An inexpensive pantry staple found in many grocery stores could offer relief for people struggling with bloating and sudden trips to the bathroom, according to a new study.

Scientists examined how ferulic acid may affect irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), two gut-related conditions often linked to disrupted intestinal movement and uncomfortable digestive symptoms.

Normally, the intestines move food and waste through the digestive tract using rhythmic, wave-like muscle contractions known as peristalsis. Those contractions are triggered in part by calcium signals that tell the gut muscles when to squeeze.

When that process falls out of balance, digestion can become difficult. If the gut moves too slowly or the muscles fail to contract strongly enough, constipation, cramping and abdominal discomfort can follow.

But when the intestines become overactive and contract too often, the result can be diarrhea, gas, bloating and an urgent need for frequent bowel movements.

However, researchers found that ferulic acid, an antioxidant found in whole grains and rice bran, may help regulate how the intestines move – particularly overactive intestines – because it interferes with how calcium enters intestinal muscle cells.

With less calcium entering the smooth muscle, contractions weaken, potentially helping to calm an overactive intestine and alleviating symptoms in people with diarrhea-predominant IBD or IBS. 

The study, published in the Journal of Pharmacological Sciences, explained how researchers at Toho University tested their theory using smooth muscle samples from guinea pigs’ small intestines. 

They exposed the muscle to chemicals in the body that normally cause the intestine to contract, such as acetylcholine, serotonin, histamine, and prostaglandins.

Once they added in ferulic acid, they noted it reduced the strength of contractions produced by these signals.

The effect was concentration-dependent: more ferulic acid produced a stronger inhibitory effect, which weakened the stomach movement. 

It was also reversible – once the ferulic acid was removed, normal contractions returned.

READ MORE: Anak Krakatau Volcano Eruption Cancels Flights at Jakarta and Other Indonesian Airports

Additional experiments revealed why this occurs: ferulic acid specifically reduces calcium signals in the gut. 

This could expand options for treatment or relieving symptoms in people with diarrhea-predominant IBS.

But the findings are not one-size-fits-all. 

For people with constipation-predominant IBS, further slowing intestinal movement could make constipation and related symptoms worse. 

Affecting up to one in 10 Americans, IBS has no cure but can be managed with dietary modifications, behavioral therapy and medications such as laxatives, fiber supplements, probiotics and low doses of certain antidepressants. 

Ferulic acid is best known for its skincare benefits, helping slow visible skin aging, brighten skin, reduce redness, and boost other antioxidants. 

Top food sources of ferulic acid that people can add to their diets for natural relief include cereal bran and whole grains such as oats and barley. Plain popcorn is also one of the richest snack sources of the compound. 

Other fruits and vegetables containing ferulic acid include eggplant, carrots, broccoli, spinach, oranges, grapefruit, and apples.

A supplement is also available as a standalone pill for general wellness, while topical serums are available specifically for skincare. 

One noted study limitation was the levels of ferulic acid used in the guinea pigs’ intestines were higher than blood concentrations typically reached through a normal diet.

Researchers suggested ferulic acid levels in the intestine could be higher because the compound from food comes into direct contact with the gut. 

Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano erupted before dawn Sunday, forcing authorities to cancel all flights at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and causing disruptions at several domestic airports as volcanic ash moved over parts of western Indonesia.

The Indonesian Geological Agency said the volcanic island, which sits in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, had been showing increased activity since Friday. It erupted for about 30 seconds at 3:53 a.m. Sunday, with closed-circuit camera footage capturing bursts of glowing lava from the crater.

Officials reported no casualties, and no evacuation order was issued. The closest settlement lies more than 10 miles from the volcano, though authorities urged residents and visitors to keep a minimum distance of 2 miles from the active crater.

Ash from the eruption drifted across sections of Jakarta and Lampung province on the southern tip of Sumatra, according to Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation.

AirNav Indonesia shut down airspace around Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Perdanakusuma airports, along with four other airports, including Radin Inten II Airport in Lampung, citing the danger posed by volcanic ash.

Thousands of passengers affected

By mid-afternoon, the closure had affected 516 flight movements, with 202 in Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta airport alone that affected about 22,800 passengers, on Sunday. The airport was ordered closed until at least 5:30 p.m.

Indonesia’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation said it was closely monitoring the eruption’s impact on air travel and coordinating with airlines, airport operators, air navigation services and the meteorology agency.

“Safety remains our top priority in every operational decision,” Lukman F. Laisa, Ministry of Transportation director general of civil aviation, said in a statement.

