Diet as a Therapeutic Option for Adult Inflammatory Bowel Disease

There are many mechanisms to explain how food may drive and also ameliorate inflammation. Despite there being no consistent macronutrient associations with the development of IBD, many exclusion diets have been described in the medical literature and lay press: IgG-4 guided exclusion diet; semi-vegetarian diet; Low fat, fiber limited exclusion diet (LOFFLEX Diet); Paleolithic diet; Maker's diet; vegan diet; Life without Bread diet; exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN), the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) and the low FODMAP diet. The literature on diet and IBD is reviewed with a particular focus on EEN, the SCD and low FODMAP diet in IBD. Lessons learned from the existing observations and strengths and shortcomings of existing data is presented, along with recommendations for patients.