Association Between Inflammatory Potential of the Diet and Ulcerative Colitis: A Case-Control Study

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Nutritional Science
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including ulcerative colitis (UC), has an inflammatory basis, yet the dietary inflammatory potential's role is understudied.
• Limited data exist on the association between dietary inflammatory potential and UC risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between the dietary inflammatory potential (IPD) score and the odds of developing ulcerative colitis (UC).

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving 109 UC patients and 218 healthy controls from Iranian population-based studies.
• Dietary intake of 28 food items was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to calculate the IPD score.
• Statistical analyses, including logistic regression, were performed, adjusting for various demographic, lifestyle, and medical factors.

Main Results:

• Patients with UC had significantly higher odds of being in the highest quartile of the IPD score compared to controls (OR: 2.83; 95% CI: 1.41-5.69).
• The association remained significant after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, education, smoking, medical history, and physical activity (OR: 3.48; 95% CI: 1.32-9.10).
• The association was slightly attenuated but still significant when considering dietary habits (OR: 3.33; 95% CI: 1.20-9.20).

Conclusions:

• Adherence to a pro-inflammatory diet is positively associated with increased odds of ulcerative colitis.
• These findings suggest a potential link between diet and UC risk, warranting further investigation.