Gut Health Boost: Mediterranean Diet Reduces Inflammation in Crohn’s Disease

What To Know

This news item reports results from a prospective cohort study of 271 newly diagnosed Crohn’s disease patients that looked at Mediterranean diet (MED) adherence, clinical disease course, inflammatory markers, and multi-omic gut microbiota/metabolite profiles.

The article says higher MED adherence was linked with a milder disease course, lower C-reactive protein (CRP) and faecal calprotectin levels, increases in beneficial bacteria such as Faecalibacterium, and higher levels of short-chain fatty acids and plant-derived metabolites.

Lower adherence was associated with species described as potentially harmful (Escherichia coli, Ruminococcus gnavus) and higher primary bile acids and inflammatory metabolites. The authors and the news piece note that randomised controlled trials are needed to confirm whether the Mediterranean diet can be used therapeutically for Crohn’s disease.