A recent study suggests that adhering to a healthy plant-based diet can significantly reduce the risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Our study brings new evidence on this important relation from data of more than half a million healthy adults enrolled in the UK Biobank and the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition. It’s a testament to the amazing power of nutrient-dense plant foods. Kelsey Costa, MS, RDN, is a registered dietitian nutritionist and the owner of Impactful Nutrition. She shined a spotlight on these important findings and pointed to diet’s major impact on increasing or decreasing IBD risk.
Dr. Ashkan Farhadi, a board-certified gastroenterologist practicing at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California. He enumerated the multitude of challenges involved in trying to study the impacts of diet on health. He discussed how dietary habits are difficult to characterize because they are very dynamic over time.
“It’s really hard to define diets. When people say what they are eating, they may also be eating other things. Things may change during the course of a longitudinal study. They may eat cookies for 6 years, then change to the Mediterranean diet and report that!” – Ashkan Farhadi, MD
According to the research, maintaining a healthy plant-based diet is associated with a reduced risk of developing IBD. In comparison, people who follow a poorly planned plant-based diet high in processed foods are at greater risk. Costa was frank about the implications of these findings, which indicate a strong connection between diet and IBD prognosis.
“More research is needed to fully understand the impact of different diets on IBD risk and disease course, but we can say without doubt that a healthy diet rich in nutrient-dense, plant-based foods is essential,” – Kelsey Costa, MS, RDN
Costa was quick to clarify that a healthy plant-based diet consists more of these nutrient-dense foods. These foods include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, plant-based protein sources, tea and coffee. Whether those are whole grains or fruits or vegetables, these foods are all scored positively in dietary assessments. Refined grains, potatoes/fries, sugary drinks, fruit juices, and dessert get bad scores.
Costa noted that previous studies have linked vegan diets to lower inflammatory markers. He mentioned that the beneficial impact of a whole food, nutrient-dense, plant-based diet may be modified by inflammation. It was her suggestion that the alterations in gut flora, due to increased refined plant-based foods, could be contributing to some of these effects.
“This implies that the protective effects of a healthy plant-based diet against IBD might not only come from fiber but potentially other factors as well. But, it doesn’t necessarily mean one diet is better than the other; both may offer benefits through different mechanisms,” – Kelsey Costa, MS, RDN
Amid these grim developments, Costa highlighted some very positive findings. An improved, plant-centered diet can reverse or stop the development of IBD to advanced stages. Dr. Farhadi was completely on board with this idea.
“It is very encouraging to see that it [a healthy plant-based diet] not only helps prevent the disease, but slows it down or halts progression to severe cases. That’s a very interesting finding.” – Ashkan Farhadi, MD
This study was powered to assess critical IBD outcomes as measured by the need for surgery, the development of comorbidities, and mortality. Costa stressed that future research should examine disease activity, relapse rates, and quality of life for a fuller picture.
“The study explored important IBD outcomes like surgery, comorbidities, and death. But, it overlooked key aspects like disease activity, relapse rates, and quality of life — these are critical factors that future research should address.” – Kelsey Costa, MS, RDN
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