2025: The Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Year in Review

Authors

  • Ali Alharethi, MD, FRCPC
  • Abdulmalik Alsabban, MD
  • John K. Marshall, MD, MSc, FRCPC

Abstract

Effective and well-tolerated dietary therapies for Crohn’s disease have long been sought by both patients and providers. In pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) has gained traction and is recommended by treatment guidelines. However, it has not been broadly implemented in adults due to poor tolerability, social constraints, and challenges with long-term adherence. Consequently, there is a growing interest in dietary interventions that offer efficacy while imposing a lower burden on patients.

TASTI-MM is the first randomized controlled trial to provide evidence supporting an exclusive whole-food dietary strategy to treat active Crohn’s disease. Previous evidence for whole‑food approaches was limited to observational cohorts. This trial sought to determine whether a whole food diet could enhance compliance in comparison with EEN, improve disease activity, and modify the microbiome with the goal of sustained disease control.

Author Biographies

Ali Alharethi, MD, FRCPC

Dr. Ali Alharethi is an Inflammatory Bowel Disease Fellow at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology and holds the Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada (FRCPC).

Abdulmalik Alsabban, MD

Dr. Abdulmalik Alsabban is an Inflammatory Bowel Disease Fellow at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He completed prior training in gastrointestinal motility and is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology.

John K. Marshall, MD, MSc, FRCPC

Dr. Marshall is a Professor of Medicine and Director of the Division of Gastroenterology at McMaster University, as well as a consultant gastroenterologist at Hamilton Health Sciences in Hamilton, Ontario. He completed his B.A. and M.D. at Queen’s University and then undertook his residency training and M.Sc. in Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics at McMaster University. He is a Full Member of the Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute. His publications include over 350 academic papers and book chapters. Dr. Marshall was the founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (JCAG). He is also an Associate Editor of ACP Journal Club and an Editorial Board Member for the Journal of Crohn’s and Colitis

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2026-05-01

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1.
2025: The Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Year in Review. Can IBD Today [Internet]. 2026 May 1 [cited 2026 May 2];4(1):31–37. Available from: https://canadianibdtoday.com/article/view/4-1-Alharethi_et_al

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How to Cite

1.
2025: The Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Year in Review. Can IBD Today [Internet]. 2026 May 1 [cited 2026 May 2];4(1):31–37. Available from: https://canadianibdtoday.com/article/view/4-1-Alharethi_et_al