Adherence to Mediterranean Diet vs. Western Diet and its Effects on Gut Microbiota and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Outcomes

Adherence to Mediterranean Diet vs. Western Diet and its Effects on Gut Microbiota and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Outcomes

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic condition resulting from genetics, gut microbiome, and environment. Diet plays a key role in IBD with research linking the Western Diet (WD), high in saturated fats and refined sugars, to rising IBD cases, and the Mediterranean Diet (MD), rich in fiber and antioxidants, to reduced patient symptoms. This review compares the WD and MD to assess how dietary patterns affect the gut microbiota and IBD patients. An organized literature search was conducted across PubMed, ScienceDirect, and the Web of Science to determine the effects each diet has on the gut microbiota and IBD management. Of the 75 articles screened, 47 unique sources were obtained consisting primarily of clinical trials and observational studies. The WD was observed to promote dysbiosis, increase inflammation, and impair immune barrier function, worsening IBD symptoms. Alternatively, the MD was shown to support a diverse and balanced gut microbiota, leading to decreased inflammation and improvement in quality of life, mortality rates, and active disease prevalence. The MD is a favorable approach for IBD prevention and management due to its anti-inflammatory properties and positive effect on the gut-microbiota axis, while the WD was shown to promote inflammatory harm and exacerbate patient symptoms. Coupled with its low restrictive nature and ease of use, the MD is shown to be a promising tool for patients who struggle with dietary adherence. Further longitudinal studies with larger samples are needed to draw conclusive results for IBD management.