Funding outcome

The number of children diagnosed with diseases of the gut, such as the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBO), Crohn disease (CD), and ulcerative colitis (UC), is increasing at a rapid rate. Factors that have been associated with an increased risk for these diseases include urban lifestyle, dietary factors, increased hygiene, and the bacteria found in your gut. These bacteria are important factors in metabolism as well as in interacting with the immune system, and changes to these bacteria have been linked to bowel disease. Our diet has a critical role in shaping the gut microbes and their effects. Therefore, understanding how these bacteria work in digesting foods, especially fiber, and how the food we eat changes the types of bacteria in our gut may help in developing treatments for bowel disease. Because fiber is not digested in the small intestine, it undergoes a process of fermentation (breakdown) by the bacteria in the gut. We hypothesize and have evidence to suggest that fiber that has not been fermented by bacteria can interact with components of our immune system and cause inflammation and a reaction from the immune system. In patients with bowel disease, this inflammation and immune reaction is likely even further increased due to a greater number of immune components in the gut for the fibers to react with. Some studies have shown that certain types of fibers that are fermented more easily may be able to reduce the inflammation that patients with bowel disease experience. By understanding the relationship between fiber, bacteria, and gut disease, we hope to identify the types of fibers that promote 'healthy' bacteria in patients with bowel disease. This is especially relevant in children since dietary therapies are effective in children and not in adults and since children are typically diagnosed at a time closer to exposure to causes of disease.