Researchers recruited 43 healthy married couples, asked them about their relationships, and then encouraged them to try to resolve an issue likely to provoke strong disagreement. The subjects discussed included finances and in-laws.

Their blood was tested for a marker chemical known as LBP which indicates the presence of bacteria. Couples who had the nastiest rows, measured by aggressive language and gestures, harsh criticism of the partner and “dramatic eyerolls”, had the highest levels of LBP.

Dr Janice Kielcolt- Glaser, a psychiatry professor at Ohio State University in the US who led the research, said: “We think this everyday marital distress – at least for some people – is causing changes in the gut that lead to inflammation and, potentially, illness.

“Hostility is a hallmark of bad marriages, the kind that lead to adverse physiological changes.”

The participants ranged in age from 24 to 61 and had been married

Stress can cause

gut into the blood

at least three years.

Michael Bailey, co-author of the study, said: “With leaky gut, the structures that are usually really good at keeping the gunk in our gut – the partially digested food, bacteria and other products – degrade and become less effective.”

Earlier, research found marital discord can slow wound healing and drive up risk for inflammation-related diseases, including heart disease and diabetes. – Daily Mail