Brennan Spiegel, MD, MSHS, director of Health Services Research at Cedars-Sinai, has introduced a new theory suggesting that gravity plays a significant role in digestive health. In his recent book and an article published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, Spiegel proposes that conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may be linked to the body’s ability to manage gravity.
Spiegel’s book, “Pull: How Gravity Shapes Your Body, Steadies the Mind and Guides Our Health,” introduces the concept of “gravity intolerance.” He explains that this phenomenon could affect not only the gut but also other bodily systems. According to Spiegel, symptoms like fatigue after standing for long periods, dizziness upon standing up quickly, back pain, ankle swelling, or indigestion while lying down could all be manifestations of gravity intolerance.
“If you’ve ever felt unusually fatigued after a long day on your feet, gotten dizzy standing up too quickly, dealt with persistent back pain, noticed swelling around your ankles, or had indigestion lying flat in bed—you’ve felt the effects of what I call gravity intolerance,” Spiegel said.
He developed this theory partly through personal observation. While caring for his mother-in-law in an assisted living facility where she spent much time lying down and experienced digestive issues and depression, Spiegel began to question whether her symptoms were caused by inactivity or vice versa. “Our abdominal contents are heavy, like carrying a sack of potatoes in our bellies for a lifetime. Thankfully, evolution equipped us with systems to manage this load when we’re standing upright,” Spiegel said. “But lying down for too long compresses the intestines, slows digestion, and can create a feedback loop of discomfort between the gut and brain. I started to wonder: Was my mother-in-law’s time in bed causing her symptoms, or was it the other way around? Her story revealed a much larger picture to me about how gravity affects the body—and how many of my patients’ struggles might connect back to it.”
Spiegel further explained: “The human relationship to gravity is much like a fish’s relationship to water. We live our entire lives in it, are shaped by it, yet rarely notice its constant influence on our existence.”
His research led him to consider whether managing gravity better could improve IBS symptoms more effectively than some medications. He speculated that physical activities such as core strengthening exercises or tai chi might benefit patients because they help counteract gravitational strain on the body.
“Might gravity intolerance explain why physical activity—like core strengthening, tai chi or aerobic activity—can often improve IBS symptoms, more than some medication? Could it also explain why some patients get lightheaded when they stand up quickly, or why so many also suffer from lower back pain—a consequence of gravity strain—or get worse at high altitude, where gravity’s grip on the atmosphere is diminished, or have abdominal obesity weighing down the belly?” Spiegel said. “I began to suspect that gravity’s relentless pull might be a common thread in conditions I’d been studying for years.”
He also describes mental aspects related to gravity: negative emotions can feel physically burdensome—a sensation he calls “mental gravity.” He draws parallels between anxiety-induced gut feelings and sensations experienced during rapid movements such as riding roller coasters.
In his book “Pull,” Spiegel discusses strategies for building resilience against gravitational effects—including flotation tanks and posture adjustments—to promote overall wellness beyond just digestive health. He hopes these ideas will contribute toward developing biogravitational medicine as a field focused on understanding how gravity impacts both mind and body.
Other leaders at Cedars-Sinai have expressed interest in testing this hypothesis further. Shelly Lu, MD stated: “This could be a game changer in how we think about IBS and possibly how it’s treated.” Itai Danovitch, MD added: “We’ve long known that gut health affects mood; that posture influences confidence; that movement helps depression—but conceptualizing these through the lens of gravity management is genuinely novel. This framework could point toward new interventions that can be rigorously tested and evaluated.”
Spiegel remains committed to advancing research into his theory. “Gravity was here long before we were and it will remain long after we’re gone,” he said. “It stands to reason that mastering gravity was essential for life to evolve on Earth—and we survive and thrive by standing up and staying up as long as we can.”
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is located in Los Angeles and has served patients since 1902 under current president Thomas M. Priselac; according to its 2022 annual report https://www.cedars-sinai.org/about/annual-report.html, over 50,000 patients were admitted during that year.
