Background/Aims Epidemiological associations have implicated factors associated with Westernization, including the Western diet, in the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The role of diet in IBD etiopathogenesis, disease control and symptom management remains incompletely understood. Few studies have collected data on the dietary habits of immigrant populations living with IBD. Our aim was to describe the dietary practices and beliefs of British South Asians with IBD.
Methods A 30-item questionnaire was developed and consecutively administered to 255 British South Asians with IBD attending gastroenterology clinics in the United Kingdom.
Results Fifty-one percent of participants believed diet was the initiating factor for their IBD and 63% felt diet had previously triggered disease relapse. Eighty-nine percent avoided certain dietary items in the belief that this would prevent relapse. The most commonly avoided foods and drinks were spicy and fatty foods, carbonated drinks, milk products, alcohol, coffee, and red meat. A third of patients had tried a whole food exclusion diet, most commonly lactose- or gluten-free, and this was most frequently reported amongst those with clinically active IBD (P= 0.02). Almost 60% of participants avoided eating the same menu as their family, or eating out, at least sometimes, to prevent IBD relapse.
Conclusions British South Asians with IBD demonstrate significant dietary beliefs and food avoidance behaviors with increased frequency compared to those reported in Caucasian IBD populations. Studies in immigrant populations may offer valuable insights into the interaction between diet, Westernization and cultural drift in IBD pathogenesis and symptomatology.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
‘Eating is like experiencing a gamble’: A qualitative study exploring the dietary decision‐making process in adults with inflammatory bowel disease Yin Ting‐Ting, Tu Wen‐Jing, Li Yi‐Ting, Xu Wen‐Jing, Xu Gui‐Hua Health Expectations.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
The Role of the Trace Element Selenium in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Ruifang Hu, Jinliang Xiao, Lijuan Fan Biological Trace Element Research.2024; 202(11): 4923. CrossRef
Dietary therapies for adult and pediatric inflammatory bowel disease Jessica Deas, Neha D. Shah, Gauree G. Konijeti, Abigail Lundin, Olivia Lanser, Pooja Magavi, Sabina Ali Nutrition in Clinical Practice.2024; 39(3): 530. CrossRef
Experience of diet in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A thematic synthesis of qualitative studies Huan Xiong, Xu Zhang, Huiling Zeng, Shanshan Xie, Shuanglian Yi Journal of Clinical Nursing.2024; 33(8): 3283. CrossRef
Calcium deficiency is associated with malnutrition risk in patients with inflammatory bowel disease Zihan Yu, Wenxuan Song, Xiangfeng Ren, Jihua Chen, Qinyan Yao, Hang Liu, Xiaoxuan Wang, Jinjie Zhou, Bangmao Wang, Xin Chen Postgraduate Medicine.2024; 136(4): 456. CrossRef
The role of selenium in the pathogenesis and therapy of inflammatory bowel diseases Tatyana A. Glazunova, Riana M. Mameeva, Sofia N. Samsonova, Aleksander O. Ryzhov, Aleksey V. Nedilko, Sergey A. Shpenev, Julia E. Khaiminova, Ekaterina S. Ilina, Vasiliy A. Evtushenko-Sigaev, Linara Yu. Ilyasova, Milana Sh. Eloeva, Markha Kh. Ayubova, Kha HERALD of North-Western State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov.2024; 16(2): 27. CrossRef
Effects of Milk and Dairy on the Risk and Course of Inflammatory Bowel Disease versus Patients’ Dietary Beliefs and Practices: A Systematic Review Radoslaw Kempinski, Damian Arabasz, Katarzyna Neubauer Nutrients.2024; 16(15): 2555. CrossRef
Impact of Coffee Consumption on Subjective Perception and Inflammatory Markers in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Lidia Neamți, Simona R. Gheorghe, Amalia Ventuneac, Tudor Drugan, Cristina Drugan, Ciprian N. Silaghi, Lidia Ciobanu, Alexandra M. Crăciun Biomedicines.2024; 12(8): 1733. CrossRef
Dietary behaviour, attitude and food perceptions of patients with ulcerative colitis – An observational study Nancy Sahni, Urvashi Rana, Sindhuja Rajan, Anuraag Jena, Anupam K Singh, Usha Dutta, Vishal Sharma Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.2024; 54(3): 212. CrossRef
Association of Waist Circumference with the Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: a Nationwide Cohort Study of 10 Million Individuals in Korea Yeonjin Je, Kyungdo Han, Jaeyoung Chun, Yuna Kim, Jie-Hyun Kim, Young Hoon Youn, Hyojin Park, Jong Pil Im, Joo Sung Kim Journal of Crohn's and Colitis.2023; 17(5): 681. CrossRef
The Bidirectional Link between Nutritional Factors and Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Dietary Deficits, Habits, and Recommended Interventions—A Narrative Review Ilaria Saracino, Enzo Spisni, Veronica Imbesi, Chiara Ricci, Nikolas Dussias, Patrizia Alvisi, Paolo Gionchetti, Fernando Rizzello, Maria Valerii Foods.2023; 12(10): 1987. CrossRef
Rising Incidence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in South Asian Children in New Zealand—A Retrospective Population-Based Study Vivek Rajasekaran, Helen M. Evans, Amy Andrews, Jonathan R. Bishop, Robert N. Lopez, Stephen Mouat, Dug Yeo Han, Jane Alsweiler, Amin J. Roberts Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition.2023; 76(6): 749. CrossRef
Selected Aspects of Nutrition in the Prevention and Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Paulina Panufnik, Martyna Więcek, Magdalena Kaniewska, Konrad Lewandowski, Paulina Szwarc, Grażyna Rydzewska Nutrients.2022; 14(23): 4965. CrossRef
Experiences of ethnic minority patients who are living with a primary chronic bowel condition: a systematic scoping review with narrative synthesis Salina Ahmed, Paul D. Newton, Omorogieva Ojo, Lesley Dibley BMC Gastroenterology.2021;[Epub] CrossRef
Emerging Comorbidities in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Eating Disorders, Alcohol and Narcotics Misuse Paweł Kuźnicki, Katarzyna Neubauer Journal of Clinical Medicine.2021; 10(19): 4623. CrossRef
The dietary practices and beliefs of people living with older-onset inflammatory bowel disease Benjamin Crooks, Ravi Misra, Naila Arebi, Klaartje Kok, Matthew J. Brookes, John McLaughlin, Jimmy K. Limdi European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology.2021; 33(1S): e442. CrossRef