Ultra-processed foods can cause a relapse of a debilitating intestinal disease, a new study has found.
Improper diet has long been associated with the development of Crohn’s disease, but now researchers have discovered that there are certain high-risk food groups that can trigger severe flare-ups.
The study, presented this week at the European Society of Gastroenterology (UEG) in Vienna, Austria, found that ultra-processed products such as breads, pastries and starches, as well as oils and spreads, increased the risk of disease recurrence by around three times. It turned out.
Around half a million Britons suffer from Crohn’s disease, which causes excruciating pain, diarrhea, fatigue and extreme weight loss.
This disease can also cause the intestines to become narrow, making it difficult for food to pass through.
A new study presented at the European Union Society of Gastroenterology finds that ultra-processed foods can cause flare-ups of debilitating bowel disease (stock image)
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are foods that contain a large number of ingredients that are not commonly found in home kitchens.
About one-third of people with this condition, in which the intestinal lining becomes inflamed, will require surgery.
However, this latest study found that diet is more likely to trigger a flare-up of severe symptoms, even when managed with medication.
The study followed more than 100 Crohn’s disease patients for a year and recorded when they experienced a flare-up, a flare-up that led to a change in medication, hospitalization, or surgery.
More than twice as many participants who ate large amounts of ultra-processed foods had a relapse.
The study authors also noted that a “Western-style diet” was associated with recurrence of symptoms. They also said further research needs to be done into the link with emulsifiers, as they may be the real cause of the problem.
A study published last year in the Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology Journal found that diets high in ultra-processed foods increased the chance of developing Crohn’s disease by 70 percent.
However, the latest study is the first to show post-treatment effects. Experts are now calling for this research to inform treatment for patients with Crohn’s disease.
“In addition to treating active inflammatory bowel disease, we want to maintain long-term remission,” says Dr. Chen Sarvagiri Shabat, a clinical dietitian at Tel Aviv Medical Center in Israel.
“Knowing that environmental factors are associated with this disease is very important, which is why active disease can be treated with diet. Similarly, managing Crohn’s disease into remission through diet is very important. You can also.”
