The journal Gut recently published the results of a prospective cohort study analyzing the association between diet quality, assessed at age 1 and again at age 3, and the subsequent risk for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) later in life. Comprised of two Scandinavian cohorts, the All Babies in Southeast Sweden (ABIS) Study and The Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), over 81,000 participants were followed for over 1.3 million person-years (a median of approximately 15-21 years after age 1), during which 307 were diagnosed with IBD. Dietary intake was assessed via questionnaires at age 12-18 months and again between 30-36 months of age, quantified by both diet quality (using a modified version of the Healthy Eating Index), as well as by the intake of specific food groups, such as fish, fruit, meat, vegetables, and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs).
For children who consumed either a high or medium-quality diet at age 1, the pooled and adjusted risk for later development of IBD was 25% lower compared to those consuming a low-quality diet. No association was observed for diet quality assessment at age 3. When analyzing food group intake at age 1, the lowest risk for IBD was observed among children with a high fish intake, approximately a 30% lower risk (adjusted) compared to low fish intake. Additionally, both a medium and high intake of vegetables was found to be protective, while any intake of SSBs was associated with a 42% greater risk for IBD (adjusted) compared to no intake (72% of 1-year-olds reported SSB consumption). By age 3, only a high fish intake was linked to IBD development, with a 54% lower risk for ulcerative colitis specifically.