A Randomized Trial Comparing the Specific Carbohydrate Diet to a Mediterranean Diet in Adults With Crohn's Disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: This study compared the effectiveness of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) to the Mediterranean diet (MD) as treatment for Crohn's disease (CD) with mild to moderate symptoms. METHODS: Adult patients with CD and with mild-to-moderate symptoms were randomly assigned 1:1 to consume the MD or SCD for 12 weeks. For the first 6 weeks, participants received prepared meals and snacks according to their assigned diet. After 6 weeks, participants were instructed to follow the diet independently. The primary outcome was symptomatic remission at week 6. Key secondary outcomes at week 6 included fecal calprotectin (FC) response (FC <250 µg/g and reduction by >50% among those with baseline FC >250 µg/g) and C-reactive protein (CRP) response (high-sensitivity CRP <5 mg/L and >50% reduction from baseline among those with high-sensitivity CRP >5 mg/L). RESULTS: The study randomized 194 patients, and 191 were included in the efficacy analyses. The percentage of participants who achieved symptomatic remission at week 6 was not superior with the SCD (SCD, 46.5%; MD, 43.5%; P = .77). FC response was achieved in 8 of 23 participants (34.8%) with the SCD and in 4 of 13 participants (30.8%) with the MD (P = .83). CRP response was achieved in 2 of 37 participants (5.4%) with the SCD and in 1 of 28 participants (3.6%) with the MD (P = .68). CONCLUSIONS: The SCD was not superior to the MD to achieve symptomatic remission, FC response, and CRP response. CRP response was uncommon. Given these results, the greater ease of following the MD and other health benefits associated with the MD, the MD may be preferred to the SCD for most patients with CD with mild to moderate symptoms. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03058679.

Avoidance of Fiber Is Associated With Greater Risk of Crohn's Disease Flare in a 6-Month Period.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) have been associated with an abnormal mucosal response to the gastrointestinal microbiota. Although dietary fiber affects the gastrointestinal microbiota, there is limited information on the role of fiber on IBD activity. We investigated factors associated with fiber consumption and whether it was associated with flares in patients with IBD. METHODS: We collected a completed 26-item dietary survey from 1619 participants in the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America Partners Internet cohort (Crohn's disease, 1130; ulcerative colitis/indeterminate colitis, 489). Eligible individuals were in remission based on disease activity index at baseline and completed a follow-up survey 6 months later. Fiber and whole grain consumption were categorized into quartiles and deciles. Disease flare at 6 months was defined as a disease activity index score exceeding remission cutoff values, and/or an IBD-related surgical procedure or hospitalization since baseline. RESULTS: Participants with longer duration of disease, past history of surgery, and past IBD hospitalization ate less fiber. The risks for disease flare differed by disease type. Compared with those in the lowest quartile of fiber consumption, participants with Crohn's disease in the highest quartile were less likely to have a flare (adjusted odds ratios [OR], 0.58; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.37-0.90). Participants with Crohn's disease who reported that they did not avoid high-fiber foods were ∼40% less likely to have a disease flare than those who avoided high-fiber foods (adjusted OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.43-0.81). There was no association between fiber intake and flares in patients with ulcerative colitis (adjusted OR, 1.82; 95% CI, 0.92-3.60). CONCLUSIONS: Intake of dietary fiber is associated with reduced disease flares in patients with Crohn's disease, but not UC. Recommendations to limit dietary fiber should be re-evaluated.

A high-fiber diet may improve bowel function and health-related quality of life in patients with Crohn disease.

Crohn disease is a chronic disorder characterized by episodes of epithelial inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract for which there is no cure. The prevalence of Crohn disease increased in civilized nations during the time period in which food sources were industrialized in those nations. A characteristic of industrialized diets is the conspicuous absence of cereal fiber. The purpose of this 2-group, randomized, controlled study was to investigate the effects of fiber-related dietary instructions specifying wheat bran consumption on health-related quality of life and gastrointestinal function in individuals diagnosed with Crohn disease, as measured by the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire and the partial Harvey Bradshaw Index, respectively. Results demonstrated that consuming a wheat bran-inclusive diet was feasible and caused no adverse effects, and participants consuming whole wheat bran in the diet reported improved health-related quality of life (p = .028) and gastrointestinal function (p = .008) compared to the attention control group. The results of a secondary aim, to investigate differences in measures of systemic inflammation, found no group differences in C-reactive protein or erythrocyte sedimentation rates. This study suggests that diet modification may be a welcomed complementary therapy for individuals suffering gastrointestinal disruption associated with Crohn disease.

Dietary fiber information for individuals with Crohn disease: reports of gastrointestinal effects.

The experiences of individuals with Crohn disease before and after receiving dietary fiber information have not been described in the literature. This article offers findings from a study that used four semistructured audiorecorded interviews during a 4-week time period for the purpose of exploring the experiences of 11 individuals before and after receiving dietary fiber information from a healthcare professional. The first and second interviews occurred immediately before and after the presentation of information. Follow-up interviews occurred at 2-week intervals. Thematic analysis of the baseline interviews revealed 2 themes: (a) accepting a redefined (lower expectations) definition of normal quality of life and (b) continuing to look for answers. Three themes emerged from the follow-up interviews at Week 4: (a) reevaluating old diet-related concepts, (b) enjoying a healthier lifestyle at a self-set pace, and (c) enjoying positive physical effects of wheat bran consumption. This article examines the 3rd postintervention theme, "enjoying physical effects of wheat bran consumption." The relevance of this research is that nurses equipped with dietary fiber information may be better able to help some individuals with Crohn disease to explore the potential benefits of a well-rounded nutritious pattern of eating that includes wheat bran cereal.

Fire in the belly and the professionalization of nurses: a historical analysis of Crohn disease care.

Today, professional nurses around the world are stepping up to meet the needs of individuals with Crohn disease, using their specialized knowledge and skills that demonstrate areas of expertise that have not always existed. The gastrointestinal-specific knowledge being used by these 21st-century nurses exists today because progressive efforts of nurses in previous decades moved the profession of nursing forward. The purpose of this article was to describe and analyze the development of the role of nurses in responding to new challenges patients with Crohn disease face since the emergence of the disease in the early 20th century. The authors used traditional historic research methods to conduct the study. Primary sources include nursing journals and textbooks published in the 20th and 21st centuries and documents archived at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, where Burrill B. Crohn conducted his seminal work. The significance of the findings is that the changing role of nurses in caring for patients with Crohn disease mirrors the professionalization of nursing during the 20th and early 21st centuries.