Nutritional Deficiencies in Gastrointestinal Conditions

Definition and Pathophysiology

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) involves chronic inflammation, mucosal damage, and malabsorption, leading to nutritional deficiencies 1, 2, 3

Mechanisms of Deficiency

• IBD patients develop deficiencies through chronic mucosal inflammation and malabsorption, increased gastrointestinal losses, and anatomic changes affecting absorptive capacity 1, 4, 5
• The American Gastroenterological Association acknowledges that IBD patients are at risk for micronutrient deficiencies due to these disease-mediated mechanisms 1, 4

Distinction from IBS

• The primary mechanism of nutritional deficiency in IBS is dietary restriction and food avoidance, rather than malabsorption, as noted by the Clinical Nutrition society 2, 3