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Diet in the Pathogenesis and Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutritional Epidemiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 January 2026 | Viewed by 2879

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. Lab of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Physical Education, Sports Science and Dietetics, University of Thessaly, Trikala, Greece
2 School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
Interests: inflammatory bowel disease; crohn’s disease; ulcerative colitis; diet; nutrition; gastroenterology; dietary interventions; microbiome; nutritional therapy; enteral nutrition

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Co-Guest Editor
Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital of Larissa, School of Medicine, University of Thessaly, 41100 Larissa, Greece
Interests: inflammatory bowel disease; crohn’s disease; ulcerative colitis; gastroenterology

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Co-Guest Editor
Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital of Larissa, School of Medicine, University of Thessaly, 41100 Larissa, Greece
Interests: inflammatory bowel disease; crohn’s disease; ulcerative colitis; gastroenterology

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Guest Editor Assistant
School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
Interests: inflammatory bowel disease; crohn’s disease; ulcerative colitis; diet; nutrition; gastroenterology; dietary interventions; microbiome; nutritional therapy; enteral nutrition

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) presents a significant global health burden with profound impacts on patient quality of life. While its precise etiology remains multifactorial, emerging evidence highlights the crucial role of diet and nutrition in both IBD onset and progression. Nutrition can modulate gut microbiota, immune responses, and intestinal permeability, thereby influencing disease susceptibility and activity.

This Special Issue invites original research articles and high-quality reviews exploring the relationship between diet, nutrition, and IBD, addressing a wide range of topics, including the following:

  • The influence of dietary patterns, specific nutrients, and food components on IBD onset and progression.
  • The impact of diet on gut microbiota composition and function in IBD.
  • Mechanistic studies on dietary modulation of intestinal inflammation.
  • Evidence-based dietary interventions for IBD management, including exclusion diets and enteral nutrition.
  • The role of food additives, ultra-processed foods, and environmental factors in IBD.
  • Nutritional deficiencies and supplementation strategies in IBD.
  • Patient perspectives on dietary modifications and adherence to dietary therapies.

Our goal is to provide a comprehensive overview of diet, nutrition, and IBD interactions, offering insights into innovative dietary strategies that complement conventional therapeutic approaches for IBD patients. We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions to this Special Issue.

Dr. Vaios Svolos
Prof. Dr. Andreas Kapsoritakis
Dr. Konstantinos Argyriou
Guest Editors

Dr. Konstantinos Gkikas
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
  • Crohn's disease
  • ulcerative colitis
  • dietary interventions
  • microbiome
  • nutritional therapy
  • exclusive enteral nutrition
  • partial enteral nutrition
  • low FODMAP diet
  • Mediterranean diet
  • fiber intake
  • probiotics
  • prebiotics
  • food additives
  • nutritional deficiencies

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 261 KiB  
Article
Evaluating the Efficacy of Probiotics on Disease Progression, Quality of Life, and Nutritional Status Among Patients with Crohn’s Disease: A Multicenter, Randomized, Single-Blinded Controlled Trial
by Maha Hoteit, Mohamad Hellani, Mohamad Karaja, Nadeen Zayour, Zahra Sadek, Bilal Hotayt and Mahmoud Hallal
Nutrients 2025, 17(4), 708; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17040708 - 17 Feb 2025
Viewed by 2136
Abstract
Background: There is growing interest in the role of gut microbiota in the pathophysiology of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), including Crohn’s disease (CD). Probiotics have been proposed as a potential adjunct therapy for these conditions by altering the intestinal environment, although studies on [...] Read more.
Background: There is growing interest in the role of gut microbiota in the pathophysiology of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), including Crohn’s disease (CD). Probiotics have been proposed as a potential adjunct therapy for these conditions by altering the intestinal environment, although studies on their effectiveness have yielded mixed results. Aim: This study aims to evaluate the short-term (2 months) effects of a dietary supplement containing Lactobacilli, Bifidobacteria, and Lactococcus bacillus on disease progression, remission, quality of life, and nutritional intake in Lebanese patients with CD. Method: A multicenter, randomized, single-blind controlled trial was conducted in 2 medical centers in Beirut from 1 April 2024 to 1 August 2024. Recruitment, prescreening, screening, enrollment, and protocol implementation were carried out at both centers. Data were collected from 21 patients with CD, who were randomly assigned to the control group (n = 10) and the intervention group (n = 11). At baseline and after two months, participants underwent clinical assessments, WHOQOL-BREF evaluation, and 24 h dietary recalls. Follow-up visits included surveys on disease progression, quality of life, adherence, and adverse events, along with repeat body composition and anthropometric measurements. Results: Probiotic supplementation over two months did not significantly alter symptoms, flares, or hospitalizations outcomes between the control and intervention groups. However, the intervention group experienced notable increases in body weight (p = 0.01), BMI (p = 0.01), body fat mass (p = 0.04), and arm muscle circumference (p = 0.01). Nutrient intake patterns differed, with the intervention group showing increased consumption of calcium, riboflavin, and folate compared to controls (p = 0.01, p = 0.04, p = 0.013, respectively). Probiotic supplementation led to significant within-group increases in dietary fiber (p = 0.01), total sugar (p = 0.02), and caffeine (p = 0.01) among the intervention participants. Adverse effects in the intervention group were mild, including nausea (18.2%) and abdominal discomfort (9.1%). QOL improved significantly in the intervention group, particularly in physical (p = 0.03), psychological (p = 0.04), and environmental domains (p = 0.003), while the control group exhibited improvements only in psychological health. Conclusions: Overall, the findings suggest that probiotics can enhance body composition, nutrient intake, and certain aspects of QOL among CD patients, despite minimal impact on disease symptoms or dietary patterns. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet in the Pathogenesis and Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease)

Review

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20 pages, 665 KiB  
Review
Looking Beyond Nutrients, How to Assess Diet Quality in an Inflammatory Bowel Disease Population—A Narrative Review
by Laura J. Portmann, Jessica A. Fitzpatrick, Emma P. Halmos, Robert V. Bryant and Alice S. Day
Nutrients 2025, 17(14), 2343; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17142343 - 17 Jul 2025
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Abstract
Background: Dietary assessment in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is moving away from individual food and nutrient analyses and towards dietary patterns (e.g., Mediterranean diet, Western diet) and diet quality assessment that are increasingly implicated in IBD onset and course. However, an IBD-specific [...] Read more.
Background: Dietary assessment in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is moving away from individual food and nutrient analyses and towards dietary patterns (e.g., Mediterranean diet, Western diet) and diet quality assessment that are increasingly implicated in IBD onset and course. However, an IBD-specific diet quality index (DQI) does not exist. This review aimed to identify current DQIs and assess their suitability for an IBD population. Methods: MEDLINE and EmCare databases were systematically searched for a-priori, food-based DQI reflecting current dietary guidelines and/or nutrition science. Data extracted were adapted from optimal DQI criteria, including quality measures of adequacy, moderation, variety and balance and DQI evaluation. Results: Twenty-four DQI were identified. No DQI included all optimal DQI criteria. The Dietary Guideline Index 2013 (DGI-2013) most closely met the criteria, followed by the Dutch Healthy Diet Index-2015 (DHD-Index 2015), Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI) and Healthy Eating Index for Australian Adults-2013 (HEIFA-2013). Most DQI assessed adequacy (22/24, 92%) and moderation (21/24, 88%), half assessed balance (12/24) while few assessed variety (8/24, 33%). Application of other optimal DQI criteria varied. Food frequency questionnaire (13/24) and 24 h diet recall (12/24) were the most common dietary assessment methods used. Most DQI (17/24, 71%) were validated; however, not for an IBD population. Few were evaluated for reliability (6/24) or reproducibility (1/24). Conclusions: No DQI meets all optimal criteria for an IBD-specific DQI. The DGI-2013 met the most criteria, followed by the DHD Index-2015, PHDI and HEIFA-2013 and may be most appropriate for an IBD population. An IBD-specific DQI is lacking and needed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diet in the Pathogenesis and Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease)
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