He warned flight schedules could face cascading disruptions affecting aircraft rotations, fleet availability and terminal capacity as airlines work to restore operations.

The eruption also disrupted services at Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport and at Medan.

ALSO READ: Simple Lifestyle Changes That May Help You Lower Blood Pressure and Reduce Medication

Volcano remains active

Indonesia’s volcanology agency and the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre identified two ash clouds using satellite imagery. One plume rose to 20,000 feet (6,100 meters) and drifted northeast over Jakarta, Banten, West Java and nearby waters.

A second cloud reached 50,000 feet (15,200 meters) and spread over parts of Banten, Lampung and Bengkulu provinces, the southern Sunda Strait and sections of the Indian Ocean west of Sumatra.

Lana Saria, head of Indonesia’s Geological Agency, said activity at Anak Krakatau has intensified since July, with Sunday’s eruption the strongest during the current period of unrest.

The repeated eruptions indicate a continued supply of magma and volcanic gases beneath the volcano, she said, though officials cannot predict whether a larger eruption will occur.

“We continue to evaluate the volcano’s development based on all monitoring data, not solely on the number of eruptions or the height of the ash column,” Saria said in a video briefing.

She said the main hazards include volcanic ash, high concentrations of gas and the ejection of hot rocks and other material around the crater area.

Anak Krakatau, which means “child of Krakatau,” is the offspring of the famous Krakatau, whose monumental 1883 eruption triggered a period of global cooling.

The eruption caused a tsunami in 2018 that killed at least 430 people in Sumatra and Java.

Researchers believe volcanic activity triggered an underwater landslide and caused a large chunk of Anak Krakatau’s southwest slope to collapse and displace a large volume of water.

Scientists said Anak Krakatau island was only about a quarter of its original size after that eruption.

Karmelo Anthony’s family is now asking supporters to contribute an additional $250,000 to help pay for his appeal, following an earlier fundraising effort that brought in nearly $634,000 and prompted scrutiny over how the money was used. The family announced the new campaign during a news conference in Dallas, Texas.

The latest fundraising appeal comes nearly two weeks after a judge rejected Anthony’s request for a new trial. At the Dallas news conference, his relatives and supporters, including attorney Russell Wilson, said they are preparing to challenge the conviction through the appeals process.

Anthony, 19, received a 35-year prison sentence in June after a jury found him guilty of murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf during a high school track meet in Frisco, Texas. He has filed an appeal and says he does not have the financial resources to hire an attorney to handle it.

Wilson said the newly created fund is meant to pay for appellate legal fees, expert witnesses and other expenses tied to efforts to overturn or challenge Anthony’s conviction.

“I think there’s a misconception that the motion for new trial denial would have ended an appeal,” Wilson said. “It actually is part of an appeal.”

Wilson said the appeal could take more than a year. The trial record is expected to be assembled in October. After that, both sides will make their case in writing, and the Dallas Court of Appeals could hold a hearing.

The request follows a GiveSendGo campaign launched on Anthony’s behalf in April 2025 that raised $633,908 before it was removed from public view following his conviction.

The earlier campaign was organized by Anthony’s mother and initially set a fundraising goal of nearly $1.4 million. Organizers said donations could be used for legal defense, moving the family, basic living expenses, transportation, counseling and security.

GiveSendGo said the money had been distributed over the previous year for lawful purposes, including legal defense and moving the family, and that the campaign was closed after its stated purpose was completed.

The new campaign page says donations will be deposited into an attorney trust account administered by Wilson and that Anthony’s family will not receive or control the money. The page says the funds will be used only for legal expenses, including filings, transcripts, investigators and experts.

The page listed a $250,000 goal and $30,194 raised when viewed by News Media. Trinicia Ricks is identified as the campaign’s creator, while Wilson is listed as the person who will receive the funds.

A reporter pressed Dominique Alexander, a civil rights activist who has served as a spokesman for Anthony’s family, about the new request and what happened to money raised through the earlier campaign. The reporter also asked about claims that donations were used to buy a car or house.

“These are deliberate lies,” Alexander said. “Why would we ask the question to a family to answer something that clearly was a lie?”

When asked where the previous money went, Alexander declined to explain the family’s fees or say whether any funds remained.

Alexander said the original fundraiser also helped the family relocate after they faced threats.

“That fund was established to not only help with the legal process, but also be able to relocate this family to safety,” he said.

Public records reviewed by News Media previously showed Anthony’s parents, Andrew Anthony III and Kala Hayes, were connected to business entities in Louisiana and Texas. A Texas entity listing Andrew Anthony III as its registered agent became active 24 days after Metcalf’s death.

