Tag Archives: Specific Carbohydrate Diet

IBD Updates: SC Vedolizumab, PRODUCE study: Specific Carbohydrate Diet, Racial Epidemiology of IBD, and Microbiome in UC

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Briefly noted –all of these articles are open access:

A Volkers et al. AP&T 2022; https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17153 Open access: Real-world experience of switching from intravenous to subcutaneous vedolizumab maintenance treatment for inflammatory bowel disease. In this prospective cohort study, patients (n=135) with IBD who had ≥4 months IV vedolizumab were switched to SC vedolizumab. 

Key findings:

  • 4 patients with Crohn’s disease had loss of response.
  • 9% of patients were switched back to IV vedolizumab due to adverse events or fear of needles.
  • Median clinical and biochemical disease activity remained stable after the switch. Median vedolizumab serum concentrations increased from 19 μg/ml at the time of the switch to 31 μg/ml 12 weeks after the switch (p < 0.005).

Related blog posts:

HC Kaplan et al. Am J Gastroenterol 2022 Jun 1;117(6):902-917. Open access: Personalized Research on Diet in Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease: A Series of N-of-1 Diet Trials. In this study, 21 patients (completed trial) were randomized to 1 of 2 sequences of 4 alternating 8-week SCD (specific carbohydrate diet) and MSCD (modified specific carbohydrate diet) periods.

Key findings: “SCD and MSCD did not consistently improve symptoms or inflammation.” “Some individuals had improvement in symptoms and fecal calprotectin compared with their UD, whereas others did not.” The authors note that it took 18 months to recruit 54 patients for this study across 19 research sites.

Related blog posts:

EL Barnes et al. Inflamm Bowel Dis 2022; 28: 983-987. Open access: Racial and Ethnic Distribution of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in the United States The authors electronic health records from 337 centers from January 2013 to December 2018 with nearly 40 million patients in U.S.

Key findings:

  • Black adult patients were significantly less likely than White patients to have a diagnosis of CD (odds ratio [OR], 0.53) or UC (OR, 0.41). Pediatric Black patients were also less likely to have a diagnosis of CD (OR, 0.41) or UC (OR, 0.38)
  • Adult Hispanic patients were less likely to have a diagnosis of CD (OR, 0.33) or UC (OR, 0.45) compared with non-Hispanic patients. Similarly, pediatric Hispanic patients were less likely to have a diagnosis of CD (OR, 0.34) or UC (OR, 0.50).
  • Thus, these data suggest that CD and UC are modestly less prevalent among patients of non-White races and Hispanic ethnicity

M Frioirksmork et al. Inflamm Bowel Dis 2022; 28: 1081-1089. Open access: Similar Gut Bacterial Composition Between Patients With Ulcerative Colitis and Healthy Controls in a High Incidence Population: A Cross-sectional Study of the Faroe Islands IBD Cohort. This cross-sectional study from the Faroe Islands (which has very high incidence of IBD) consisted of 41 patients with established ulcerative colitis and 144 age- and sex-matched healthy controls.

Key findings: There was a similarity in bacterial community composition and absence of the beneficial Akkermansia genus in both groups.

Mediterranean Diet vs Specific Carbohydrate Diet for Crohn’s Disease

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It appears that the Mediterranean diet works as well as the specific carbohydrate diet for adults with Crohn’s disease.

A Randomized Trial Comparing the Specific Carbohydrate Diet to a Mediterranean Diet in Adults with Crohn’s Disease (in press -thanks to Kipp Ellsworth for this reference) JD Lewis et al. Gastroenterol 2021; https://doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2021.05.047

Abstract:

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-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 (hsCRP) <5 mg/L and >50% reduction from baseline among those with hsCRP >5mg/L).

Results

194 patients were randomized, and 191 were included in the efficacy analyses. The percentage of participants who achieved symptomatic remission at week 6 was not superior with SCD (SCD 46.5%, MD 43.5%; P = .77). FC response was achieved in 8/23 participants (34.8%) with SCD and 4/13 participants (30.8%) with MD (P = .83). CRP response was achieved in 2/37 participants (5.4%) with SCD and 1/28 participant (3.6%) with MD (P = .68).

