People with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) typically eat fewer calories and less fibre than recommended, a systematic review shows.

NSW investigators carried out the review and meta-analysis to determine the typical diets of patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and how they compare with healthy people.

The team, from the University of Wollongong and UNSW Sydney, included 40 observational studies between 2000 and 2020, of which 19 were suitable for meta-analysis.

The studies used a range of ways to record diet, varying from recording food eaten in one day, to asking patients to report what they ate in the past year.