Nutrients. 2021 May 23;13(6):1780. doi: 10.3390/nu13061780.

Jean-Frédéric LeBlanc ¹, Jonathan P Segal ², Lucia Maria de Campos Braz ^1 3, Ailsa L Hart ^1 3

Author information

• ¹Inflammatory Bowel Disease Unit, St. Mark's Hospital, Harrow HA1 3UJ, UK.
• ²Department of Gastroenterology, The Hillingdon Hospital, Uxbridge UB8 3NN, UK.
• ³Faculty of Medicine, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK.

Abstract

The gut microbiome has been implicated in a range of diseases and there is a rapidly growing understanding of this ecosystem's importance in inflammatory bowel disease. We are yet to identify a single microbe that causes either ulcerative colitis (UC) or pouchitis, however, reduced microbiome diversity is increasingly recognised in active UC. Manipulating the gut microbiome through dietary interventions, prebiotic and probiotic compounds and faecal microbiota transplantation may expand the therapeutic landscape in UC. Specific diets, such as the Mediterranean diet or diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, may reduce intestinal inflammation or potentially reduce the risk of incident UC. This review summarises our knowledge of gut microbiome therapies in UC and pouchitis.