Points of note with respect to the diet of those with ulcerative colitis:
- neither elemental diets nor hyperalimentation with bowel rest are of benefit in ulcerative colitis, unlike in Crohn's disease.
- fish oil, or other forms of eicosapentanoic acids:
- these divert arachidonic acid metabolites away from the pro-inflammatory leukotriene B4 to less inflammatory leukotrienes
- various studies have shown the potential to modulate luminal and tissue eicosanoids in ulcerative colitis and to allow reduction of steroid therapy. However, long-term benefits have yet to been shown
- the importance of dietary intake of PUFA has been gleaned from epidemiological observations that Eskimos have a low incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
- probiotics - there is ongoing interest in the use of probiotics in the treatment of IBD.
- is effective in maintaining remission in UC (1)
- probiotics are live non-pathogenic organisms such as various Lactobacillus species, which aim to confer health benefits by improving the gut micro-organism environment
The European Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition published the Guidelines for Clinical Nutrition Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, which confirm the remission-inducing effect of specific probiotic strains in patients with mild to moderate UC, with the use of Lactobacillus reuteri and VSL#3 being recommended (2)
Reference:
- World Gastroenterology Organisation. Global guidelines: inflammatory bowel disease. Aug 2015 [internet publication].
- Forbes A. et al. (2019). Corrigendum to “ESPEN guideline: clinical nutrition in inflammatory bowel disease” [clinical nutrition 36 (2017) 321-347]. Clin. Nutr. 38:1486.