Plant4Crohns -Aalborg University . Plantbased anti-inflammatory meals for patients with the chronic stomach/intestinal disease Crohns.
Mydietpal Science produces and delivers meals to patients with Crohn's disease and their families. The research project was started in January 2023 and is expected to be completed during the spring of 2023.
Read more here about the background for why this research project is being carried out:
Crohn's disease affects over 17,000 Danes, and the chronic disease is often diagnosed in a young person
age, and thus affects both job and educational opportunities, family life, physical activity and social
relationships. The disease alternates between periods of outbreaks and periods of calm, and is often treated
with medication and/or operations where the inflamed parts of the intestine are removed.
At present, there is no convincing evidence for specific foods or
diets that can reduce the risk of increased disease activity, even though most people with the disease
can point out foods that cause more symptoms and thus often change their diet with or without it
help from healthcare professionals. If the disease is in an outbreak, increased protein intake is often recommended to
avoid weight loss and poor nutritional status, while there are no dietary recommendations when
the disease is at rest.
However, review of available studies suggests that an anti-inflammatory and predominantly
plant-based diet will potentially be able to inhibit the inflammation in the intestine, and perhaps help to
avoid outbreaks of the disease as a supplement to medical treatment.
In this project we want to investigate the feasibility of an anti-inflammatory plant-based
dietary intervention in people with Crohn's receiving biological treatment.
In the first part of the study, interviews are conducted with patients to investigate motivation and barriers
compared to a plant-based diet. Next, we will develop an anti-inflammatory primarily plant-based
diet (possibility of fish twice a week), and test the diet change for 12 weeks. As part of the study will
plant-based recipes will be developed for use by the participants. These recipes will be available
for everyone, as our wish with the project is to be able to give people with Crohn's disease the opportunity
to be able to do something to alleviate the disease in cooperation with the medical treatment.
Mette Holst
Professor., Head of Research, PhD
Centre for Nutrition and Intestinal Failure
Aalborg University Hospital
and Department of Clinical Sciences, Aalborg University
Source information: https://ccf.dk/information/forskning/forskningsstoette-2022
