International Study Links Ultra-processed Foods With IBD Risk

• A spike in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) prevalence worldwide parallels an uptick in Western dietary patterns.
• Clinicians have long conjectured that ultra-processed foods may compromise gastrointestinal (GI) tract health, but they lacked the evidence to confirm this link.
• A recent multinational study provides good evidence that regularly consuming highly processed foods and beverages is associated with inflammation and IBD.

IBD is more prevalent in affluent countries than in those with lower median incomes. However, cases are risingTrusted Source in developing nations where ultra-processed foods are increasingly available and popular.

For years, gastroenterologists have suspected that ultra-processed foods may contribute to inflammation and IBD. However, few clinical studies have evaluated this hypothesis on a large scale.

A recent multinational prospective cohort study explored the relationship between the consumption of ultra-processed food and the risk of developing IBD.

Neeraj Narula, M.D., an assistant professor of medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada,