Recently, Lindsey Albenberg, DO (from CHOP) provided an excellent update on dietary therapy for Crohn’s disease.  She was an invited speaker from CHOA as part of a nutritional support professional development series.  Thanks to Kipp Ellsworth for coordinating this.

Full Slide Set: Nutritional therapies for IBD

Key points from lecture:

• At CHOP, exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) is the main dietary approach for Crohn’s disease (CD) advocated due to better proof of its effectiveness
• In children, EEN is as effective as steroids for clinical improvement and better in terms of mucosal healing
• EEN therapy can be given regardless of CD location
• For EEN, there is no difference in response between elemental and nonelemental formulas
• For EEN to be effective, at least 80-90% of all calories need to be administered during induction
• At CHOP, EEN is often administered at time of diagnosis and oral approach is tried first
• Newer dietary approaches are being studied and may be effective.  Diets like the specific carbohydrate diet (SCD) can be considered, particularly in patients with milder disease.

The following slide presents SCD diet studies –mostly small studies except for 2016 survey study.

Related blog posts:

• Good Food and Bad Food for Crohn’s Disease -No Agreement | gutsandgrowth
• Pushing the Boundaries on Dietary Therapy for Crohn’s Disease: CD-TREAT
• Postion Paper: Nutrition in Pediatric IBD
• Specific Carbohydrate Diet | gutsandgrowth
• Disappointing Results from SCD Diet (small study)
• Crohn’s Disease with Isolated Colonic Involvement Less Responsive to EEN
• Practical Advice on Enteral Nutrition | gutsandgrowth
• Head-to-Head: Enteral Nutrition vs. anti-TNF
• Gut Microbiome, Crohn’s Disease and Effect of Diet …
• The Search for a Dietary Culprit in IBD | gutsandgrowth
• Top Lecture: Enteral Nutrition for Crohn’s Disease …
• There is No Healthy Microbiome
• Why Does Enteral Nutrition Work for Crohn’s Disease? Is it due to the Microbiome?

Disclaimer: These blog posts are for educational purposes only. Specific dosing of medications/diets (along with potential adverse effects) should be confirmed by prescribing physician/nutritionist.  This content is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified healthcare provider. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a condition