Association between Dietary Inflammatory Index and Ulcerative Colitis: a case-control study.

INTRODUCTION

Diet plays a crucial role in the activity and onset of ulcerative colitis (UC). The aim of this study was to comprehensively explore the association between the dietary inflammatory index (DII) and UC.

METHODS

Participants completed the Food Frequency Questionnaire to obtain data on their dietary intake. Individual DII scores were calculated to assess inflammatory potential of each participant's diet. A logistic regression model was used to analyze the correlation between the DII and UC activity, including the active and remission phases.

RESULTS

In this study, 100 controls and 106 patients with UC were enrolled, including 50 patients in remission and 56 patients with active UC. Dietary nutrient intake was generally slightly lower in patients with UC than in the controls, including energy, protein, dietary fiber, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin C, folic acid, fat, monosaturated fatty acids, and n-3 fatty acids (P < 0.05). Compared with the low pro-inflammatory potential diet, patients with higher DII had a higher correlation with UC before and after adjustment for relevant confounders. In consecutive DII, the correlation with UC increased with each 1 increase in DII. No significant correlation was observed between DII and UC activity.

CONCLUSIONS

Diets with a high inflammatory index are correlated with UC. Therefore, consuming a diet with a low inflammatory index may be beneficial for patients with UC.