A new survey, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, investigates the dietary concerns and beliefs of people with inflammatory bowel disease.
A cross-sectional postal questionnaire was sent to people with IBD. There were 416 eligible people and 168 responded.
Here are five findings:
1. Forty-two percent of patients indicated food affects their symptoms a lot or severely.
2. Around 51 percent respondents indicated diet was important or extremely important in controlling symptoms.
3. More people with Crohn's disease reported meat, fatty foods, chocolate and salad as a trigger, as compared to people with ulcerative colitis.
4. Also, more Crohn's disease patients avoided meat and chocolate than ulcerative colitis patients.
5. More people with ulcerative colitis reported wheat as a trigger.