A diet rich in fish and vegetables at age 1 year and low consumption of sugary drinks appears to protect against inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

The study, conducted at the University of Gothenburg, included more than 81,280 infants in Sweden and Norway from the All Children in Southeastern Sweden (ABIS) and MoBa cohort. It explored the relationship between eating habits at one year of age and the risk of infections. Bowel diseases, including Crohn's disease and later ulcerative colitis. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by inflammation of the wall of part of the digestive tract, and is associated with dysregulation of the intestinal immune system. Although the cause of the increase in the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is unknown, changes in environmental factors, such as diet, may partly explain the recent increase in the incidence of IBD, the study authors explain. The role of diet in increasing the risk of inflammatory bowel disease in adulthood and adolescence has been studied. The scientists wanted to examine the relationship between diet during the first three years of life and the subsequent development of inflammatory bowel disease using prospective data. To do this, parents filled out detailed questionnaires about their children's diet between the ages of 12 to 18 months, and then from 30 to 36 months. A good diet includes more vegetables, fruits and fish and less meat, sweets, snacks and drinks.
Participants were followed for 15 to 21 years. 307 were diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease. Of these: 131 children had Crohn's disease, 97 had ulcerative colitis) and 79 had unclassified inflammatory bowel disease. The average age at diagnosis was between 12 and 17 years.

A diet rich in fish and vegetables is beneficial from the age of one year
High fish consumption at one year of age is associated with a 54% reduction in the risk of ulcerative colitis, while high vegetable consumption at this age is associated with a lower risk of inflammatory bowel disease overall. In contrast, consuming large amounts of sugary drinks increased the risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease by 42%.
In contrast, at age 3 years, only fish consumption was associated with a lower risk of subsequent inflammatory bowel disease, particularly ulcerative colitis.
The results of this study highlight the importance of early dietary habits in preventing inflammatory bowel diseases in children. It also highlights the benefits of eating plenty of fish and vegetables, as well as the risks associated with excessive consumption of sugary drinks.