According to a new study that analyzed the eating behaviors of Americans with inflammatory bowel disease, excessive consumption of fries, cookies, cheese and energy drinks could increase the risk.
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis (UCH) affect more and more people around the world. They are characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and are very disabling on a daily basis for patients who generally suffer from diarrhea, abdominal pain, rectal bleeding and continuous fatigue. Among the causes behind these diseases, researchers have identified genetic and environmental factors. Pollution could play a role in particular, as well as food. According to a new American study published in the journal Plos Onejunk food would be likely to cause IBD.
To reach this conclusion, researchers from the Institute of Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University in the United States analyzed the results of the national health survey which took place in 2015 to determine the consumption diet of American adults with inflammatory bowel disease. The researchers looked at 26 foods and found that French fries were eaten by a greater number of people with IBD. The latter also tended to eat more cheese and biscuits than the others. Frequent consumption of sports, energy and soda drinks was also significantly associated with the diagnosis of IBD.
“The current study suggests that the consumption of foods commonly perceived as unhealthy contributes to the prevalence of IBD in the United States, which is not surprising in itself. It would be important to consider the integration of human biology and ever-changing environmental and societal factors for a more complete understanding of IBD risk and pathogenesis.”, the researchers note. Indeed, food deserts, food processing (through frying for example) and potential bioactive food components could induce intestinal inflammation and increase the risk of IBD.
A detailed food diary
However, many Americans without a diagnosis of IBD also eat a lot of fatty and ultra-processed foods, they noted. “As we found that overall food consumption is similar between the population with IBD and the population without IBD, it is necessary to assess the effectiveness of dietary recommendations and their compliance, as well as the limiting factor associated with certain dietary intakes. ”, they continue. To conclude, they therefore suggest a “longitudinal assessment with a detailed food diary and biomarker measurements before and after the onset of disease symptoms leading to the diagnosis of IBD”.
Improving the prevention of IBD is a real public health issue since, in addition to the unpleasant chronic symptoms they cause, these diseases are associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, especially when lesions are present in the colon.
Crohn’s would be harder to diagnose than colitis
In France, ulcerative colitis affects around 80,000 people. This disease can affect the rectum and the colon (large intestine) and progress in the form of attacks (alternation of phases of activity and remission). In addition to painful intestinal symptoms, patients may suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, skin lesions or inflammation of the internal structures of the eye.
Currently, this disease is more easily identified than Crohn’s, which takes a long time to diagnose due to the lack of specific symptoms. Very disabling, Crohn’s disease, which would officially affect 120,000 people in France today, is characterized by diarrhea that is sometimes abundant and liquid, with possible loss of blood and mucus or pus in the stool. This is often accompanied by terrible abdominal pain. When the anus is affected, fissures, abscesses and fistulas can occur. Patients also sometimes suffer from fever, weight loss and great fatigue.
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