Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects the digestive tract causing stomach pain, diarrhea, fatigue, and weight loss. Patients notice that diet impacts their symptoms and how they feel. While studies have explored the link between diet and IBD and how it develops, a gap exists in understanding how diet can treat inflammation and symptoms. Recent research indicates a crucial role for diet in shaping the microbiome (tiny microbes in our gut), potentially reducing the risk of disease flares. Understanding how diet affects the microbiome in IBD is key to empowering patients to take control of their condition.
Not all patients respond to diet in the same way. My research program will use precision nutrition (PN) to study the different responses to diet therapy based on an individual’s microbiome. In the future, we will aim to provide diet recommendations tailored to the person, leading to better disease management, improved nutritional health, and reduced symptoms.
This research project can impact patients’ daily diet practices and provide crucial guidance for health professionals and patients, which is currently lacking. Also, its potential impacts extend to shaping future policies and research directions in diet for IBD.