New diet could help treat Crohn’s disease symptoms
A diet low in emulsifiers could help ease symptoms for those living with Crohn’s disease.
The ADDapt trial, of which Barts Health was a lead clinical site, is the first to investigate the link between Crohn’s and food additive emulsifiers.
Involving 154 patients, it revealed dietary restriction of emulsifiers, commonly found in ultra processed foods could reduce both symptoms and inflammation.
Led by researchers at King’s College London, results have shown that people with Crohn’s disease were three times more likely to see improvement of their symptoms when cutting out emulsifiers from their diet. Participants also found that their symptoms were twice as likely to go into remission, where their disease symptoms disappeared.
All participants had active symptoms of Crohn’s disease and were split into two groups and received detailed dietary advice from a dietitian together with some supermarket deliveries of packaged foods and additional snacks for eight weeks.
Consultant gastroenterologist, Professor James Lindsay, was the clinical lead for the trial and led recruitment at Barts Health, said: “One of the most common questions I get asked by patients is what they should eat and whether they can modify their diet to improve their disease activity.
“Until now, we have had to say that apart from exclusive formula based liquid diets, the evidence to support the role of diet as a therapy for IBD has been lacking. This study has provided us with evidence to suggest that a diet low in food additive emulsifiers can reduce symptoms associated with Crohn’s disease.”
Crohn’s disease is a chronic condition where parts of the digestive system become inflamed, causing symptoms such as diarrhoea, severe pain, fatigue, and weight loss. There is currently no cure but drugs, and sometimes surgery, can give relief from symptoms.
One of the patients recruited from Barts Health was Philip Reynolds, a 37-year-old from London.
He said: “Before the trial I was having to think twice and plan around the condition. I was often uncomfortable and didn’t always feel like I was in control of my Crohn’s.
“When I started the trial, it was like night and day. It was amazing to feel the difference so quickly and to see some of my symptoms practically disappear. As a result, I have made some long-term changes to my diet and lifestyle which have really helped me manage my condition.”
The research was presented for the first time at the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation (ECCO) Conference in Berlin in February 2025 with a full paper due later this year.
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