The Role of Dietary Fibers in the Management of IBD Symptoms

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are chronic, progressive, immune-mediated diseases of the intestinal tract. The main subtypes of IBDs are Chron’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). The etiology is still unclear, but there are genetic, environmental and host-related factors that contribute to the development of these diseases. Recent literature has shown that dietary therapy is the cornerstone of IBD treatment in terms of management of symptoms, relapse and care of the pathology. IBD patients show that microbiota dysbiosis and diet, especially dietary fiber, can modulate its composition. These patients are more at risk of energy protein malnutrition than the general population and are deficient in micronutrients. So far, no dietary component is considered responsible for IBD and there is not a specific therapeutic diet for it. The aim of this review is to evaluate the role of dietary fibers in CD and UC and help health professionals in the nutritional management of these pathologies. Further studies are necessary to determine the appropriate amount and type of fiber to suggest in the case of IBD to ameliorate psychosocial conditions and patients’ quality of life.