Nutritional status and consumption of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory foods by patients with inflammatory bowel diseases

Abstract

Objective: Evaluation of nutritional status and consumption frequency of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory food by patients with inflammatory bowel diseases. Methods: An observational study of the patients assisted by the interdisciplinary inflammatory bowel diseases ambulatory of UNIVALI-SC. The nutritional status of patients was evaluated and each patient was categorized according to his/her body max index and also through a research questionnaire of the individual social-economy situation, life habits, and inflammatory and anti-inflammatory food consumption in a determinate period of time. Results: Out of the 65 patients, 57% had Crohn's disease and 43% had ulcerative colitis. According to the disease activity, 71% were in remission and 29% in activity. Of the sample, 57% were classified as overweight. It was not possible to correlate nutritional status and type of inflammatory bowel diseases, nutritional status and income or nutritional status and level of education. The most inflammatory foods were beef (65%) and coffee (60%), while the anti-inflammatory ones were garlic (75%), olive oil (54%), and sweet potatoes (23%). There was no association between the most consumed inflammatory and anti-inflammatory food and body max index. Conclusion: According to the results, most of the patients were overweight. The most commonly consumed inflammatory foods were beef and coffee and the anti-inflammatory ones were garlic, olive oil, and sweet potatoes.