When (Not What) You Eat Could Play Key Role In Easing Crohn's Symptoms

People with Crohn’s disease may be able to relieve their symptoms through intermittent fasting, according to a new study. 

The research found time-restricted feeding “significantly reduced” symptomatic disease activity and inflammation in adults with Crohn’s disease.

Crohn’s disease is a long-term condition where part of the gut becomes inflamed. Symptoms can include: diarrhoea, stomach pain, feeling fatigued, loss of appetite or weight loss.

Treatment typically includes either medicine, surgery, or a combination of the two. Lifestyle changes might also help – some people might find certain foods impact symptoms more than others.

The University of Calgary-led trial found eating within an eight-hour window (and fasting for the remaining 16 hours) can reduce Crohn’s disease activity by 40% and abdominal discomfort by 50% in just 12 weeks, compared to a standard eating schedule.

Participants practicing intermittent fasting not only lost about 5.5 pounds in weight, but also showed notable improvements in blood markers of inflammation and immune health – all without cutting calories.

What is intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting is all about when you eat, rather than what you eat. There are different ways to do it, but for the purpose of this research, people ate during an eight-hour period each day (and then would fast for the rest of it).

During this trial, 35 adults with Crohn’s disease and living with obesity or overweight were randomly assigned to either intermittent fasting, or following their regular eating patterns. 

Researchers measured disease activity, inflammation, and body composition at the start and end of the study, which spanned 12 weeks.

Senior author Maitreyi Raman, Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Calgary, said they saw “meaningful improvements” in disease symptoms, reduced abdominal discomfort, favourable shifts in metabolism and inflammation, and promising changes in gut bacteria.

All of this suggests “intermittent fasting may help patients maintain lasting remission from Crohn’s disease”. In this instance, remission means their symptoms are under control.

The research was supported by the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. Andres Lorenzo Hurtado, the foundation’s senior vice president of Translational Research & IBD Ventures, said: “Time-restricted feeding is showing real promise as a new way to help people with Crohn’s disease manage not only their symptoms but also their overall health.

“This research suggests that changing when we eat – not just what we eat – can improve metabolism, help the immune system work better, and support long-term remission from Crohn’s disease.”

As well as reducing Crohn’s disease activity, the study revealed a marked decrease in harmful visceral fat and key inflammatory signals in the blood of those who practiced intermittent fasting.

The changes were not simply due to diet quality or calorie restriction, as both groups ate similar foods and amounts, which indicates the timing of meals themselves may play a unique role in supporting digestive and immune health.

Larger trials are now needed to confirm the long-term safety and effectiveness of this approach.

Results of the study were published in Gastroenterology. Researchers cautioned that people with Crohn’s should talk with their healthcare team before changing their eating schedule to determine whether intermittent fasting is appropriate for them.

Commenting on the findings, Catherine Winsor, Director of Service, Research and Evidence at Crohn’s & Colitis UK, told HuffPost UK: “This is an exciting early clinical trial which adds to growing evidence that lifestyle factors, including when we eat, may influence how people with Crohn’s Disease feel day to day.

“While these findings need to be confirmed in larger and more diverse patient populations, they do highlight the growing importance of nutrition and metabolism in Inflammatory Bowel Disease research and the need for more studies in this area.”

She concluded that for anyone living with Crohn’s disease or colitis, it’s important not to make drastic changes to your diet without speaking to your IBD team about it first.