New Research Summary - Dietary Patterns and Their Association With Symptoms Activity in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Background

We know diet plays an important role in IBD and many studies have looked at the relationship between specific foods and nutrients and IBD but few have looked at the link between dietary patterns of patients with IBD during clinical remission and their association with flares.

 

What this study looked at

This study looked at the association between dietary patterns and disease remission.

They included 691 people in total; 248 with Crohn’s Disease and 443 with Ulcerative Colitis.

Dietary data were determined using a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) from the previous 3 months or during clinical disease remission. The analyses were adjusted for potential confounders, including age, disease duration, and use of biologic therapy.

 

What they found

Researchers identified the following five dietary patterns;

  • Western Diet 1 - low intake of fruits, vegetables, plant proteins, and cooked grains (eg, rice, pasta, noodles) and a moderate intake of all other food products.

  • Western Diet 2 - high intake of animal proteins (especially cured meats), added sugars, and sweetened beverages. Low intake of fruits, vegetables, cooked grains, and water. Moderate intake of mixed grains, breads, boxed cereals, and average consumption of added fats, candy, savory snacks, sweet bakery products, other desserts, and dairy products.

  • Balanced Diet - shared general characteristics as Westerns Diet 1 but lower intake of beverages in favour of water, and average intake of cooked grains, fruits, and vegetables.

  • Plant-based Diet - higher intake of fruits, vegetables, plant-based proteins, and cooked grains than most other dietary clusters. Low water intake in favour of juices and other beverages. Average intake of added fats and oils, sugars, seafood, and dairy products, and modest intake of meats, eggs, mixed grains, and breads.

  • Plant-based Diet 2 - high intake of fruits, vegetables, plant proteins, and cooked grains and low intake of animal proteins (especially red and cured meats), added fats, sweetened beverages, sweet bakery products, other desserts, eggs, and breads. Reduction of other beverages in favour of water. Average intake of seafood and dairy products.

 

What they found

Compared with the Western Diet 1, the Plant-based Diet 2 was associated with 69% lower odds of having UC symptoms and 68% lower odds of CD symptoms.

Compared with the Western Diet 1, the Plant-based diet 1 was associated with 45% lower odds of having UC symptoms.

The proportions of participants in clinical remission were lowest among those who followed the Western Diet 1 (23.8%) and Western Diet 2 pattern (23.6%) in general and highest among those who followed Plant-based diet 1 (35.5%) and Plant-based diet 2 (48.4%) in general.

Severe symptoms were also reported in more participants who followed Western Diet 1 (5.4%) and Western Diet 2 (7.6%) than those who followed the balanced diet (3.7%), plant-based diet 1 (3.6%), and plant-based diet 2 (1.1%).

 

Take Aways

A diet with high intake of fruits and vegetables and concurrently reduced intake of meats and sweets, with preference of water for hydration, was associated with a lower risk of active symptoms in IBD in this study.

If you would like help and support with your IBD and what dietary and lifestyle changes would be appropriate for you, please get in touch. You can book a free call, where I can get to know you, your journey, your struggles, your life, and we can chat about the best route forward for you. You can also ask any questions you have about working with me.

I have also written a free e-book to help you find a way forward for your everyday life with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Whether you are right at the beginning of your journey with IBD or have been living with your condition for years and feel like you have tried almost everything, there are things you can do everyday, beyond the medication you are taking, to help you take back control.

Reference

Berkeley N Limketkai, MD, PhD, Mohamed Hamideh, Rishabh Shah, Jenny S Sauk, MD, Nancee Jaffe, MS, RD, Dietary Patterns and Their Association With Symptoms Activity in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 2022;, izab335, https://doi.org/10.1093/ibd/izab335

Clemmie Macpherson