Positive Health Online

Abstract

SAKAMOTO and co-authors, Department of Hygiene, Hyogo College of Medicine, Hyogo, Japan, naomasas@hyo-med.ac.jp, have studied dietary risk factors for inflammatory bowel disease.

Background

The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of dietary risk factors in inflammatory bowel disease.

Methodology

In this multi-centre hospital-based case-control study, 111 patients with ulcerative colitis and 128 patients with Crohn's disease were matched with healthy controls. A food frequency questionnaire was used to estimate pre-illness intake of food groups and nutrients. Unconditional logistic models were applied to calculate odds ratios.

Results

A higher consumption of sweets was correlated with an increased risk of ulcerative colitis (odds ration 2.86 of highest vs lowest quartile). An increased risk for Crohn's disease was found with higher consumption of sugar and sweeteners, sweets, fats and oils, and fish and shellfish; all of these food groups increased the odds by around 2.5 between the highest and lowest quartile. A high intake of vitamin C was associated with approximately half the risk of ulcerative colitis. The risk of Crohn's disease was also associated with mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and vitamin E.

Conclusion

This study underlines the importance of diet in the prevention of inflammatory bowel disease.

References

Sakamoto N, Kono S, Wakai K, Fukuda Y, Satomi M, Shimoyama T, Inaba Y, Miyake Y, Sasaki S, Okamoto K, Kobashi G, Washio M, Yokoyama T, Date C, Tanaka H, Epidemiology Group of the Research Committee on Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Japan. Dietary risk factors for inflammatory bowel disease: a multicenter case-control study in Japan. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases 11 (2): 154-1563, Feb 2005.

Comment

These studies certainly merit replication with larger numbers, in the light of recent increased incidence of bowel diseases such as Crohn's and ulcerative colitis.