The records did not show whether either company generated revenue, held assets or received money from the fundraiser. Anthony’s parents have not been accused of wrongdoing.

Anthony has since described himself in court filings as a “penniless, destitute, and indigent person, too poor to employ counsel to represent me on the appeal.”

Wilson declined to provide additional details about the defense strategy, saying some issues could become important in future proceedings.

Anthony remains in custody while the appeal moves forward.

News Media has reached out to Wilson for comment.

There has still been no formal announcement that Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, have swapped California for life in Britain. Yet the silence feels increasingly strange: the family is understood to have landed ten days ago by private jet, shortly after briefings suggested they were heading to the UK for an “extended stay”.

Behind the scenes, however, the word has spread quickly through their apparent new Cotswolds base — moving through local circles with the kind of speed more often associated with Jeremy Clarkson racing across a field on his Lamborghini tractor.

According to several sources, Archie and Lilibet have now been registered at schools in the area. Friends of Harry say the Duke of Sussex was keen for Archie, seven, to experience a traditional British prep school education, reminiscent of Harry’s own cherished years at Ludgrove in Berkshire. Lilibet, five, is expected to attend the same school’s pre-prep department.

Those close to the couple say the plan is for Harry to take on the role of a more hands-on, full-time father in the Cotswolds, while Meghan divides her time between Britain and the couple’s Montecito home as she continues to pursue her business, media and entertainment ambitions.

Harry is expected to be on the touchline as Archie gets to grips with rugby, while Meghan is said to be adjusting to one very British reality: Saturday school. Still, with the move appearing to have come together at speed, many details of the Sussexes’ new chapter in the UK remain unsettled.

For instance, every local estate agent and landowner is agog over the question of where they are staying now, and where they might buy – or have they bought already? But I hear from a friend of Harry’s it might be up to 18 months before they move in anywhere.

‘They are staying in a property on the estate of a friend,’ they say. ‘But the truth is Harry feels they are highly unlikely to find somewhere that is just ready to move into.

‘He thinks it may be 12 to 18 months before they’re into a new place, and that’s if you are thinking about completing at the end of this year or early next year. So it could be even further away than that.

‘It’s likely that if you have the £8million-plus budget, which they do, that a house will be historic which makes renovations more complicated because there are heritage issues.

‘The kind of property they are looking for with the amount of land doesn’t come up every week so they know it might be a long search for the right place.’

One’s rather reminded of their initial flit in 2020 after Megxit, when the couple upped sticks across the Atlantic to make their fortune, despite having no permanent home to go to, instead relying on the largesse of rich friends such as film-maker and actor Tyler Perry. Yet the couple’s friends are convinced this high-stakes move back to the UK – which appears equally dependent on the munificence of rich friends – will prove more successful.

And indeed there are signs Harry and Meghan’s gamble on returning, even at this early stage, has started to bear fruit.

I was told on Thursday evening by a source close to Harry that the wheels have begun to turn on what has been a huge point of contention for the prince: whether the state will fund his security. So much so that his circle say Harry believes he is about to win at least a partial victory here.

The prince has fought and lost numerous court battles over his security, and wants to have full-time taxpayer-funded close protection from the Home Office.

Until now, however, all the Sussexes have had is a police phone number to call if needed, after a review of his needs carried out by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec) concluded he wasn’t entitled to more than this.

‘Now, though,’ says the source, ‘a police liaison officer has been assigned to them, and Ravec are again assessing the situation now the children have regular routines. There is some security where they’re staying, as there is on all estates of that size. They also have security which they are paying for privately. But Ravec are right now re-evaluating them and their new circumstances.

‘As well as them now being in the UK and with children and school, the fact is that Britain in 2026 is different from Britain in 2020. The thinking is that, in the next couple of weeks, there will be an announcement that Ravec will amend their security status to some degree.’

Which feels rather like what used to be called ‘gunboat diplomacy’. Harry’s move home seems to have called everyone’s bluff – much to his benefit.

That’s not the only area where friends believe Harry hopes to make inroads, saying it even looks as if there is manoeuvring along similar lines over his relationship with his brother Prince William.

A friend says: ‘It’s too soon now but there is a hope and a belief that one day they will appear in public together and that will completely change the narrative. There is communication between them.

‘I don’t think people quite realise what a bad place Harry was in mentally around the time of that decision to move to America. He was so unhappy. He has grown up a lot, and having children has changed him a lot as well.’

