A recent medical study found that dietary fiber plays an important role in reducing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which affects 3 million people in the United States. Scientists indicate that studying the interaction between diet, bacteria, and genetic factors may help limit the development of the common disease.
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Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which can manifest as either ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, develops from inflammation of the intestines or digestive system, leading to a range of digestive disorders, which can sometimes cause pain.
It is true that scientists have not yet been able to identify the root causes of these disorders, but a recent study indicates that there is a link between genetic factors, diet, and germs in the digestive system that can lead to the development of inflammatory bowel disease.
Inflammation of the Intestine May Develop from Childhood
The study, published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe, a peer-reviewed scientific study, has shown that fiber plays an important role in causing interaction between intestinal bacteria and the mucous lining of the digestive system. As fiber promotes the growth of the thickness of the mucous membrane, which contributes to preventing inflammation.
As for people born without interleukin 10, the cytokine associated with IBD, IBD usually develops in early infancy or childhood.
Laboratory experiments have shown that for mice lacking interleukin 10, fiber deficiency contributes to the deterioration of the colonic mucus lining, which clearly leads to the development of colitis, as a fiber-free diet has been shown to encourage the growth of mucin-degrading bacteria (muciniphila), which consumes the mucus layer in the digestive tract, reducing the barrier that mucus provides to the intestinal lining.
This confirms that high-fiber diets may be valuable for individuals with inflammatory bowel disease.
Residents of Industrialized Societies are Most Susceptible to Enteritis
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that about 6 million people worldwide suffer from inflammatory bowel disease, and according to a study published last year in the medical journal Gastroenterology issued by the American Gastroenterology Association, industrialized countries record the largest numbers of cases of inflammatory bowel disease, and people who migrate to industrialized societies in general and begin eating unhealthy ultra-processed foods are most at risk of contracting this serious disease.
Reducing Fiber in The Diet May Help in Some Cases
Doctors may prevent their patients from eating certain types of fiber that may worsen the IBD
Scientists report that certain types of dietary fiber can worsen symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease. They found that dietary fiber from the fructan category – a soluble fiber from fruits and vegetables – caused the development of an inflammatory condition in people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) whose bodies were unable to absorb it.
Some people with inflammatory bowel disease, especially children, are prescribed a low-fiber diet known as exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN), as the new technique has proven remarkable success in reducing the rate of bowel inflammation in them.
Dr. Rudolph Bedford, a board-certified gastroenterologist at Providence Saint John’s Health in Santa Monica, California, who was not involved in the study, said:
Patients with IBD are often asked to limit their fiber intake during severe bouts of inflammation to help reduce digestive distress, especially when intestinal strictures are suspected.
On the other hand, Dr. Melanie Murphy Richter, a registered dietitian nutritionist who was not also involved in the study, says:
High-fiber diets have shown promising results in reducing IBD symptoms in patients in the long term. This means that when patients are not experiencing severe symptoms or flare-ups, high-fiber foods are encouraged to help diversify the bowel composition; This can positively benefit a person’s intestinal pH, permeability, and ability to produce short-chain fatty acids.
Richter recommended the importance of eating foods rich in probiotics, which are beneficial for intestinal health in general, as they help diversify the microbiome in the digestive system. It helps relieve some of the symptoms associated with both intestinal inflammation and irritable bowel syndrome, such as abdominal pain, bloating, or constipation.
Source: Medical News Today
