Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of immune-mediated chronic disorders that are divided into two major types of ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). Dietary intakes have important role in disease management. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between dietary intakes and inflammatory markers in patients with ulcerative colitis.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with ulcerative colitis at the Alimentary Tract Research Center. Patients recorded their food intakes on three days. Food intakes were analyzed by Nutritionist IV software. Blood samples were taken after overnight fasting for measuring ESR, hs-CRP, and TNF-α. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 17.0.

Sixty patients were eligible for the study and completed it. Thirty-nine participants were female (65 %). The mean age of participants was 36.4 ± 10.3. The mean dietary intake of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) (15.96 ± 5.59%) was significantly lower in patients with higher level of hs-CRP (P-value=0.04).

The results of the study showed that higher dietary intakes of MUFA have related to lower hs-CRP levels in patients with ulcerative colitis.