Dietary Trends in Crohn’s Disease: A Comparison with Healthy Controls

Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that significantly impacts patients' quality of life. Diet plays a critical role in modulating inflammation and disease activity, with high intake of added sugars, artificial sweeteners, and processed foods linked to worsened symptoms. Despite this, many CD patients continue to consume diets high in pro-inflammatory ingredients that may not align with clinical recommendations. A prospective, questionnaire-based study was conducted among 52 adult participants (29 CD, 23 HC) recruited from the Digestive Disease Institute at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center as part of a larger diet intervention study. CD participants had a higher intake of fructose, total protein, arachidic acid, and white potato starchy vegetable compared to HC. HEI-2015 component scores for dairy, and intake of Greens and Beans were all significantly lower for CD compared to HC. There was also a trend for lower HEI-2015 total scores among CD participants compared to HC, suggesting slightly poorer dietary quality. Strategies to reduce intake of pro-inflammatory nutrients, such as saturated fats, trans fats and added sugars, and to promote nutrient-dense foods may enhance dietary quality in patients with CD. Further research is warranted to explore these trends and their clinical implications. This study aimed to compare dietary patterns between CD patients and healthy controls (HC) to identify potential targets for nutritional intervention.