Conclusions

SCD was not superior to 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 MD, the MD may be preferred to the SCD for most patients with CD with mild to moderate symptoms.

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Can IBD Be Treated with Diet Alone?

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This question was debated recently in GI and Hepatology News: Can IBD be treated with diet alone?

Ashwin N. Ananthakrishnan, MD, MPH argues that IBD can be treated with diet alone:

  • “Randomized controlled trials published more than a decade ago demonstrated that exclusive enteral nutrition, wherein all table foods are eliminated from a diet and the patient relies on an elemental diet alone for nutrition, was effective in not just inducing clinical remission but also improving inflammatory biomarkers.”
  • “More recent rigorous studies have demonstrated that the effects of exclusive enteral nutrition can be mimicked either by a selected, less-restrictive diet (such as CD-TREAT4), which is more sustainable, or by combining partial enteral nutrition with an elimination diet that is quite diverse (such as CDED5).”

Laura Raffals, MD, MS argues against treating IBD with dietary therapy.

  • “Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) has been studied the most rigorously of all diets in IBD and has demonstrated the greatest benefit, compared with other diet studies in IBD. EEN requires the intake of elemental, semi-elemental, or polymeric formulas to meet all nutritional requirements without additional intake of food for 6-8 weeks. Studies have been performed mostly in pediatric populations and have shown effectiveness in induction of remission with reduction in inflammatory markers, including C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and fecal calprotectin, and even mucosal healing. EEN has not worked out as well for adult populations, because of the poor tolerability of exclusive intake of enteral formulas.”
  • “Beyond EEN, there are many diets that have been considered … only the SCD and Crohn’s disease exclusion diets have shown improvement in clinical remission and reduction in inflammatory markers.”
  • “Most dietary studies are underpowered, lack a control arm, and do not include endoscopic endpoints. The current body of evidence remains insufficient to support the use of diet alone for the treatment of IBD.”

My take: Except for exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) which is quite challenging, dietary therapies have not been proven as effective long-term stand-alone treatments. In patients who choose dietary therapy, careful monitoring is particularly important.

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Dietary Therapy for Inflammatory Bowel Disease –Useful Update

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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:

 

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

 

Position Paper: Nutrition in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease

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E Miele et al. JPGN 2018; 66: 687-708.

Full text link: Nutrition in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Position Paper on Behalf of the Porto Inflammatory Bowel Disease Group of the European Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

This position paper from ESPGHAN makes a total of 53  recommendations and 47 practice points.  There are too many to summarize in this blog post, but I will highlight a few.

Vitamins/Minerals:

  • Due to insufficient data, we do not recommend routine measurement or supplementation of zinc and selenium in children with IBD (EL 2).
  • We recommend monitoring vitamin D levels in all children with IBD (EL 2).
  • We recommend monitoring folic acid annually (EL 2).
  • We do not recommend routine measurement or supplementation of vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, B7 and vitamin C in children with IBD (EL 2).
  • We recommend folic acid supplementation (either 1 mg daily or 5 mg weekly) in children with IBD receiving MTX therapy (EL 2).
  • We recommend that either serum cobalamin levels or methylmalonic acid level in blood or urine should be measured in children with active ileal CD, children with ileal resection of >20 cm and UC children ileal pouch surgery at least annually (EL 4)

Enteral Nutrition:

  • EEN has the same efficacy as oral steroids in the induction of remission of children with active luminal CD (EL 1). EEN is recommended for a period of at least 8 weeks (EL 1).
  • The use of standard polymeric formula, with a moderate fat content, is recommended unless other conditions are present (eg, cow’s milk protein allergy) (EL 1).
  • Due to the highly demanding adherence, EEN should not be considered as an option for long-term maintenance therapy.
  • EEN is not efficacious in the induction and maintenance of remission of pediatric UC (EL 4).
  • PEN is a treatment option to maintain remission in selected patients with mild disease and low risk of relapse (EL 4).
  • A specific carbohydrate diet (SCD) for induction or maintenance of remission in pediatric IBD patients should not be recommended (EL 4). More evidence on the benefit of SCD from RCTs is needed before such a dietary restriction can be recommended to pediatric IBD patients

My take: This position paper provides a lot of useful information and makes some recommendations that are practical.  The use of diets for maintenance therapy does not receive a favorable view.

