Dietary fibers, known to regulate intestinal inflammation and gut barrier functions, have been avoided by patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) to avoid flare-ups. However, recent findings suggest that if fiber type, patient immunological condition, and the fermentative ability of the gut microbiota are taken into account, they could be beneficial and prevent relapses.
Restricting dietary fiber is a common advice for people living with inflammatory bowel disease. New research shows that not all fibers work the same and their impact on intestinal inflammation and gut barrier function depends on the type of fiber, individual immune status and the fermentative capacity of their gut microbes.
Differences in the gut microbiota in patients with IBD compared to healthy controls suggest that probiotics may be of help. This article takes an in-depth look into the rationale of using probiotics for IBD and summarizes the evidence from recent clinical guidelines for the use of probiotics in Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and pouchitis.
Which dietary components should be promoted, and which ones should be limited in inflammatory bowel disease?
19 May 2023by GMFH Editing Team
What to eat or not to eat as a means of reducing IBD symptoms is one of the main queries a patient might have following diagnosis. Although there is no simple answer and dietary changes are not a substitute for medical therapy, to help consider this question, we have prepared a new infographic on the dietary components to promote and limit in patients with IBD.
Could the gut microbiota explain why inflammatory bowel diseases are on the rise?
23 Mar 2023by Andreu Prados
Inflammatory bowel disease covers chronic inflammatory conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Find out more about the typical and atypical forms of IBD and what science knows about how the gut microbiota is involved in its development.
The role of the gut mycobiota in influencing the immune system and inflammation-related diseases
12 Jan 2023by Andreu Prados
Gut fungi found in the lower gastrointestinal tract can influence the host immune system just like the bacterial microbiota. This article focuses on the role of the gut mycobiota in immune system homeostasis and its relevance for host health.
An altered gut microbiota in mothers with IBD can be transferred to their offspring and involves changes in mucosal adaptive immune responses
13 Jul 2020by GMFH Editing Team
How pregnancy can impact an offspring’s gut microbiota is unknown. New research reveals that children born to mothers with IBD present an altered gut microbiota composition and lower diversity, transferring abnormalities in the adaptive immune system to germ-free mice.
Updated evidence on how diet may help in managing inflammatory bowel disease
14 Oct 2019by Paul Enck
An increasing amount of scientific evidence supports the role of diet in the management of IBD in its early stages. Here, Prof. Paul Enck updates preclinical and clinical research disentangling the contribution of diet as an ally in managing IBD through the gut microbiome.
New data on the Human Microbiome Project reveal multi-omic host-gut microbiome interactions in inflammatory bowel diseases and prediabetes
16 Sep 2019by Andreu Prados
The second phase of the Human Microbiome Project has recently been completed. Multi-omics of the gut microbial ecosystem has allowed for the discovery of new host-microbiome interactions that could help in precision medicine in those with IBDs and prediabetes.
New research sheds light on the effects of inflammatory bowel disease risk alleles on gut bacterial taxa
8 Apr 2019by GMFH Editing Team
Scientists struggle with elucidating how host and gut microbiome interact for shaping the genetic susceptibility of IBD. In 633 IBD patients, Harry Sokol and colleagues have found associations between genetic variants associated with a higher risk of IBD and the depletion of certain gut bacterial taxa.
