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Review
. 2021 Jan 20;11(1):1-16.
doi: 10.5493/wjem.v11.i1.1.

Role of diet and nutrition in inflammatory bowel disease

Affiliations
Review

Role of diet and nutrition in inflammatory bowel disease

Marina Moreira de Castro et al. World J Exp Med. .

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are closely linked to nutrition. The latest research indicates that diet and nutrition are significantly involved in the etiopathogenesis of the disease, although their specific role throughout its clinical course still remains unclear. This study reviewed how diet and nutrition are associated with IBD development and management. Even though specific diets have been shown to bring about positive outcomes, there is currently no scientific consensus regarding an appropriate diet that would benefit all IBD patients. We suggest that individualized dietary recommendations are of the greatest importance and that diets should be planned to provide individual IBD patients with specific nutrient requirements while keeping all the clinical aspects of the patients in mind. Further research is clearly necessary to investigate nutritional factors involved in IBD development and, especially, to evaluate the applications of the diets during the course of the disease.

Keywords: Crohn’s disease; Diet; Inflammatory bowel disease; Nutrition; Ulcerative colitis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Influence of dietary compounds on inflammatory bowel disease. IBD: Inflammatory bowel disease.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Description of the effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids and fiber on the intestinal mucosa in inflammatory bowel disease. A: Mechanisms related to the effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); B: Mechanisms related to the effects of fiber on IBD. PUFAs: Polyunsaturated fatty acids; UC: Ulcerative colitis; IBD: Inflammatory bowel disease; CD: Crohn’s disease.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Effects of the specific diets on inflammatory bowel disease. FODMAP: Fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols; CD: Crohn’s disease; IBD: Inflammatory bowel disease.

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