Related blog posts:

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.

Disappointing Results from Small Study of Specific Carbohydrate Diet

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A recent retrospective study (GT Wahbeh et al. JPGN 2017; 65: 289-92) examined seven patients who were receiving a modified specific carbohydrate diet (SCD).  While this is a small stud,y there are several lessons in this report and the thoughtful editorial (pg 266-67): “Alas, Who and What Can We Trust? Patients, Parents, Surrogate Markers of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet” by Stan Cohen (one of my partners).

The participants in the study had a median age of 11 yrs and received their mSCD for a median duration of 26 months.  Key finding: despite lack of symptoms, all subjects had ongoing active disease on endoscopy; the majority had normal biomarkers: CRP, albumin, and hematocrit and only mildly elevated calprotectin (median 201, range 65-312).

Dr. Cohen notes the following lessons from this study:

  • “First, the SCD is very restrictive and young patients often find it difficult to perpetuate”
  • “Families are often presumptive about how well they are doing. Significant signs of malnutrition and lack of weight gain may be ignored.”
  • Patients often “underreport their symptoms and overrerport their adherence.”
  • “Wahbeh et al have taught us…about the lack of effectiveness of a modified SCD [and]…we should use caution in gauging and interpreting patient-reported outcomes and surrogates as well.”

My take: The modified SCD appears to be only partly effective and how this impacts the long-term outcomes for patients is not clear.

Related article: A McCombie. JPGN 2017; 65: 311-13. Summer camp for IBD.  This study of 36 participants: “most reported that camp improved their confidence (86%), acceptance (83%), and overall quality of life (75%). 72% endorsed meeting their fellow campers as the most beneficial experience.  My take: Camp helps ease social isolation associated with a diagnosis of pediatric IBD.

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Nutrition Week (Day 7) Connecting Epidemiology and Diet in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

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A supplement in Gastroenterology (2017; 152: 309-462) provides a great update on a lot of topics.  These include pathophysiology articles (eg. role of Paneth cell, role of microbiome), treatment/development of fibrosis, management advances in endoscopy and biomarkers, newest treatments and emerging treatments, complementary medicine approaches, pain/psychology issues, medications in pregnancy, and detecting dysplasia.

For me, the update on epidemiology and its relationship to diet (pgs 313-321) as well as the review on diet as a trigger or therapy for inflammatory bowel disease (398-414) were most interesting.  Though, I will keep the update on complementary and alternative medicines article at my desk in case questions come about this topic

GG Kaplan, SC Ng. “Understanding and Preventing the Global Increase of Inflammatory Bowel Disease”  Gastroenterology 2017; 152: 313-321

Epidemiology:

1st case of ulcerative colitis was reported in 1859.  !st cases of Crohn’s disease reported in 1932 (BB Crohn et al. JAMA 1932; 99: 1323-29).

Olmstead County, Minnesota –cases per 100,000:

  • 1965: 28
  • 1980: 90.5
  • 1991: 132.7
  • 2001: 213.9
  • 2011: 246.7

While rates of IBD have “shown signs of stabilization…pediatric-onset IBD continues to increase steadily in incidence.”

IBD Around the World –cases per 100,000:

  • 2005 Japan: 76
  • 2005 S Korea: 42
  • 2013 India: 9.3
  • 2013 China: 3.3.  The greatest incidence is noted in areas of increased urbanization and economic advancement.
  • 2005: Brazil: 9.7

Environmental factors/associations:

  • Cigarette smoking –increases risk of Crohn’s disease in Western countries, and has protective effect against Ulcerative colitis
  • Antibiotic use –increases risk of IBD in Western countries, but may be protective in developing countries.  “Antibiotic-induced dysbiosis may not develop as easily in developing countries, owing to ubiquitous exposure to a diverse range of microbiota that rapidly repopulate the intestinal tract.”
  • Breastfeeding –protects against developing IBD
  • Vitamin D –low levels increase risk of IBD in Caucasians.
  • Fiber –a “diet high in fiber protects against Crohn’s disease.”

