UCD report: Nitrate helps fuel the flame of IBD

A report from UC Davis Health System links nitrate produced by gut inflammation to E. coli growth, crowding out good bacteria, and contributing to the inflammatory process.

In test-tube and animal studies, the researchers found that potentially harmful bacteria in the intestine called Enterobacteriaceae use nitrate — a byproduct formed during the intestinal inflammation in IBD — to grow and thrive. Enterobacteriaceaestrains include certain E. coli bacteria, which can worsen the intestinal damage of IBD. Eventually, the intestines of those with IBD become overrun by harmful bacteria, and the numbers of normal good bacteria in the gut decrease.

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