That’s not a narrative other royal sources recognise, however. One tells me: ‘I don’t believe that there is communication between the brothers. There was a story some time ago which suggested Harry sent a message after Kate’s cancer diagnosis and it was ignored.’

What is more certain is that Harry can enjoy a rejuvenated relationship with his father now he is closer geographically. I’m told the idea of taking tea with ‘Pa’ once a month has been floated.

Harry’s friend said: ‘They are hoping to see more of the King and for the children to properly get to know him and be a part of his life. I do think Harry will try to make his arrangements without involving the Palace apparatus as far as he can. Yes, a cup of tea and a run around the garden for half an hour on a Sunday, that sort of thing.’

It remains to be seen, though, whether similar familial contentment could ever be achieved with the Waleses. The more cynical source said: ‘William is never ever going to talk about it, so you shouldn’t believe anyone who tells you they know what he’s thinking.

‘William is the arch pragmatist unlike Harry, who would – and has – cut off his nose to spite his face. William would never do anything to weaken the institution. If the focus groups say that everyone wants Harry back then I think he would listen, but they don’t even remotely say that at the moment.’

Public opinion is, indeed, dead set against Harry after the barbs and betrayals of the Montecito period. But Harry’s friend suggests: ‘There is a bit of optimism that we might be starting to see a change in sentiment about Harry. It’s one step at a time.’

One imagines this depends on how committed Harry and Meghan appear to be to their new lives.

Last week I was told the family are planning to spend the Christmas holidays ‘back home’ in Montecito. Then I was told the likelihood is the family will scoot back for half term as well, and this pattern will continue for the rest of the school year, adding their base in Portugal into the mix as well.

Which might lead you to ask whether some of the family are more comfortable with the UK return than others?

Harry’s friends continue to stoutly insist that ‘Megs’ is ‘100 per cent all-in’ with the move. Time will tell as it will be a challenge for her to keep her As Ever Instagram feed full of aspirational Californian sunshine content when she’s having a wet Wednesday on the school run.

One imagines house-hunting will be a good project to keep Meghan occupied. Harry’s friend tells me: ‘They have engaged a number of agents who have been looking for them for the past month or so. Everyone is speculating like mad on which places they like or don’t like, or might buy.’

Significantly, the family have not been seen by locals since they arrived, which looks a little like a re-run of their life in Montecito. There they conducted themselves so privately nobody in the community would say they would be missed when it emerged they were returning to the UK.

One neighbour even told the Mail the Sussexes had returned the bottle of wine which she had left as a welcome gift at their gate.

This kind of closed-door policy will not go down well in the celebrity-rich Cotswolds, where everyone is expected to at least pay lip service to the idea of community.

Local author Plum Sykes, who has written a fictional best-seller about the social mores of the area, told the Royalist podcast: ‘I suspect when they were at Frogmore [their former cottage home on the Windsor estate] everything was dealt with by the estate.

‘But in the Cotswolds if you buy a farm or estate then you really have to run it and be humble. You have to understand how to work with all sorts of people who you have never come across before.’

This, she feels, will not be a problem for Harry.

Sykes adds that the area can be ‘grim’ between January and May and lots of glamorous and wealthy people spend Monday to Thursday in London as it can be ‘very isolating’ in the countryside, which may prove a challenge for Meghan.

Socially, however, she believes that the couple will fly.

Sykes says: ‘I think Meghan and Harry – even though people will say they don’t agree with what they did and they don’t know if they will like them – the minute that they show up at the school gates people will be all over them. What I’ve heard is that the parents at one of the schools that’s on the list that the children could be going to are what’s called “pretend annoyed” which is a bit like a version of humble bragging.’

Disappointingly for the smart set, though, I’m told Harry is dead set on keeping his head down and being ‘citizen Harry’.

A friend says: ‘They have been deliberately keeping as low a profile as possible and it’s interesting their new life has started without them being photographed.

‘Harry is determined to stay as much of a private citizen as possible and has been sending a message that this is what he is.

‘There will be work events like the WellChild awards coming up and patronages, but day by day, there will be no social media, no Instagram of their British life, and they will absolutely be sticking to the agreement they made before their trip here in July, where there is no briefing about visits with the King, what happened, or pictures of those visits.’

Less friendly voices believe that there is an ulterior motive in play. Author Tom Bower says: ‘This is all about the Invictus Games next July. Harry has always planned that the King should come and open them, and that somehow that photograph of Harry with his father would reintroduce Harry into the Royal Family.

‘He would get recognition and the status he wanted in England while still being able to return to America, half-in, half-out.

‘That is something the King must resist. But the problem, of course, is there are members of the British Armed Forces in that competition. Can the King, as commander-in-chief, ignore servicemen, especially injured servicemen?’ That remains to be seen.

So can Harry really achieve the hat-trick of improved security, family relations and privacy, all in one fell swoop?

If he can, his move home will have been his best decision yet.

Ashlyn Mercier is no stranger to public service, having built her career behind a police badge. This week, however, the Massachusetts officer is stepping onto a very different national stage as she pursues one of the most recognizable crowns in the country.

Mercier, an officer with the Westborough Police Department, is representing Massachusetts in the Miss America competition. The finals are being held today at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. Her appearance also marks a milestone: Mercier is the first police officer ever to be crowned Miss Massachusetts.

“I think there’s not one single look for what a female police officer is supposed to look like,” Mercier told Fox News Digital. 

“And if we say that there is, that’s just wrong because, at the end of the day, yes, female law enforcement officers only make up approximately 14% of the force in the United States, but we don’t have to look a certain way.

For Mercier, competing for Miss America while serving in law enforcement is about challenging narrow expectations. “People are so multifaceted, women are so multifaceted and I’m just trying to show young girls that they can chase all of their dreams simultaneously,” Mercier said. “They don’t have to pick one thing and make that their entire identity.”

The glitzy competition dates to a 1921 beauty contest in Atlantic City, New Jersey, held a year after the 19th Amendment guaranteed women the right to vote. The organization awards scholarships and gives its titleholder a national platform for community service and advocacy.

Mercier hopes to raise awareness of her cause, Nick’s Courage: One Smile Goes a Mile, named after her younger brother, Nicholas, a two-time pediatric cancer survivor. The initiative aims to bring positivity and hope to children battling critical illnesses. 

In 2025, she took a year off from pageant competition to follow in her father’s footsteps and attend the police academy.

“I didn’t know if I would ever come back and compete,” Mercier said. “I was afraid of what other people would think if I chased both of those dreams at the same time. I also had this dream of becoming a police officer. But what I came to realize is that I can’t worry about what other people think. I’ve got to focus on myself. And it ended up working out for me.”

Mercier said the Westborough Police Department has been cheering her on as she balances the competition with her work as an officer. Fox News Digital reached out to the department for comment.

“I’m really fortunate that they have been so incredibly supportive,” Mercier said. “I work for an amazing department, and my co-workers have supported me 100% from the moment I told them I was competing as Miss Massachusetts to now being at Miss America. They’ve shown up to my sendoff parties. They’ve helped me with my fundraising efforts. They’ve sent me good luck texts.

“It’s really just an honor to be surrounded by people who uplift me,” she said. “It really continues to help motivate me to move forward.”

Mercier said her career in law enforcement doesn’t give her an advantage on the Miss America stage. She’s one of the delegates representing the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, each hoping to stand out.

Still, other officers have taken notice.

“I’ve had thousands of female law enforcement officers across the country commenting on my posts saying that they’re rooting for me and that they’re inspired by me,” Mercier said. 

“There are also young girls saying that they want to get into law enforcement, and they’re inspired by my story. And then I serve my community in Westborough every single day in my capacity as a police officer, but I also get to serve my community in the role as Miss Massachusetts.

“Those two things are what is so important about the Miss America opportunity,” Mercier said. “Yes, we get to dress up. Yes, we get to wear pretty gowns and look beautiful. But women’s empowerment and service are the core. And if you look at it like that, you can see and draw a lot of parallels between Miss America and between my role as Officer Mercier.”

Police work has also given Mercier skills she can use in the competition. She said she’s comfortable communicating with different people and staying calm in nerve-wracking situations. But one challenge remains.

When asked whether getting ready for a shift or a pageant takes longer, she didn’t miss a beat.

“Oh, absolutely getting ready for a pageant,” she said with a laugh. “I do not look like this on a daily basis when I go to work. I’ll have maybe some mascara on, and the hair gets slicked back in a bun. I’ve got that down in about two minutes flat. This definitely takes a lot longer.”

This year’s competition commemorates 105 years of Miss America. Whether she earns the title or not, Mercier said she’s determined to use her platform to make a difference.

“If I do win, I just hope to be an inspiration to young women and girls looking up to [me], knowing that she can be a police officer, and she can be Miss America,” Mercier said. “She can chase all her dreams at once. I’ve been told I should pick one, focus on one. But you can do it all. My message is to inspire the next generation.”