mBIOTA Labs Presents Data on GI Care-Seeking-Behavior and Provider Trust Across Generations at ACG 2026

New data analysis points towards symptom normalization and high feelings of dismissal among generations with the most prevalent GI symptoms 

Santa Monica, CA – October 12, 2026 – mBIOTA Labs, an emerging medical food company advancing the science and use of medical nutrition for the management of gastrointestinal (GI) conditions, today released findings from a new national gut health survey highlighting generational differences in GI care-seeking behavior that help to illustrate how patient experiences and anticipated care costs may be contributing to future care avoidance. These findings will advance understanding of certain barriers to care so that providers and allied organizations alike can better tailor care experiences and ultimately lead more patients to faster symptom relief. 

“Despite the high costs of average GI care in the United States, the generational differences of perceptions about GI symptoms and its real consequences on care-seeking behavior are poorly understood,” says Dr. Ali Rezaie, physician-scientist, neurogastroenterologist, and medical advisor to mBIOTA Labs. “Our findings strongly indicate potential gaps between patients and appropriate care decisions, and that the healthcare system may especially be missing the mark with younger patients.”

An abstract was presented at the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, by research partners from Cedars-Sinai Los Angeles, including GI physician-scientists Dr. Ali Rezaie and Dr. Mark Pimentel, who are known for their pioneering research in SIBO, IBS, and gut health.

The abstract, titled “Generational Differences In Gastrointestinal Symptom Burden, Perceptions, And Healthcare-Utilization Behaviors Among U.S. Adults: A Nationally Representative Survey,” highlights patterns across patients’ symptom recognition, care access, and trust in their healthcare providers to address their gut health concerns. The in-depth data analysis is drawn from mBIOTA Labs’ national panel survey of 2,000 U.S. adults conducted in March 2025 using Census-based quota sampling and post-stratification weighting to approximate national representativeness. 

Findings showed that the majority (58%) of survey respondents across the U.S. experienced GI symptoms within the past year. Generational differences discovered in the mBIOTA Labs national gut health survey include:

• Younger generations were the most likely to experience GI symptoms within the past year (Gen Z: 65%, Millennials: 67%), and more than three out of four younger respondents felt dismissed by their physicians when seeking care for their abnormal symptoms (Gen Z: 76%, Millennials: 80%) 

• While the younger patients were also the most likely to normalize their symptoms (Gen Z: 56%, Millennials: 54%), they were better at seeking care compared to their older counterparts, of whom a greater proportion did not seek care for their symptoms (Gen Z: 23%, Millennials: 22%, Gen X: 31%, Baby Boomers: 48%, Silent: 41%).

• It is statistically significant (p<0.001) that believing symptoms are “normal” was the most common reason for not seeking care across generations (Gen Z: 56%, Millennials: 54%, Gen X: 52%, Baby Boomers: 47%). Even when perceived as “abnormal”, 30% of Baby Boomers would still not seek care. 

• Among participants who did not seek care for “abnormal” symptoms, affordability was the primary concern for Gen Z (44%), whereas symptom management knowledge gaps were most commonly cited across other generations. 

“It is imperative for the industry to map out the patient experience and better understand how care-seeking behavior differs across demographics,” said Nicola Wodlinger, CEO of mBIOTA Labs. “These findings underscore the importance of nurturing strong provider-patient relationships and meeting patients where they are. Greater education about gut health and care options available, particularly for younger generations, and destigmatization of symptoms now may serve to reduce the need for more serious care interventions in the future.”

As a patient-founded company, engagement with those suffering from diseases for which the elemental diet may be an option is a top priority for mBIOTA Labs. mBIOTA partners with condition-specific advocacy groups such as G-PACT, IFFGD, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, and others to share resources, lend support to research efforts, and learn from patient communities. For more information on mBIOTA Labs, mBIOTA Elemental, and related clinical findings, or partnership opportunities, please contact: 

Cherlee Street, Director of Strategic Partnerships

cstreet@mbiotalabs.com

Maeve Byrne, Manager of Scientific Affairs

mbyrne@mbiotalabs.com 

About mBIOTA Labs

mBIOTA Labs is an evidence-led medical nutrition company advancing the science and use of elemental nutrition. Used in clinical care for decades, elemental diets provide essential nutrients in their simplest forms, allowing them to be absorbed with minimal digestion and supporting the nutritional management of a range of chronic gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Founded from firsthand patient experience to provide a scientifically validated alternative to pharmaceuticals for chronic GI conditions. mBIOTA works with leading clinicians, researchers, and food scientists to set a higher standard for how elemental nutrition is studied, formulated, and experienced.

Its flagship medical food, mBIOTA Elemental™, was developed to address one of the category’s longstanding barriers: tolerability. Through clinical research, practical innovation, and patient-centered support, mBIOTA is working to make this established clinical approach more viable, accessible, and better understood in modern digestive care. To learn more, visit mBIOTA.com.