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Cure8 news brief
Healthy Foods Like Spinach May Worsen Gut Inflammation in IBD
Diet and lifestyle
Microbiome
Flare
Clinical study
Adult patients
Clinicians
Researchers
Patients with Perianal Disease
Why This Matters
If validated, impaired oxalate handling could help explain why some people with IBD react differently to the same plant-rich diet and point to new dietary or microbiome-based interventions to reduce gut inflammation.
Who Should Pay Attention
Adults with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, gastroenterologists and dietitians who manage IBD, and researchers studying diet–microbiome–immune interactions in IBD.
Study Snapshot
Story typeResearch news
Evidence typeClinical study
Source depthFull source text
What To Know
This article summarizes a recent study (Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology) that links dietary oxalate — found in foods like spinach, almonds, and sweet potatoes — to higher stool oxalate and worse intestinal inflammation in people with IBD, supported by mouse and cell experiments.
The human data showed lower intestinal expression of oxalate transporter genes (SLC26A2, SLC26A3, and possibly SLC26A6) in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, plus higher stool oxalate despite similar plant intake compared with controls.
Mouse models given dietary oxalate developed earlier and more severe colitis, and immune cells exposed to oxalate had stronger inflammatory responses. These findings do not mean people with IBD must stop eating plants.
The study authors note that a lower-oxalate diet can be designed without abandoning plant foods, and that restoring oxalate-degrading gut bacteria (for example Oxalobacter species) might be an alternative approach under investigation. Keep reading primary sources and discuss concerns with your clinician before making diet changes.
Keep In Mind
This report summarizes a study combining patient samples with mouse and cell experiments; human results are associative and do not prove that lowering oxalate improves symptoms. Microbiome-based therapies and dietary changes to reduce oxalate remain experimental and need clinical testing.
Source Details
Review the original publication for the complete reporting, methods, and context.
Publicationscitechdaily.com
AuthorsUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine
Indexed viaBing News
Source typeWeb article
PublishedSep 14, 2026, 7:47 AM
Content availableFull source text
This Cure8 brief is based on source text from the linked article. Cure8 is informational only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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