I-AM-GUT Project

Hi all and welcome to the I-AM-GUT Project official blog.This is a scientific project funded by  Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions about microbiota, gut health in early life and how different maternal habits can affect future susceptibility to develop different gut diseases, such as Inflammatory bowel disease. So, if you are a patient, if you know someone who suffers from any of these diseases, or you are just curious about your gut health, this blog is for you!

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Updated evidence on how diet may help in managing inflammatory bowel disease

"Evidence of diet modulating intestinal inflammation comes mainly from mice studies. An elegant mice study published in 2018 examined the effects of 32 custom diets on susceptibility to colitis in mice free of both specific pathogens and germs. A high-protein diet—especially containing casein, soy protein and whey protein—led to increased colitis severity, which was assessed through weight loss in mice." 

Maybe this is not new for patients, but it’s also good to remember how our diet can impact on IBD symptoms and its evolution. IBD can mean making some changes to your diet. You may need to avoid certain foods to help your symptoms, or take extra care to make sure you’re getting the right nutrients. There’s no single diet that works for everyone as the list of products that can trigger the disease can vary from one person to another. Everyone is different so what works for one person may not work for another. However, there is a general feeling that IBD patients should avoid irritant substances such as chocolate, coffee, spicy food, ginger, alcohol, greasy food, food rich in purines, fast food in general... Depending on the symptoms, they should also avoid or increase the intake of fibre, maybe diary products, cereals... But as said, this should be personal and based on how the patient reacts after eating those products.  If cutting out a food makes no difference to your symptoms, make sure you start eating it again to avoid missing out on important nutrients.

If you want to know more about this fascinating study, you caqn visit their link:

https://www.gutmicrobiotaforhealth.com/en/updated-evidence-on-how-diet-may-help-in-managing-inflammatory-bowel-disease/

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Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Let’s start the day with a little bit of scientific background about Inflammatory Bowel Disease

 Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an umbrella term used to describe disorders that involve chronic inflammation of your digestive tract. Types of IBD include:

Crohn's disease: This type of IBD is characterized by inflammation of the lining of your digestive tract, which often spreads deep into affected tissues. Crohn’s disease can occur in any part of the gastro-intestinal tract. The terminal ileum / proximal colon are affected in the majority, though disease may co-exist in other locations (foregut, small intestine, colon, and perineum). Crohn’s disease is a lifelong disease, with a fluctuating course characterized by flares and remissions. It often presents in late adolescence or early adulthood, although can occur at any age. Periods of active disease might result in complications such as intestinal fistulae (penetrating disease) or tissue scarring and lumen (the space inside your intestine) narrowing (stricturing disease); patients with no such complications have a pure inflammatory disease course (non-stricturing, non-penetrating disease). Symptoms depend on disease location and behaviour. The most common presenting symptom is loose stool consistency, typically for at least 6 weeks. Other common presenting symptoms are: abdominal pain (in 70%), weight loss (in 60%), iron deficiency and associated anaemia, rectal mucus and bleeding (in 40% with Crohn’s colitis), extra-intestinal manifestations (joint, eye, skin or hepato-biliary disease), perianal fistulas (occur in 10%).  Crohn’s disease is more common in developed countries (there is a North-South and West-East gradient).  Although it was believed there is no gender bias, recent studies proved a higher incidence of the disease among females, especially at younger ages.

Obtained from ECCO Epidemiology Database (http://www.e-guide.ecco-ibd.eu/resource/incidence-rates-crohns-disease-20-european-centres)

Ulcerative colitis: This condition causes long-lasting inflammation and sores (ulcers) in the innermost lining of your large intestine (colon) and rectum. Ulcerative colitis describes continuous mucosal inflammation involving the rectum and a variable extent of the colon. Although a lifelong disease, it is characterized by periods of relapse and remission. There is no cure, so treatment aims to minimize symptoms by inducing disease remission.The onset is usually insidious. Symptoms may be present for months prior to presentation. The most common presenting symptom is bloody and loose stool, typically for at least 6 weeks. Other common presenting symptoms are: abdominal pain, weight loss, not feeling hungry, iron deficiency and associated anaemia, feeling like you haven’t completely emptied your colon after you use the bathroom, not being able to hold your stool in, and extra-intestinal manifestations ( joint, eye, skin or hepato-biliary disease). Despite treatment, ulcerative colitis interferes with work and leisure activity in the majority.

Non-specific or indeterminate colitis: this is a third, less known, type of IBD.  Indeterminate colitis originally referred to those 10–15% of cases of IBD in which there is difficulty distinguishing between ulcerative colitis  and Crohn’s disease  in the diagnosis.

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Please, remember the importance of chronic disease awareness

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Welcome

Hi all and welcome to the I-AM-GUT Project official blog.

My name is Sonia Martínez Herrero, I am a post-doctoral researcher from La Rioja, Spain, and I will be leading this exciting I-AM-GUT Project.

By now you will be wondering what I-AM-GUT is? Easy, this is a scientific project funded by  Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions about microbiota, gut health in early life and how different maternal habits can affect future susceptibility to develop different gut diseases, such as Inflammaroy bowel disease. This project will take place at APC Microbiome Ireland, UCC, Cork. 

In this blog you will find a little bit of scientific background, news about the project, but also useful info regarding gut health and different intestinal pathologies. So, if you are a patient, if you know someone who suffers from any of these diseases, or you are just curious about your gut health, this blog is for you!

Thanks for being here and see you soon!

SoniaMH