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JD Lewis, MT Abreu.”Diet as a Trigger or Therapy for Inflammatory Bowel Disease”  Gastroenterology 2017; 152: 398-414.

“The most common question asked by patient is …’Doctor, what should I eat?'”

Key points:

  • Data from studies of immigrants to higher-IBD prevalence countries show an increasing incidence of IBD, leading to the hypothesis that environmental factors such as diet affect risk of IBD.
  • In early life, breast milk, in some but not all studies, has been associated with a lower risk of childhood-onset IBD.
  • Before development of IBD, studies have shown lower risk of IBD “among people who consume more fruits and vegetables, and a higher risk in people who consume less of these and more animal fats and sugar.”
  • “There is little information about which foods induce flares.” However, for UC, “a high intake of meat, especially red and processed meat, protein, alcoholic beverages, sulfur, and sulfate increased the likelihood of a flare” based on food questionnaires.  In patients with CD, diet with higher “total fat, saturated fat, monounsaturated fatty acids, and a higher ratio of omega-6:omega-3 PUFAs was associated with disease relapses.”
  • “Only approximately half of patients have ever received advice from a dietitian.”
  • Oral iron may trigger flares in a small percentage of patients with IBD.  The authors note that adherent E coli express genes for iron acquisition and require iron for growth.

Specific Diets/Additives:  Most of these diets have been discussed in previous posts, including:

Exclusive (and Partial) Enteral Nutrition:

  • “The most widely studied dietary intervention.” It has been shown to be effective for CD.  More elemental formulas have NOT been shown to be more effective.  “EEN and PEN therapy is less likely to normalize fecal levels of calprotectin in children.”
  • “Dietary therapy reduced inflammation and led to changes in the microbiome within 1 week. Unlike TNF antagonists, however, the changes to the microbiome induced by EEN did not lead to a microbiome resembling that of healthy individuals.”

Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD):

  • This diet has been studied in small populations.  Suskind et al reported SCD effectiveness “in 7 children with CD…showed that fecal calprotectin level decreased from a mean of 685 mcg/g to 213 mcg/g at 2-6 after starting the diet.”  “Cohen et al used video capsule endoscopy…in 10 children with CD…Four of 10 children achieved complete mucosal healing (Lewis score <135) and 6 of 10 children achieved clinical remission.”

Low FODMAP diet:

  • While the diet may induce symptom improvement, there is no “evidence that a low FODMAP diet reduces inflammation.”

Vitamin D supplementation:

  • “Vitamin D has multiple potential beneficial effects on intestinal inflammation.” The authors review studies that report lower risk of CD in patients with higher vitamin D levels and on the reduction in relapse in a study of CD patients who were in remission and  treated with Vitamin D (1200 IU daily)

Curcumin supplementation:

  • The authors review two small studies which suggested that curcumin for patients with ulcerative colitis increased clinical remission (when used with mesalamine)

The overall advice the authors give is that patients “should be advised to eat a well-balanced diet, such as the Mediterranean-style diet, avoiding processed foods or foods that they self-identify as worsening their symptoms.  Patients who are committed to attempting to manage their disease predominantly through dietary modification should be counseled about the importance of assessing for resolution of inflammation in addition to symptoms.”

Other Related blog posts:

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.

Nutrition Symposium Georgia AAP (Part 1)

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At this year’s nutrition symposium, Dr. Stan Cohen presented the latest information on nutrition and inflammatory bowel disease.  His entire presentation will be on the Nutrition4Kids website.  While I took a few pictures, my notes from his presentation were minimal, mainly because I had to give a talk afterwards.  He reviewed how the microbiome can be influenced by diet and that this in turn can result in phenotypic changes.  Specific complications from poor diet/nutrient deficiencies were discussed.  In addition, data from exclusive enteral nutrition and the specific carbohydrate diet were presented. Here are some slides from his lecture (also available at Georgia AAP Symposium Website):

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Gut Microbiome, Crohn’s Disease and Effect of Diet

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At this past year’s NASPGHAN conference, Bob Baldassano indicated that a low-residue diet probably does not makes sense for the majority of patients with Crohn’s disease because it would not promote a ‘healthy’ gut microbiome.  Another article (Walter SS, Quiros A, et al. SOJ Microbiol Infect Dis 2014; 2: 1-13) supporting this argument has been published. (Thanks to Ben Gold for giving me this reference.)

