I have IBD. Any sensible doctor will tell you that there seem to be no link between diet and IBD, apart from certain food possibly aggravating symptoms.
No use whatsoever to blame oneself for something like this.
The idea behind there being no link between diet and IBD is nonsensical and patently unscientific.
From a layman's point of view, IBD is a single disease. However, in reality, it's an umbrella term for a disease with a common set of symptoms and histological changes that can have a variety of underlying etiologies. Some people are more genetically susceptible, with family histories; others with no family history can undergo changes in gut microbiota composition, genome methylation, among other environmental factors that influence development and progression of the disease.
There are a bevy of peer-reviewed studies that show links between better diets/exercise and an increase in SCFA-producing microbiome components, which are known to suppress inflammatory cytokines and improve innate immune mucosal defense systems and free radical scavenging, promoting gut healing. On the flip side, plenty of people with poor diets and a lack of fiber are at a far higher risk of developing IBD or some other autoimmune disease (like SLE or RA), even certain cancers. It's why one of the most common strategies to address mild IBD and IBS cases is to begin an elimination diet and see which foods are triggers for inflammation.
You are correct that for many, diet isn't the reason why people have IBD. But it does play a huge role in symptom burden and the overall severity and prognosis of the condition. This isn't even considering the effect of environmental contaminants (such as PFOA and BPA) on IBD development, which has been well-known for over a decade now.
Ignoring science for a bit, just from the perspective of common sense, the idea of what you put in your body not affecting you is absurd and ridiculous. It's an idea pushed by gastroenterologists who don't want to risk upset patients who would rather not change their entire diet and lifestyle to mitigate their disease, for a small portion of whom the changes will not work anyways due to an underlying genetic component to the disease. Still, there's nothing to lose and everything to gain from adopting a healthier lifestyle.
IBS is a common set of symptoms. IBD is short for inflammatory bowel disease, and it's an umbrella term for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (UC).
kunai|1 year ago
From a layman's point of view, IBD is a single disease. However, in reality, it's an umbrella term for a disease with a common set of symptoms and histological changes that can have a variety of underlying etiologies. Some people are more genetically susceptible, with family histories; others with no family history can undergo changes in gut microbiota composition, genome methylation, among other environmental factors that influence development and progression of the disease.
There are a bevy of peer-reviewed studies that show links between better diets/exercise and an increase in SCFA-producing microbiome components, which are known to suppress inflammatory cytokines and improve innate immune mucosal defense systems and free radical scavenging, promoting gut healing. On the flip side, plenty of people with poor diets and a lack of fiber are at a far higher risk of developing IBD or some other autoimmune disease (like SLE or RA), even certain cancers. It's why one of the most common strategies to address mild IBD and IBS cases is to begin an elimination diet and see which foods are triggers for inflammation.
You are correct that for many, diet isn't the reason why people have IBD. But it does play a huge role in symptom burden and the overall severity and prognosis of the condition. This isn't even considering the effect of environmental contaminants (such as PFOA and BPA) on IBD development, which has been well-known for over a decade now.
Ignoring science for a bit, just from the perspective of common sense, the idea of what you put in your body not affecting you is absurd and ridiculous. It's an idea pushed by gastroenterologists who don't want to risk upset patients who would rather not change their entire diet and lifestyle to mitigate their disease, for a small portion of whom the changes will not work anyways due to an underlying genetic component to the disease. Still, there's nothing to lose and everything to gain from adopting a healthier lifestyle.
spondylosaurus|1 year ago
IBS is a common set of symptoms. IBD is short for inflammatory bowel disease, and it's an umbrella term for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (UC).
Spod_Gaju|1 year ago
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