Inflammatory bowel disease: A focus on the involvement of dietary fats

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are chronic immune-mediated diseases of the gastrointestinal tract well known to be associated with both genetic and environmental risk factors. Certain genotypes may develop clinical manifestations under particular environmental influences. There is increasing evidence to suggest that diet is a key environmental factor in IBD, and dietary fats in particular have been implicated in both pro- and anti-inflammatory roles. Previous epidemiological studies have highlighted variable results, most probably due to the complex pathways that may be mediated by fatty acid activity. We aim to review the available studies on dietary fats and IBD pathogenesis and explore mechanisms involved to identify potential opportunities for future research and therapies. © 2014 de Silva and Korzenik. This work is published by Dove Medical Press Limited.