In this study, the authors examined the gut microbiome from two healthy volunteers and compared them to six patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) (ages 16-50).  The CD cohort were in clinical remission and were not receiving probiotics.  Subjects were randomized to either a low-residue diet (LRD) or a specific carbohydrate diet (SCD).

Besides having some cool figures to explain their results, the key points:

  • The complexity of the gut microbiome was lower in IBD patients compared to healthy controls
  • Bacteroides fragilis was increased in fecal samples of IBD positive patients
  • There was a temporal response of gut microbiome to SCD with increased microbial diversity while the LRD diet was associated with a reduced diversity of the microbiome in patients with CD

While the number of patients participating in this study are low, the affects of these diets can still be measured due to the trillions of microbes in the gut microbiome.

Also noted: Church PC, Turner D, et al. Aliment Phamacol There 2015; 41: 153-66. “Systematic review with meta-analysis: magnetic resonance enterography for the detection of inflammation and intestinal damage in Crohn’s disease.”

How the gut micro biome may affect other diseases including Multiple Sclerosis: Study Hints Gut Microbiome Plays a Role in Multiple Sclerosis (Link to Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News)

Related blog posts:

From NASPGHAN:  Introducing New Website for Teens with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: JustLikeMeIBD.org  PRESS RELEASE

New York, NY- January 20, 2015 – The number of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients in the U.S. has now increased to an estimated 1.6 million, with approximately 5 percent of that patient population under the age of 18. In response to the growing number of kids with IBD, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) along with the NASPGHAN Foundation for Children’s Digestive Health and Nutrition, has launched a new website called “Just Like Me” for teenagers with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

The interactive site will feature stories and videos from teens with IBD as well as information on school, dating, stress, diet, and research.

 

 

Specific Carbohydrate Diet in Children -Ahead of Print

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Here is a link, bit.ly/1xb1kk8, (from JPGN) and the abstract to an article on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet in Children.  This study shows clinical improvement and mucosal healing, confirmed by capsule endoscopy, in response to the specific carbohydrate diet (SCN). Congratulations to my colleagues/partners from GI Care for Kids who published this study in JPGN:

Objective: To prospectively evaluate clinical and mucosal responses to the specific carbohydrate diet (SCD) in children with Crohn’s disease (CD).

Methods: Eligible patients with active CD (Pediatric Crohn’s Disease Activity Index, PCDAI >= 15) underwent a patency capsule and if passed intact, capsule endoscopy (CE) was performed. Patients were monitored on SCD for 52 weeks while maintaining all prescribed medications. Demographic, dietary and clinical information, PCDAI, Harvey Bradshaw (HB) and Lewis score (LS) were collected at 0, 12 and 52 weeks. CE’s were evaluated by an experienced reader blinded to patient clinical information and timing.

Results: Sixteen patients were screened; 10 enrolled; and 9 completed the initial 12 week trial; receiving 85 % of estimated caloric needs prior to, and 101%, on the SCD. HB significantly decreased from 3.3 + 2.0 to 0.6 + 1.3 (p = 0.007) as did PCDAI (21.1 + 5.9 to 7.8 + 7.1; p = 0.011). LS declined significantly from 2153 + 732 to 960 + 433 (p = 0.012). Seven patients continued the SCD to 52 weeks with HB (0.1 + 0.4) and PCDAI (5.4 + 5.5) remaining improved (p = 0.016 and 0.027 compared to baseline) with mean LS at 1046 + 372 and 2 patients showing sustained mucosal healing.

Impressions: Clinical and mucosal improvements were seen in children with CD using the SCD over 12 and 52 weeks. Additionally, CE can monitor mucosal improvement in treatment trials for pediatric CD. Further studies are critically needed to understand the mechanisms underlying SCD’s effectiveness in children with CD.

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