- More than 6 million people globally have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
- Diet plays a role in both possibly increasing a person’s risk for developing IBD, as well as helping to alleviate symptoms.
- Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh found that a high-sugar diet worsened IBD symptoms in a mouse model.
More than 6 million people around the world have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — an umbrella term for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, which both cause inflammation of the gut.
A person’s diet plays an important role in increasing the risk for and alleviating
A high-sugar diet is a known
Now, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh found that consuming a high-sugar diet could also worsen symptoms for people with IBD, via a mouse model.
This study was recently published in the journal Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
Inflammatory bowel disease occurs when the body’s immune system attacks your bowels, causing inflammation, pain, and swelling in the intestines.
Although researchers are still not sure exactly what causes IBD, there are some known risk factors, including:
Symptoms of IBD include:
- fatigue
- fever, night sweats, or both
- vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea
- loss of appetite
- stomach pains and cramps
- unexplained weight loss
- joint pain
- blood in the stool
Currently, there is no cure for IBD. Treatment centers around reducing a person’s symptoms and avoiding any complications. Common treatments for IBD include:
When asked why he decided to study the effect of sugar on IBD, Tim Hand, PhD, associate professor of Pediatrics and Immunology at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh at the University of Pittsburgh and senior author of…
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