News
Healthy eating with IBD
We often hear from patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that they avoid fibre-rich foods such as vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, legumes, and lentils, fearing they’ll trigger gut symptoms. While reducing fibre may ease symptoms temporarily, avoiding it over long-term may not be ideal for overall health. Fibre-rich foods are essential not only for digestive health but also for providing key vitamins, minerals, polyphenols (antioxidants), and prebiotics that help maintain a balanced and healthy gut microbiome.
At the University of Otago, we conducted the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Lifestyle, Food and Exercise (IBDLiFE) study to explore how lifestyle education including heart-healthy eating and encouraging physical activity, could support people with IBD in remission. Participants in the intervention group received guidance from a research dietitian and were encouraged to eat more fibre-rich foods, choose healthier fats and proteins, and reduce discretionary foods like processed meats, chips.
Compared to the control group who only received pamphlets without dietitian input, the intervention group made several positive changes. Namely, they increased their fibre intake by an amount roughly equivalent to a slice of heavy grain bread or ¾ cup of cooked porridge, ate half a serving more fruit (the recommendation is at least two servings/day), reduced discretionary foods by nearly two servings, and lowered their daily sodium intake by 911 mg (approaching the recommended limit of 2000 mg/day). The feedback from the intervention group was also mostly positive
“…I’m more in tune with what foods my body reacts poorly to, and what it needs for a better bathroom experience…”
“…The study helped me try new things and add more variety to my diet…”
These findings suggest that with the right support from qualified professional such as a dietitian, people with IBD can make positive dietary changes without impacting their symptoms.