Should you be on a vegan/plant-based diet for your IBD?

What is a vegan diet?

A vegan diet eliminates all animal products and emphasises whole plant foods, including fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds.


What is a plant-based diet?

A plant-based diet focuses mainly on plant foods but can still include animal products to varying degrees.


What is the evidence in IBD?

Currently, there are no clinical trials that have looked at completely vegan diets and their impact on IBD.


One study looked at a semi-vegetarian diet* to induce remission of active CD alongside Infliximab. It showed positive results but the major limitation was there was no control group so we don’t know if it was the infliximab or the diet that had the effect!


*eggs and milk were allowed (yoghurt daily) with fish included weekly and small portions of meat offered once every two weeks


Take Aways - Plant-based/Vegan Diet for IBD


Pros

  • Plant based/vegan diets are high in fibre which promoted gut health

  • A whole food vegan/plant-based diet encourages intakes of a wide range of fruit, vegetables and whole plant foods like legumes which we know are good for our health.

  • A whole food vegan diet eliminated ultra-processed foods and processed meats which may have a negative impact on IBD

Take Aways - Plant-based/Vegan Diet for IBD


Cons

  • Lack of evidence to support its use in IBD.

  • High nutrient deficiency risk with vegan diets due to exclusion of animal products.

  • Restrictive nature means it may not be sustainable for patients.

  • Vegan ultra-processed foods often contain lots of additives which may have a negative impact on our gut health and IBD

  • A whole food vegan diet that is high in fibre may not be well tolerated by many with IBD who find certain fruit, vegetables and vegan sources of protein like legumes cause symptoms.


If you would like support with your IBD, we can help you.

We are a nutrition and dietetics clinic specialising providing exceptional care to improve the quality of life of people living with IBD. We bring clarity around food and IBD and remove uncertainty and fear around food.

Our IBD specialist Nutritionist (Clemmie) and specialist gastroenterology and IBD Dietician (Jess) both have IBD too so ‘get it’ and are so passionate about helping others with IBD.

If you would like support with your IBD please book a free initial call via the button below so we can find out more about you, discuss how we can help and take you through our appointment options.


Reference

Lomer MCE, Wilson B, Wall CL. British Dietetic Association consensus guidelines on the nutritional assessment and dietary management of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2023 Feb;36(1):336-377. doi: 10.1111/jhn.13054. Epub 2022 Jul 21. PMID: 35735908; PMCID: PMC10084145.

Clemmie Macpherson