Diet and IBD - Does Food Cause IBD?

Considerable research has been undertaken to look for any possible link between diet and IBD. Scientists have investigated a wide range of food and nutrients to see if they play a role in the development of the disease. Researchers have suggested that there could be links between IBD and a diet high in fats and sugars. In the past, IBD rates have been lower in non-Western countries, such as Japan, than in Western Europe and North America. However, in the past few decades the number of people with IBD in Japan has been rapidly increasing. 

Researchers have also noted that many Japanese people now eat a more westernised diet – a diet typically high in fats and sugars. So the suggestion is that it could be this change in diet which has led to the increase in IBD. There have also been other studies, including a large European study, which fit in with this theory. These have found a possible link between UC and linoleic acid (a fatty acid found in red meat, margarine and cooking oils such as corn and sunflower oils). It has also been suggested that a diet high in the types of sugars found in sweets and confectionery may have a link with IBD. However, research about food and IBD is conflicting and not all studies agree, so scientists are still discussing whether and how food may play a part in causing IBD.

You can find out more about Diet and IBD in our information booklet Food and IBD.

You can ask your GP, IBD Nurse or IBD specialist to refer you to a dietitian on the NHS. You may also be able to find a private dietitian in your area via the Freelance Dietitians Group (www.dietitiansunlimited.co.uk). All dietitians are registered with the Health Professions Council (www.hpc-uk.org). If you choose to see a nutritionist, make sure they are appropriately qualified. More information is available from The Nutrition Society (www.nutritionsociety.org).