Exclusion diet + nutraceutical therapy to treat juvenile Crohn’s disease
Encouraging findings in a small group of patients are reported by researchers at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, in New York.
First, the details.
- 6 patients with moderately severe Crohn’s disease participated.
- 2 had completed growth.
- All were treated with an exclusion diet with nutraceutical therapy.
- Adequate caloric and protein intake for catch-up weight was prescribed.
- Dairy products, certain grains and carrageenan containing foods were eliminated.
- Carrageenan is a seaweed extract.
- Nutraceuticals, consisting of fish peptides, bovine colostrum, Boswellia serrata, curcumin, and a multivitamin were taken daily.
- Lactobacillus GG, a probiotic, was administered twice weekly.
- Recombinant human GH (rhGH) was administered daily.
And, the results.
- Within 2 months of starting the exclusion diet with nutraceutical therapy all 6 patients went into remission and stopped taking all pharmacological drugs.
- 3 patients have remained in sustained remission for 4 to 8 years.
- 1 patient with very severe Crohn’s disease had recurrence of symptoms after being in complete remission for 18 months.
- 1 patient was in remission for 3 years but symptoms recurred when she became less compliant with the exclusion diet with nutraceutical therapy.
- 1 recently treated patient remains in remission after 6 months.
- With the addition of rhGH, the 4 growing patients had good-excellent growth response
The bottom line?
It’s a very small group of patients.
The authors believe, “These findings justify larger controlled trials to evaluate the long-term benefit of compliance to exclusion diet with nutraceutical therapy in both juvenile and adult Crohn’s disease patients.”
More information from 1 of the patients in this study is available here.
2/13/10 23:05 JR