Alcohol, Red Meat Raise Colitis Relapse Risk

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Alcohol, Red Meat Raise Colitis Relapse Risk

--Dennis Thompson

http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/health/feeds/hscout/2004/09/15/hscout521183.html

 

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 15 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- A diet high in red meat and

alcohol could triple the

<http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/health/feeds/hscout/2004/09/15/#>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.