Hot Topics on Nutrition in IBD

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) affect primarily the bowel, but they are multisystemic diseases with a wide range of extraintestinal manifestations and complications. Nutritional imbalance occurs frequently in patients with IBD. The spectrum of malnutrition goes from undernutrition (low protein-caloric intake, disease-related malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies) to overnutrition and obesity. The nutritional status of patients with IBD is increasingly recognized as a key aspect of the treatment and must be addressed in all patients. The screening and correction of the deficiencies should be individualized. Except for enteral nutrition in pediatric Crohn’s disease, no clinical evidence supports specific diets. Nevertheless, the role of personalized nutritional interventions as an adjunct therapy is well established. Compelling new data points to a key role of diet in gut inflammation directly or through modulation of intestinal microbiota. It will be of utmost importance to have well-designed longitudinal studies on dietary interventions alone or combined with current therapies. This review summarizes topics such as the spectrum of malnutrition, the evidence behind the concept of diet as an IBD cause, and the role of diet in IBD therapy.