Celiac disease (CD) is a multisystemic disorder with different clinical expressions, from malabsorption with diarrhea, anemia, and nutritional compromise to extraintestinal manifestations. Anemia might be the only clinical expression of the disease, and iron deficiency anemia is considered one of the most frequent extraintestinal clinical manifestations of CD. Therefore, CD should be suspected in the presence of anemia without a known etiology. Assessment of tissue anti-transglutaminase and anti-endomysial antibodies are indicated in these cases and, if positive, digestive endoscopy and intestinal biopsy should be performed. Anemia in CD has a multifactorial pathogenesis and, although it is frequently a consequence of iron deficiency, it can be caused by deficiencies of folate or vitamin B₁₂, or by blood loss or by its association with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or other associated diseases. The association between CD and IBD should be considered during anemia treatment in patients with IBD, because the similarity of symptoms could delay the diagnosis. Vitamin B₁₂ deficiency is common in CD and may be responsible for anemia and peripheral myeloneuropathy. Folate deficiency is a well-known cause of anemia in adults, but there is little information in children with CD; it is still unknown if anemia is a symptom of the most typical CD in adult patients either by predisposition due to the fact of age or because biochemical and clinical manifestations take longer to appear.

The current study assesses whether the use of a gluten-free diet (GFD) is sufficient for maintaining correct iron status in children with celiac disease (CD). The study included 101 children. The celiac group (n = 68) included children with CD, with long (> 6 months) (n = 47) or recent (< 6 months) (n = 21) adherence to a GFD. The control group (n = 43) included healthy children. Dietary assessment was performed by a food frequency questionnaire and a 3-day food record. Celiac children had lower iron intake than controls, especially at the beginning of GFD (p < 0.01). The group CD-GFD >6 months showed a higher intake of cobalamin, meat derivatives and fish compared to that of CD-GFD <6 months (all, p < 0.05). The control group showed a higher consumption of folate, iron, magnesium, selenium and meat derivatives than that of children CD-GFD >6 months (all, p < 0.05). Control children also showed a higher consumption of folate and iron compared to that of children CD-GFD <6 months (both, p < 0.05). The diet of celiac children was nutritionally less balanced than that of the control. Participation of dietitians is necessary in the management of CD to guide the GFD as well as assess the inclusion of iron supplementation and other micronutrients that may be deficient.

(1) Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic colon inflammation caused by genetic and environmental factors, including diet. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to assess the impact of diet on UC management in children and adults (2) Methods: A comprehensive search across databases yielded relevant studies, and risk of bias in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. This study was conducted in conformity to the 2020 PRISMA guidelines. The certainty of evidence for outcomes was evaluated using GRADE methodology. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager software version 5.4. (3) Results: Fourteen RCTs were included, results indicated higher clinical response, remission, and endoscopic remission rates in diet-treated groups. Carrageenan-free, anti-inflammatory, and cow milk protein elimination diets showed no significant advantages in maintaining clinical remission. However, a study involving fermented cow milk with bifidobacterial demonstrated favorable outcomes. Overall, pooled analysis leaned in favor of dietary intervention for sustaining clinical remission; (4) Conclusions: The relationship between diet and UC is an evolving terrain that demands deeper exploration. This systematic review and meta-analysis highlight the evolving relationship between diet and UC, necessitating further exploration. While understanding grows, adopting personalized dietary approaches could alleviate symptoms, and support a more positive disease trajectory.

We aimed to assess the influence of the Mediterranean Diet adherence and physical activity (PA) on body composition, with a particular focus on bone health, in young patients with celiac disease (CD). The CD group (n = 59) included children with CD with a long (>18 months, n = 41) or recent (<18 months, n = 18) adherence to a gluten-free diet (GFD). The non-celiac group (n = 40) included non-celiac children. After adjusting for potential confounders, the CD group showed lower body weight (p = 0.034), lean mass (p = 0.003), bone mineral content (p = 0.006), and bone Z-score (p = 0.036) than non-celiac children, even when the model was further adjusted for adherence to a GFD for at least 18 months. Among CD children, spending greater time in vigorous physical activity was associated with higher lean mass (p = 0.020) and bone mineral density with evidence of statistical significance (p = 0.078) regardless of the time they followed a GFD. In addition, a greater Mediterranean Diet adherence was associated with a higher bone Z-score (p = 0.020). Moreover, lean mass was strongly associated with bone mineral density and independently explained 12% of its variability (p < 0.001). These findings suggest the importance of correctly monitoring lifestyle in children with CD regarding dietary habits and PA levels to improve lean mass and, consequently, bone quality in this population.

Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) has been shown to be more effective than corticosteroids in achieving mucosal healing in children with Crohn´s disease (CD) without the adverse effects of these drugs. The aims of this study were to determine the efficacy of EEN in terms of inducing clinical remission in children newly diagnosed with CD, to describe the predictive factors of response to EEN and the need for treatment with biological agents during the first 12 months of the disease. We conducted an observational retrospective multicentre study that included paediatric patients newly diagnosed with CD between 2014–2016 who underwent EEN. Two hundred and twenty-two patients (140 males) from 35 paediatric centres were included, with a mean age at diagnosis of 11.6 ± 2.5 years. The median EEN duration was 8 weeks (IQR 6.6–8.5), and 184 of the patients (83%) achieved clinical remission (weighted paediatric Crohn’s Disease activity index [wPCDAI] < 12.5). Faecal calprotectin (FC) levels (μg/g) decreased significantly after EEN (830 [IQR 500–1800] to 256 [IQR 120–585] p < 0.0001). Patients with wPCDAI ≤ 57.5, FC < 500 μg/g, CRP >15 mg/L and ileal involvement tended to respond better to EEN. EEN administered for 6–8 weeks is effective for inducing clinical remission. Due to the high response rate in our series, EEN should be used as the first-line therapy in luminal paediatric Crohn’s disease regardless of the location of disease and disease activity.

Phase angle (PhA) is a valuable tool for evaluating the nutritional and inflammatory status, which can accompany acute and severe disorders. PhA is a cellular health biomarker, whose value is particularly substantial due to the negative consequences of these situations in the pediatric population. Relevant literature was collected with the aim of comprehensively analysing the evidence on the association between an altered PhA can serve as a predictive-marker for mortality and poor-outcomes in at-risk-pediatric patients. Understanding this relationship could have significant implications for identifying high-risk individuals and implementing timely interventions. A systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted in the primary electronic databases from inception until January 2023. Overall, four studies with a total of 740 patients were eligible for our analysis. Evidence demonstrates that PhA is associated with nutritional status, reflecting undernutrition and changes in body composition related to illness. This review suggests that PhA can indeed be used as an indicator of nutritional status and a tool for predicting prognosis, including mortality and poor-outcomes, in hospitalized pediatric patients. A low PhA was associated with a significant mortality risk [RR:1.51;95%CI (1.22–1.88),p = 0.0002;I2 = 0%,(p = 0.99)] and an increased complications risk [OR:8.17;95%CI (2.44–27.4),p = 0.0007;I2 = 44%,(p = 0.18)]. These findings highlight the importance of taking a comprehensive approach to clinical nutrition, integrating multiple evaluation aspects to establish an accurate diagnosis and personalized therapeutic plans. While PhA emerges as a valuable tool for assessing the risk of malnutrition and as a prognostic-indicator for poor-outcomes in pediatric patients. Further future studies are needed to focus on investigating this relationship in larger and diverse population to strengthen the evidence base. Graphical Abstract