Diet, Gut Microbiome and Epigenetics: Emerging Links with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and Prospects for Management and Prevention.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the role of dietary interventions, including the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), in modulating gut inflammation and improving symptoms of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).
Results Summary
The study found that the SCD, along with other dietary interventions, has strong anti-inflammatory properties and shows promise for improving IBD symptoms, though more research is needed to confirm its efficacy.
Population
Individuals with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
an overabundance of calories and some macronutrients | increase | gut inflammation | - | - | increase | #1 |
several micronutrients | decrease | gut inflammation | - | - | have the potential to modulate | #2 |
specific micronutrients | no change | - | clinical trials | limited | exerted a limited benefit | #3 |
exclusive enteral nutrition | neutral | - | paediatric Crohn's disease | - | recommended as a first-line therapy | #4 |
Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) | decrease | disease symptoms | - | - | have shown strong anti-inflammatory properties and show promise for improving | #5 |
low fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyol (FODMAP) diet | decrease | disease symptoms | - | - | have shown strong anti-inflammatory properties and show promise for improving | #6 |
Mediterranean diet | decrease | disease symptoms | - | - | have shown strong anti-inflammatory properties and show promise for improving | #7 |
individual food compounds and complex nutritional interventions | decrease | inflammation | - | - | with the potential to decrease | #8 |
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) represent a growing public health concern due to increasing incidence worldwide. The current notion on the pathogenesis of IBD is that genetically susceptible individuals develop intolerance to dysregulated gut microflora (dysbiosis) and chronic inflammation develops as a result of environmental triggers. Among the environmental factors associated with IBD, diet plays an important role in modulating the gut microbiome, influencing epigenetic changes, and, therefore, could be applied as a therapeutic tool to improve the disease course. Nevertheless, the current dietary recommendations for disease prevention and management are scarce and have weak evidence. This review summarises the current knowledge on the complex interactions between diet, microbiome and epigenetics in IBD. Whereas an overabundance of calories and some macronutrients increase gut inflammation, several micronutrients have the potential to modulate it. Immunonutrition has emerged as a new concept putting forward the importance of vitamins such as vitamins A, C, E, and D, folic acid, beta carotene and trace elements such as zinc, selenium, manganese and iron. However, when assessed in clinical trials, specific micronutrients exerted a limited benefit. Beyond nutrients, an anti-inflammatory dietary pattern as a complex intervention approach has become popular in recent years. Hence, exclusive enteral nutrition in paediatric Crohn's disease is the only nutritional intervention currently recommended as a first-line therapy. Other nutritional interventions or specific diets including the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), the low fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyol (FODMAP) diet and, most recently, the Mediterranean diet have shown strong anti-inflammatory properties and show promise for improving disease symptoms. More work is required to evaluate the role of individual food compounds and complex nutritional interventions with the potential to decrease inflammation as a means of prevention and management of IBD.