Fatty Acids Increase Ulcerative Colitis Risk

NORWICH, United Kingdom—People who eat food high in linoleic acid are more than twice as likely to develop ulcerative colitis as those who consumed the least, according to a new study from the University of East Anglia. Researcher also found that people who eat more eicosapentaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish and fish oils, was associated with a lower risk of the disease.

Researchers studied data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) trial. The analysis included 203,193 men and women 30 to 74 years old. Each case was matched with four controls and the risk of disease calculated by quartile of intake of linoleic acid adjusted for gender, age, smoking, total energy intake and center. During follow-up, which ranged from about two to 11 years, 126 people developed ulcerative colitis.