A new study that has been done on mice has found that some food dyes might be contributing to symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). During the study, experts who have been involved in the study have found that yellow and red dyes can lead to severe gut inflammation in mice. They have clarified saying that it can happen only when the immune system is already dysfunctional. They have said that the findings of the study are preliminary and they need to be investigated further. However, the study will carry crucial implications for the treatment and management of the patients who are dealing with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Symptoms of some patients who are dealing with IBD are triggered by certain foods and drinks, said the experts. Health experts have noted that people who are suffering from IBD have prolonged incidents of gut inflammation that can result in frequent flare-ups of symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, and painful cramps. Experts have not been able to find an actual cause of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. However, it is known that genetics and a dysfunctional immune system can lead to symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. As per the experts, a higher level of a protein called interleukin-23 is one of the factors of the immune system that is linked to IBD. Many treatments that are effective in IBD work by tamping down the levels of interleukin-23, said the experts.
The new study has been bone by experts from Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine. They have been experimenting on mice that have been engineered to have irregular levels of interleukin-23, which is seen in some of the IBD patients as well. The study has noted that mice have not developed colitis or severe inflammation of the colon just due to increased levels of interleukin-23. When experts have fed them with a certain type of diet, they have fallen ill. After analyzing specific elements of the diet, they have found two regular food dyes Red 40 and yellow 6 that have been triggering factors for symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. When experts have fed these mice with food and water containing these food dyes they have been diagnosed with colitis. Mice that have been kept in the control group have been doing well when experts have fed a healthy diet without these dyes. The senior author of the study, Sergio Lira has said that the findings of the study have shown that these food colorants might be playing a crucial role in triggering the generation of human disease. The study as well has looked at how higher levels of interleukin-23 affect the disease. The findings of the study have been released in the journal called Cell Metabolism.
Health experts have said that Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a complex ailment. It can be triggered by many factors. Some experts have said that there is a need for further studies to verify the link between Inflammatory Bowel Disease and food dyes. Some people as well have confirmed that certain foods and drinks have increased their episodes of IBD. If the link between Inflammatory Bowel Disease and food dyes is firmly established, it can majorly affect people’s diets, who are dealing with this issue as Red 40 and yellow 6 are used in so many products and drug packaging. The authors of the study have said that as of now health care providers should not use their findings while treating patients with IBD until more shreds of evidence are found.
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