Fruit and vegetable intake as a mediator in the association between ultra-processed food and disease activity in ankylosing spondylitis.
Memiç-İnan C · 2026 · Clinical rheumatology
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What this paper found
Among 104 people with ankylosing spondylitis in Türkiye, eating more ultra-processed food went with higher disease activity, partly because it displaced fruit and vegetables, which were independently linked to lower activity. It is a snapshot rather than a trial, so it cannot prove diet changes the disease, but it points the same way as the gut-microbiome research.
Why this is on the map
The map's first dietary study; a correlation only, but it connects the patient question 'what should I eat' to the gut thread.
On the map under these threads
DOI: 10.1007/s10067-026-08379-2 · opens in a new tab. The full paper is on the publisher’s site, not here.
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