title: Diet of South Asians with inflammatory bowel disease.
abstract: The diet of South Asian patients with inflammatory bowel disease was studied using a postal questionnaire and compared with controls matched for age and ethnic group. Hindus with Crohn's disease are sweets significantly more often than either healthy controls (chi 2 = 13.0, P < 0.005) or Hindus who had ulcerative colitis (chi 2 = 9.8, P < 0.05). Hindus with ulcerative colitis were significantly less likely to drink milk than their matched controls (chi 2 = 7.4, P < 0.01). Hindu patients were also less likely to use spices and eat flour than controls (chi 2 = 12.5, P < 0.005). No difference was found in the diets of patients belonging to other religious groups and controls. This study again suggests that a high intake of refined carbohydrate is associated with Crohn's disease, while patients with ulcerative colitis have significantly altered their traditional diet.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Research Unit, Leicester General Hospital, UK.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Probert
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bhakta
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bhamra
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jayanthi
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Mayberry
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001210:Asia, Southeastern / Q000453:epidemiology; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000209:etiology; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000209:etiology; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004034:Diet Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires