Health
Dietary oxalate may worsen gut inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease
Oxalate in common plant foods may aggravate gut inflammation, according to ScienceDaily.
The short version
- A study suggests oxalate found in spinach, almonds, and sweet potatoes may worsen intestinal inflammation in patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.[ScienceDaily]
- Patients showed lower levels of gut oxalate transporters and higher stool oxalate levels than healthy controls despite consuming similar amounts of plant foods.[ScienceDaily]
- Researchers caution that current findings are preliminary and do not yet justify changes to formal dietary guidelines.[ScienceDaily]
Key facts
- Intestinal tissue from patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease showed lower levels of oxalate transporter proteins SLC26A2 and SLC26A3.[ScienceDaily]
- Patients with Crohn's disease had higher stool oxalate levels than individuals without inflammatory bowel disease despite similar plant-based food intake.[ScienceDaily]
- Mice given an oxalate-enriched diet along with a colitis-inducing compound experienced a 60 percent decrease in survival compared to controls.[ScienceDaily]
- Nearly 75 percent of patients with reduced expression of the transporter SLC26A6 presented with stricturing Crohn's disease in exploratory analysis.[ScienceDaily]
What remains uncertain
- Researchers note the correlation between low SLC26A6 expression and stricturing Crohn's disease must still be verified in larger patient populations.[ScienceDaily]
- The findings are not yet sufficient to establish formal clinical dietary recommendations regarding oxalate consumption for people with inflammatory bowel disease.[ScienceDaily]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.
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