Nutritional Assessment in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Abstract

nflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract, which clinically contains Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and other conditions. The inflammation of the intestinal mucosa in IBD is characterized by episodes of abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloody stools, weight loss, and the influx of neutrophils and macrophages that produce cytokines, proteolytic enzymes, and free radicals that result in inflammation and ulceration. The worldwide rising incidence of IBD is paralleled by a “Westernization” of dietary habits in developing countries. It is therefore obvious that, in addition to a genetic influence, environmental factors, especially diet, undoubtedly play a major role in the development of IBD. The exact pathomechanism how diet promotes the development of IBD is still unknown, while 2 main mechanistic explanations are most prominent and need to be pointed out. First of all, diet has a profound impact on the composition of gut microbiota and changes of nutritional composition during early childhood or even later in life can favor an anti- or proinflammatory composition. The aims of our study is to assess the nutrient status of individuals with CD and UC in relation to the recommended nutrient intake values, anthropometric measures, and