What question did this study set out to answer?

This study aims to analyze dietary patterns in patients with inflammatory bowel disease and their association with disease activity.

January 23, 2026

P0807Nutritional profiles in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: comparing remission and active phases

Key Points

This study aims to analyze dietary patterns in patients with inflammatory bowel disease and their association with disease activity.
Conducted a cross-sectional analysis of patients in a day care IBD unit.
Utilized a validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire to assess food consumption.
Employed principal component analysis to identify dietary patterns and their correlation with clinical and biological markers.
Identified three dietary patterns: Industrialized food, Healthy, and Traditional.
In active Crohn’s disease, higher intake of red meat, cereals, and fats correlated with increased C-reactive protein levels.
In active ulcerative colitis, higher fish and seafood consumption associated with lower C-reactive protein levels.

Abstract

Abstract Background In recent years it has been highlighted the role of diet in Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) etiopathogenesis and disease behavior. Molecular mechanism have been unraveled. Despite that, there is limited guidance on diet prescription in real-life setting. Dietary intake is a complex interplay between different food groups, compounds and nutrients with synergistic effects and complex interactions.1 Dietary pattern analysis resembles more eating behaviors and thus allows for a more comprehensive diet-disease interaction analysis.2 Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted. Patients undergoing ambulatory treatment at a day care IBD unit were consecutively recruited. A self-applied semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire, validated for the adult Portuguese population, was applied.3,4 Blood and feces were collected. Food consumption patterns were assessed by principal component analysis (PCA). The primary outcome was to assess dietary patterns in IBD patients and to analyze the association of the established patterns and disease activity defined by clinical and biological activity markers in a real-life setting. Clinical activity was assessed using the Partial Mayo Score (PMS) for ulcerative colitis and the Harvey–Bradshaw Index (HBI) for Crohn’s disease, and biological activity was evaluated via fecal calprotectin and C-reactive protein. Patients were considered in remission if PMS ≤2 or HBI ≤4, fecal calprotectin was 250 µg/g, and C-reactive protein 0.5 mg/L. Results A total of 89 IBD patients (55 CD, 28 in remission and 27 with active disease; 34 UC, 16 in remission and 18 active) were included. Baseline characteristics are described at table 1. In patients with active CD red meat, cereals and derivates, and fats and oils food groups intake were positively correlated to CRP values (p = 0.019, R = 0.449; p = 0.044, R = 0.390; p = 0.021, R = 0.442). In active UC higher consumption of fish and seafood was associated with lower CRP levels (p = 0.007, R=-0.614). There were 3 dietary patterns: Industrialized food, Healthy and Traditional (Table 2). CD patients in remission had significantly higher scores on Healthy pattern in comparison to active CD patients (-0.02±0.95 vs -0.41±0.049, p = 0.049). Conclusion Dietary intake is linked to inflammation in IBD. In our study, we found that in active CD, higher consumption of red meat, cereals, and fats was associated with increased CRP, whereas in active UC, higher intake of fish and seafood was associated with lower CRP. CD patients in remission adhered to a healthier dietary pattern, suggesting that diet may influence disease activity and help maintain remission. References: (1) Schulz CA, Oluwagbemigun K, Nöthlings U. Advances in dietary pattern analysis in nutritional epidemiology. Eur J Nutr. 2021 Dec;60(8):4115-4130. (2) Naqvi, S.A., Taylor, L.M., Panaccione, R. et al. Dietary patterns, food groups and nutrients in Crohn’s disease: associations with gut and systemic inflammation. Sci Rep 11, 1674 (2021). (3) Lopes C. Reprodutibilidade e Validação de um questionário semi-quantitativo de frequência alimentar. In: Alimentação e enfarte agudo do miocárdio: um estudo caso-controlo de base populacional. Tese de Doutoramento. Universidade do Porto 2000. p.79-115. (4) Lopes C, Aro A, Azevedo A, Ramos E, Barros H. Intake and adipose tissue composition of fatty acids and risk of myocardial infarction in a male Portuguese community sample. J Am Diet Assoc 2007; 107:276-286. Conflict of interest: Ms. Soares, Caroline: No conflict of interest Domingues, Ângela: No conflict of interest Gomes, Rute: None. Silva, Gonçalo: No conflict of interest Martins, Diana: No conflict of interest Sousa, Paula: Receipt of honoraria or consultation fees: Celltrion Participation in a company sponsored speaker’s bureau: Johnson & Johnson Support for attending meetings: Johnson & Johnson Dr. Falk Norgine Pfizer Abbvie. Cancela, Eugénia Maria: I haveńt conflits of interest Marques, Isabel: No conflict of interest Silva, Américo: No conflict of interest Ministro, Paula: I declare that I have served as a speaker and received honoraria from Ferring, Falk, MSD, Johnson and Johnson, AbbVie, Lilly, Celltrion, Takeda and Tillotts

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