Crohn’s disease is a type of Inflammatory bowel disease characterised by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The symptoms differ between patients but usually include tummy pain, tiredness and diarrhoea. The disease has a great impact on the patient’s overall health and quality of life. Malnutrition is more common in people with inflammatory bowel disease due to several factors, including poor digestion, disease activity, increased energy and nutrient requirements and food restrictions. Several studies indicate that people with Crohn’s disease avoid certain foods and food groups which they believed triggered their symptoms. Unnecessary food avoidance and restrictions can worsen malnutrition and as a consequence increase the risk of infections and hospital admissions.
Evaluating the dietary intake of people with Crohn’s disease will allow the early detection and correction of malnutrition and nutrients deficiencies. A few studies evaluate the dietary intake in adults with Crohn’s disease during the inactive phase. These studies consist of a small number of participants who are relatively younger adults, which makes it difficult to generalise their findings. Indeed, the role of diet as an intervention in mildly active and inactive Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative colitis is one of the top 10 research questions set out by the James Lind Alliance on Crohn’s and Colitis. The findings of this study will help to add valuable information to the limited knowledge available of Crohn’s disease and diet, which could potentially inform future research and clinical practice to provide the best care for people with Crohn’s disease.
In this context, there is a possible advantage of developing a clearer understanding of the routine dietary intake of patients with Crohn’s disease. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the dietary intake of people with Inflammatory bowel disease and to compare the dietary intake of people with inflammatory bowel disease and healthy participants. The estimated duration of this study is 6 months.