Lay Summary
Proposal No. IBD-0258R
Principal Investigator: Amy Brown, Ph.D., R.D.
Applicant Organization: University of
Project Title: The relationship of a “Crohn’s disease diet” in reducing symptoms of Crohn’s disease, improving quality of life, and decreasing related health care costs
Period of Award: December 1, 2008 – November 30, 2011
This study will test whether or not a newly developed “Crohn’s Disease Diet” in the form of an ‘elimination diet’ derived from evidence-based Medline research, is an effective complementary treatment for Crohn’s disease.
To test whether or not certain dietary changes do make a difference for people with Crohn’s disease, we are conducting a 16-week clinical trial with 60 adult patients aged 18 to 75 years of age with mild or moderate Crohn’s disease defined as a Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (CDAI) of 150-450. These 60 patients who agree to not to be on any other major treatments will be divided into either the “Crohn’s Disease Diet” (primarily an anti-inflammation diet that is an elimination diet based on being gluten/casein-free with limited carbohydrate) and or the Dietary Guideline recommendations. Both groups will not know which is the diet being tested and both will receive similar dietary counseling attention. Patients will see the physician at the start and end of the study (0 and 12 weeks) and be monitored weekly and mid-way by a registered, fecal calprotectin, sedimentation rate, Overall Quality of Life (QOL) through the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ) survey, and health care costs measured by primary health care provider reimbursements.