Inflammatory bowel disease diet

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic immune disorder of unclear etiology. Multiple factors play a role in the pathogenesis of IBD. These may include diet, environmental factors, immunologic factors, infectious agents, genetic susceptibility, and the microbiome. The emergence of rapid increases in the incidence of IBD over the past several decades in low-incidence parts of the world, such as China, South Korea, and Puerto Rico, clearly points to the important role that environment plays in disease development. Specifically, the introduction of the Western diet (which is high in fat and protein and low in fruits and vegetables) has been proposed as an explanation for the increase in IBD incidence.

Therefore, clinicians and especially patients have questioned whether diet influences the onset or course of IBD. The question of what to eat is the most commonly encountered question as well as the most challenging one posed to gastroenterologists managing IBD patients. At present, there is no specific IBD diet that is supported by robust data, leaving patients to seek nonmedical resources for dietary guidance. Dietary intervention trials have been limited by their lack of a placebo control group and the difficulty in meticulously capturing dietary intake conjointly with the potential for complex interactions between foods. Furthermore, dietary trials may not detect significant differences for patients undergoing withdrawal of specific drug therapies.

But here is the table that most IBD patients follow: