anti-inflammatory foods

The impact of dietary interventions on quality of life in adults with inflammatory bowel disease: a narrative review

24 April 2026

McGuire R, Knol LL, Douglas J.

Summary

What the study found

This narrative review examined how various dietary patterns affect the quality of life for adults living with inflammatory bowel disease. While certain interventions like the low FODMAP and IgG-based diets showed promise, many popular anti-inflammatory protocols failed to significantly improve overall well-being, often due to the psychological stress of maintaining restrictive eating habits.

Key findings

The low FODMAP diet and IgG-based elimination diets were among the most effective at improving patient-reported quality of life.
Specialized programs like the Dietary Modified Program and certain high fiber interventions also demonstrated significant benefits for daily functioning.
Many widely discussed protocols, including the Mediterranean diet and the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP), did not show statistically significant improvements in quality of life within the analyzed trials.
The complexity and restrictiveness of certain diets can create emotional burdens that may offset the physical benefits of symptom reduction.

Practical takeaways

If you are managing chronic gut inflammation, consult a specialized dietitian to tailor an eating plan rather than strictly following generic online protocols. Success in long-term health and longevity depends on finding a dietary balance that manages physical symptoms without decreasing your psychological well-being or social flexibility.

Limitations

The findings are limited by a small number of available clinical trials and significant variations in how different researchers measure quality of life. Additionally, most studies were short-term and did not fully account for long-term dietary adherence or the difficulty of maintaining these diets in real-world settings.

Abstract

Symptoms associated with chronic inflammation have a negative impact on quality of life (QOL) in adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Dietary changes may assist in improving symptoms; however, they can be difficult to implement, causing increased stress and decreased QOL. The purpose of this narrative review was to investigate the impact of dietary interventions on QOL in adults with IBD. EBSCOhost was used to simultaneously search eight databases using the search terms 'inflammatory bowel disease' or 'IBD' or 'ulcerative colitis' or 'Crohn's disease' AND 'dietary interventions' or 'dietary advice' or 'dietary recommendations'. Inclusion criteria included adults with IBD and a validated QOL measure. After screening 1054 studies, 15 clinical trials were identified. Among these studies, dietary interventions included the low fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAP) diet (n = 4), Immunoglobulin G (IgG) diet (n = 2), Anti-Inflammatory Diet (AID) (n = 1), highly restricted organic diet (n = 1), Autoimmune Protocol Diet (AIP) (n = 1), Dietary Modified Program (DMP) (n = 1), Dietary Modified Framework (DMF) (n = 1), Mediterranean diet (n = 2), and a high fibre diet (n = 2). QOL was measured using various validated questionnaires. Significant improvements in QOL were found in two of the low FODMAP diet studies, both IgG diet studies, the DMP, and one high fibre diet study. The Anti-inflammatory Diet, Dietary Modified Framework, Autoimmune Protocol Diet, highly restricted organic diet, and Mediterranean diet did not significantly improve QOL. Future research should focus on comparing dietary interventions, longer study durations, diet adherence and QOL. Due to the complexity in the various diets, dietitians with expertise in IBD are needed to assist with diet management.

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