Red meat and alcohol increases risk of ulcerative colitis (inflammatory bowel disease)

• A diet high in red meat and alcohol could triple the risk of relapse in patients with ulcerative colitis, a new study says.
• While monitoring 183 British men and women with the inflammatory bowel disease, doctors at the University of Newcastle found those who ate more than 100 grams of meat a day were three times as likely to relapse as people eating 50 grams or less a day.
• The risk increased to five times as likely if the people were eating red meat or processed meats, according to the study, which appears in the October issue of Gut.
• Those who drank the most alcohol were three times as likely to experience a recurrence, the researchers found.
• High intakes of sulfur and sulfate were associated with relapse, which could explain the link with red meat and alcohol.
• Dietary sulfur is mostly found in high-protein foods, while sulphate is found in many alcoholic drinks.
• The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse has more about ulcerative colitis.