[Sugar free diet: a new perspective in the treatment of Crohn disease? Randomized, control study]

Since several studies have shown that patients with Crohn's disease have an increased consumption of refined carbohydrates, the influence of a diet excluding refined sugar on the course of the disease was examined. In a randomised control trial, 20 patients (10 patients in each group) with Crohn's disease were treated for an average of 18 months with two different diets. The patients used in the study had a low or middle activity of the disease. Drug treatment was omitted 14 days before commencement of the study. The first group was treated with a low carbohydrate diet (refined sugar excluded), the second group received a high carbohydrate diet (refined sugar-rich). In patients with higher activities of the disease (activity index 100-200 points), the diet which restricted refined sugar was superior to the sugar-rich diet; in 4 out of 5 patients the disease activity decreased and remained so throughout the study-period. In contrast to this 4 patients treated with the sugar-rich diet had to be taken off the treatment because of increasing activities of the disease. In patients with quiescent disease (activity index less than 100 points), neither of the diets showed detrimental effects. The statistical analysis of clinical and laboratory dates noted during the study period resulted in no significant differences between the two groups.