EPIC Working Groups

The EPIC-IBD Working Group

Crohn′s disease and ulcerative colitis, the two main forms of inflammatory bowel disease, are chronic inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract that have an increasing global incidence and prevalence. These diseases result in substantial morbidity and patients often need to take life-long medications. Whilst the precise pathophysiology of these inflammatory bowel diseases are not yet known, evidence suggests that a dysfunctional immune response to the gut microbiota on a background of susceptible genetics leads to disease development. In addition to the genetic contribution to inflammatory bowel disease pathophysiology, environmental factors also appear to contribute significantly to the development and progression of Crohn′s disease and ulcerative colitis.

EPIC-IBD has explored the specific foods, individual food groups, nutrients and dietary patterns in inflammatory bowel disease development. Findings from EPIC-IBD have include positive risk associations with obesity, ultraprocessed foods, meat and inverse risk associations with n-3 fatty acids, milk and healthier life scores. Using case-control designs the working group is investigating biomarkers and will be considering targeted and untargeted metabolomics.

EPIC-IBD also participates in international consortia pooling together data to explore the risk of dietary and life-style factors in the develop of Crohn′s disease and ulcerative colitis.


Selected publications:

  1. Lopes EW, Chan SSM, Song M, Ludvigsson JF, Håkansson N, Lochhead P, Clark A, Burke KE, Ananthakrishnan AN, Cross AJ, Palli D, Bergmann MM, Richter JM, Chan AT, Olén O, Wolk A, Khalili H; EPIC-IBD investigators. Lifestyle factors for the prevention of inflammatory bowel disease. Gut. 2022. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36591609.

  2. Meyer A, Dong C, Casagrande C, Chan SSM, Huybrechts I, Nicolas G, Rauber F, Levy RB, Millett C, Oldenburg B, Weiderpass E, Heath AK, Tong TYN, Tjønneland A, Kyrø C, Kaaks R, Katzke VA, Bergman MM, Palli D, Masala G, Tumino R, Sacerdote C, Colorado-Yohar SM, Sánchez MJ, Grip O, Lindgren S, Luben R, Gunter MJ, Mahamat-Saleh Y, Boutron-Ruault MC, Carbonnel F. Food Processing and Risk of Crohn′s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis: A European Prospective Cohort Study. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2022 Oct 12:S1542-3565(22)00929-6. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36243353.

  3. Dong C, Chan SSM, Jantchou P, Racine A, Oldenburg B, Weiderpass E, Heath AK, Tong TYN, Tjønneland A, Kyrø C, Bueno de Mesquita B, Kaaks R, Katzke VA, Bergman MM, Boeing H, Palli D, Masala G, Tumino R, Sacerdote C, Colorado-Yohar SM, Sánchez MJ, Grip O, Lindgren S, Luben R, Huybrechts I, Gunter MJ, Mahamat-Saleh Y, Boutron-Ruault MC, Carbonnel F. Meat Intake Is Associated with a Higher Risk of Ulcerative Colitis in a Large European Prospective Cohort Study. J Crohns Colitis. 2022 Aug 30;16(8):1187-1196. PMID: 35396592.

  4. Chan SSM, Chen Y, Casey K, Olen O, Ludvigsson JF, Carbonnel F, Oldenburg B, Gunter MJ, Tjønneland A, Grip O; DEFINe-IBD Investigators; Lochhead P, Chan AT, Wolk A, Khalili H. Obesity is Associated With Increased Risk of Crohn's disease, but not Ulcerative Colitis: A Pooled Analysis of Five Prospective Cohort Studies. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2022 May;20(5):1048-1058. PMID: 34242756.

  5. Opstelten JL, Leenders M, Dik VK, Chan SS, van Schaik FD, Khaw KT, Luben R, Hallmans G, Karling P, Lindgren S, Grip O, Key TJ, Crowe FL, Boeing H, Bergmann MM, Overvad K, Palli D, Masala G, Racine A, Carbonnel F, Boutron-Ruault MC, Tjønneland A, Olsen A, Andersen V, Kaaks R, Katzke VA, Tumino R, Trichopoulou A, Siersema PD, Bueno-de-Mesquita HB, Hart AR, Oldenburg B. Dairy Products, Dietary Calcium, and Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Results From a European Prospective Cohort Investigation. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2016 Jun;22(6):1403-11. PMID: 27120568.

  6. Racine A, Carbonnel F, Chan SS, Hart AR, Bueno-de-Mesquita HB, Oldenburg B, van Schaik FD, Tjønneland A, Olsen A, Dahm CC, Key T, Luben R, Khaw KT, Riboli E, Grip O, Lindgren S, Hallmans G, Karling P, Clavel-Chapelon F, Bergman MM, Boeing H, Kaaks R, Katzke VA, Palli D, Masala G, Jantchou P, Boutron-Ruault MC. Dietary Patterns and Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Europe: Results from the EPIC Study. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2016 Feb;22(2):345-54. PMID: 26717318.

  7. Chan SS, Luben R, van Schaik F, Oldenburg B, Bueno-de-Mesquita HB, Hallmans G, Karling P, Lindgren S, Grip O, Key T, Crowe FL, Bergmann MM, Overvad K, Palli D, Masala G, Khaw KT, Racine A, Carbonnel F, Boutron-Ruault MC, Olsen A, Tjonneland A, Kaaks R, Tumino R, Trichopoulou A, Hart AR. Carbohydrate intake in the etiology of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2014 Nov;20(11):2013-21. PMID: 25265262.

  8. Chan SS, Luben R, Olsen A, Tjonneland A, Kaaks R, Lindgren S, Grip O, Bergmann MM, Boeing H, Hallmans G, Karling P, Overvad K, Venø SK, van Schaik F, Bueno-de-Mesquita B, Oldenburg B, Khaw KT, Riboli E, Hart AR. Association between high dietary intake of the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid and reduced risk of Crohn's disease. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2014 Apr;39(8):834-42. PMID: 24611981; PMCID: PMC4114542.

  9. Chan SS, Luben R, Olsen A, Tjonneland A, Kaaks R, Teucher B, Lindgren S, Grip O, Key T, Crowe FL, Bergmann MM, Boeing H, Hallmans G, Karling P, Overvad K, Palli D, Masala G, Kennedy H, van Schaik F, Bueno-de-Mesquita B, Oldenburg B, Khaw KT, Riboli E, Hart AR. Body mass index and the risk for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis: data from a European Prospective Cohort Study (The IBD in EPIC Study). Am J Gastroenterol. 2013 Apr;108(4):575-82. PMID: 23318483.

  10. van Schaik FD, Oldenburg B, Hart AR, Siersema PD, Lindgren S, Grip O, Teucher B, Kaaks R, Bergmann MM, Boeing H, Carbonnel F, Jantchou P, Boutron-Ruault MC, Tjønneland A, Olsen A, Crowe FL, Peeters PH, van Oijen MG, Bueno-de-Mesquita HB. Serological markers predict inflammatory bowel disease years before the diagnosis. Gut. 2013 May;62(5):683-8. PMID: 22842615.

  11. Chan SS, Luben R, Bergmann MM, Boeing H, Olsen A, Tjonneland A, Overvad K, Kaaks R, Kennedy H, Khaw KT, Riboli E, Hart AR. Aspirin in the aetiology of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis: a European prospective cohort study. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2011 Sep;34(6):649-55. PMID: 21790683.

Contact details/Working Group leader

Simon Chan, PhD
Honorary Clinical Associate Professor
Norwich Medical School
University of East Anglia
Norwich NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom