Nutrition and inflammatory bowel disease: its relation to pathophysiology, outcome and therapy

Nutritional deficiencies are frequent in patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, and negatively influence the outcome of the disease. Growth retardation, osteopenia and thromboembolic phenomena are some of the inflammatory bowel disease complications in which nutritional deficits are involved. Moreover, nutrients can play a role in the pathogenesis of the disease and, in some cases, can be a primary therapeutic tool. Enteral nutrition has proven to play a therapeutic role in Crohn's disease. The nutrient(s) responsible for this effect are not well identified but dietary fat appears to be a major factor. In ulcerative colitis, unabsorbable carbohydrates can modulate the intestinal microbial environment, thus contributing to improve colonic inflammation.