University of North Carolina Researchers Link Oxalate in Plant-Based Foods to Gut Inflammation in IBD Patients
Researchers from the University of North Carolina have published a study in Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology suggesting a link between oxalate, a natural compound found in many plant-based foods, and gut inflammation in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The study found that while IBD patients and healthy controls consumed similar amounts of plant-based foods, IBD patients, particularly those with Crohn's disease (CD), had higher levels of oxalate in their stool. This indicates a fundamental difference in how their gut processes oxalate. The research also identified that genes producing oxalate transporter proteins (SLC26A2, SLC26A3, and SLC26A6) were less active in IBD tissue samples. Experiments on mice with inflamed guts showed that increased oxalate intake worsened their condition, leading to greater intestinal inflammation and reduced survival rates. Furthermore, mouse immune cells exposed to oxalate exhibited an increased inflammatory response, suggesting an immu...
