High-Quality Infant Diet Reduces Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Study finds that high intake of fish and vegetables and low consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks in the first year of life significantly lowers the risk of developing IBD.

• A high-quality diet during the first year of life may significantly lower the subsequent risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, according to a recent long-term study.
• Children with medium and high-quality diets at the age of 1 had a 25% lower overall risk of developing IBD compared to those with a low-quality diet.
• High fish intake at the age of 1 was associated with a 54% lower risk of ulcerative colitis, while higher vegetable intake also reduced the overall risk of IBD. Consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks at this age was linked to a 42% heightened risk of developing IBD.
• By the age of 3, only high fish intake remained associated with a reduced risk of IBD, particularly ulcerative colitis.
• Gastroenterologist Dr. Ashwin Ananthakrishnan suggests that it might be time to recommend a ‘preventive’ diet, incorporating dietary patterns associated with lower IBD risk, such as adequate dietary fibre, fish intake, minimised sugar-sweetened beverages, and preference for fresh over processed foods.

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