Nutrition in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: A Narrative Review.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to analyze dietary patterns, including dairy avoidance, in IBD patients and assess its perceived impact on symptoms.
Results Summary
Some IBD patients believe dairy worsens symptoms and avoid it, but no conclusive evidence is provided. The study highlights a lack of dietary guidelines and low adherence to potentially beneficial diets like the Mediterranean Diet.
Population
Adults and pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis).
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
intentional avoidance of gluten | decrease | disease | IBD patients | - | to manage the disease | #1 |
dairy products | increase | symptoms | IBD patients | - | worsen their symptoms | #2 |
avoidance of dairy products | decrease | disease | IBD patients | - | may help the disease | #3 |
Mediterranean Diet | increase | health | IBD patients | - | is considered to have potential benefits | #4 |
Mediterranean Diet | decrease | compliance | IBD patients | - | little used in practice | #5 |
nutritional counselling | increase | disease management | IBD patients | - | pivotal role | #6 |
dietary recommendations | increase | disease management | IBD patients | - | beneficial effects | #7 |
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) affect the gastrointestinal tract: they include Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Each has a different phenotypic spectrum, characterized by gastrointestinal and extra-intestinal manifestations. People living with IBD are very interested in diet, but little is known about the impact of diet on these patients; no guidelines are available yet. In this review, we analyze the dietary patterns of patients with IBD and the approach to the choices of foods both in adults and pediatric patients. Very often, IBD patients report an intentional avoidance of gluten to manage the disease; furthermore, a proportion of IBD patients believe that dairy products worsen their symptoms and that avoidance may help the disease. They have a low compliance with the Mediterranean Diet, which is considered to have potential benefits but is little used in practice. In conclusion, the review underscores the pivotal role of nutritional counselling in IBD patients, and the importance of future clinical studies to evaluate the beneficial effects of dietary recommendations in the management of IBD.