Dietary patterns and risk of ulcerative colitis: a case–control study

Recent evidence indicates a role for dietary factors in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC). The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between dietary patterns and UC risk.Sixty-two newly diagnosed cases of UC and 124 healthy age and sex-matched controls were studied. Data on diet was measured using a validated country-specific food frequency questionnaire. Factor analysis was used to define major dietary patterns based on 28 food groups and nutrient content.After adjustment for confounding factors, subjects who were in the highest tertile of the healthy dietary pattern had a 79% lower risk of UC (odds ratio = 0.21, 95% confidence interval = 0.07-0.59, P = 0.003), whereas the consumption of an unhealthy dietary pattern was associated with a significantly increased risk of UC (odds ratio = 3.39, 95% 95% confidence interval = 1.16-9.90, P = 0.027).The findings of the present study suggest that dietary patterns are associated with UC risk.