Short-term effect of gluten-free diet on disease severity, quality of life, and inflammatory markers among patients with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis: A triple-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine whether a gluten-free diet (GFD) improves disease severity, quality of life, and inflammatory markers in patients with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis (UC).
Results Summary
The study found no statistically significant improvement in inflammatory markers (ESR, CRP, fecal calprotectin), disease severity (SCCAI), or quality of life (IBDQ) after six weeks of a GFD. The authors concluded that GFD did not show significant benefits for UC patients.
Population
Patients with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis (n=26, mean age 39.31 years).
Effective Dosage
Not specified (gluten-free diet regimen).
Duration
6 weeks.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
gluten-free diet (GFD) | no change | erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) | patients with mild to moderate UC | no statistically significant improvement | showed no statistically significant improvement | #1 |
gluten-free diet (GFD) | no change | C-reactive protein (CRP) | patients with mild to moderate UC | no statistically significant improvement | showed no statistically significant improvement | #2 |
gluten-free diet (GFD) | no change | Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ) | patients with mild to moderate UC | no statistically significant improvement | showed no statistically significant improvement | #3 |
gluten-free diet (GFD) | no change | Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index (SCCAI) | patients with mild to moderate UC | no statistically significant improvement | showed no statistically significant improvement | #4 |
gluten-free diet (GFD) | increase | fecal calprotectin | patients with mild to moderate UC | without statistical significance | was increased | #5 |
gluten-free diet (GFD) | no change | inflammatory markers | patients with mild to moderate UC | no significant effect | could not find any significant effect | #6 |
gluten-free diet (GFD) | no change | quality of life | patients with mild to moderate UC | no significant effect | could not find any significant effect | #7 |
gluten-free diet (GFD) | no change | disease severity | patients with mild to moderate UC | no significant effect | could not find any significant effect | #8 |
BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Diet is an important underlying factor in ulcerative colitis (UC) disease. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of a gluten-free diet (GFD) on disease severity, quality of life, and inflammatory markers in patients with UC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this triple-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial, we evaluated the effect of a GFD on the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), fecal calprotectin, disease severity, and quality of life in patients with mild to moderate UC. Patients' quality of life and severity of symptoms were evaluated using the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ) and Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index (SCCAI), respectively. Patients received this regimen for six weeks and were evaluated before and after the intervention. RESULTS: The mean age of patients (n = 26) was 39.31 years (standard deviation = 9.34). In both study groups, the mean ESR, CRP, IBDQ, and SCCAI showed no statistically significant improvement with the dietary intervention. Fecal calprotectin was increased in both groups without statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: We could not find any significant effect of GFD on inflammatory markers, quality of life, and disease severity among patients with mild to moderate UC. It is too early to suggest the gluten-free diet as a safe and beneficial regimen for UC patients. There is a need for further investigations with larger sample sizes and longer follow-ups as clinical trials and cohort studies to obtain more reliable results.