"Every patient with IBD asks about food — they deserve evidence-based answers".

In the final episode of Season One of ‘The Eat This Podcast with Dr Alan Desmond’, I dive into the conditions that first sparked my passion for gut health more than 20 years ago — Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, collectively known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

As a Consultant Gastroenterologist, I work with people living with IBD every day. And I’ve learned that one of the most common —  questions that patients ask is deceptively simple: What should I eat?

In this episode I draw on over a decade’s experience of talking with my patients about food, and unpack what the science actually says about food and IBD.

• How diet and lifestyle — not just genetics — play a major role in IBD development and progression

• The foods and dietary patterns that are associated with lower inflammation and better outcomes

• The research that’s convinced me every person with IBD deserves education and support around diet

• The 10 food rules I share with my patients living with Crohn’s and colitis

• The evidence behind plant-based diets, Mediterranean diets, and specific dietary patterns for IBD

• What the latest clinical guidelines from the US, Europe, and UK are — and aren’t — saying about diet

I also share the resources I recommend most often in clinic to help people with IBD take action and build an evidence-based dietary pattern to help maximise their gut health and overall well-being.

If you’re are interested in learning exactly how diet effects gut health and overall wellbeing - especially if you or a loved one is living with ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease - this episode is for you!

Resources I mention in this episode:

• Download the Powerpoint Slides to accompany this episode.

• Canada’s Food Guide

• The Plant-Based Crohn’s and Colitis Cookbook by Helena Rose Murphy

• Nutritional Therapy for IBD

• Case report and review of the evidence published by Dr Alan Desmond with Dr Neal Barnard and colleagues.