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Healthy Foods Like Spinach May Worsen Gut Inflammation in IBD
Confirmed
In Short: The compound oxalate, found in foods like spinach, almonds, and sweet potatoes, is known for contributing to kidney stones.
The compound oxalate, found in foods like spinach, almonds, and sweet potatoes, is known for contributing to kidney stones. However, new research indicates that oxalate may also exacerbate intestinal inflammation in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to reports from SciTechDaily and Science Daily.
For the first time, researchers observed that IBD patients and healthy controls consumed similar amounts of plant-based foods, yet IBD patients had more oxalate in their stool, as noted by Salvador. This suggests that even healthy foods can contribute to gut inflammation in people with IBD.
The study, conducted at the UNC School of Medicine, found that oxalate levels in the stool increased as inflammation in the intestines worsened. This was observed across affected intestinal tissues, regardless of whether the area showed active inflammation. The research also involved experiments in mice and cultured cells to investigate how dietary oxalate might influence inflammation in the intestinal lining.
Oxalate is a natural compound found in all plant foods, with varying concentrations. While most oxalate is eliminated in stool, even in a healthy digestive system, the study suggests that IBD may disrupt the gut's ability to handle this compound, leading to increased inflammation.
What's confirmed
- The pattern appeared across affected intestinal tissues and was present whether or not the sampled area showed active inflammation.
- “For the first time, we observed that IBD patients and healthy controls were eating similar amounts of plant-based foods, yet CD patients still had more oxalate in their stool,” Salvador said.
What's still developing
- Oxalate occurs naturally in all plant foods, although concentrations vary widely.