Ultra-processed foods can cause debilitating intestinal disease flare-ups, a new study shows.
Poor diet has long been linked to the onset of Crohn’s disease, but now researchers have discovered that there are specific high-risk food groups that can trigger a serious relapse.
The research – presented this week at the United European Gastroenterology Conference (UEG) in Vienna, Austria – found that ultra-processed products such as bread, pastries and starches, as well as oils and spreads, increased the risk of the disease returning by around threefold .
Around half a million Brits suffer from Crohn’s disease, which causes agonizing pain, diarrhoea, exhaustion and extreme weight loss.
The disease can also cause the intestines to narrow, making it difficult to pass food through.
A new study presented at the United European Gastroenterology conference has found that ultra-processed foods can cause debilitating flare-ups of intestinal disease (stock image)
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are foods that contain large numbers of ingredients and are not commonly found in home kitchens
About a third of patients with the condition, in which the intestinal wall becomes inflamed, will require surgery.
However, this latest study has found that dieting is likely to cause serious symptoms to return, even if controlled with medication.
The study followed more than 100 people with Crohn’s disease for a year and marked when they had a relapse — a flare-up so bad that it led to a change in medication, hospitalization or surgery.
More than double the number of participants who had a high intake of ultra-processed foods eventually suffered a relapse.
The study authors also noted that a “Western diet” is associated with a recurrence of symptoms. They also said further research should be done into the link with emulsifiers, which are found in ultra-processed foods, as that could be the true cause of the problem.
Last year, a study published in the Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology Journal found that a diet high in ultra-processed foods increases the risk of developing Crohn’s disease by 70 percent.
However, the latest research is the first to show the impact after treatment. Experts are now calling on the research to inform the treatment of people with Crohn’s disease.
“In addition to treating active inflammatory bowel disease, we want to maintain long-term remission,” says Dr. Chen Sarbagili Shabat, clinical dietitian at Tel Aviv Medical Center, Israel.
‘It is very important that we know that environmental factors are linked to the disease. Therefore, we can treat active diseases with diet. In the same way, we can treat Crohn’s disease in remission with diet.’