- Researchers say intermittent fasting can help reduce symptoms and inflammation in people with Crohn’s disease.
- Experts say fasting can be an effective treatment for Crohn’s because it helps reduce inflammation throughout the body.
- Intermittent fasting may also support fat loss in people with overweight and obesity who live with Crohn’s.
- Intermittent fasting may not be suitable for some people with Crohn’s disease, especially those experiencing weight loss associated with the condition.
Researchers report that intermittent fasting could help people with Crohn’s disease manage their chronic condition.
“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,” said Andres Hurtado-Lorenzo, PhD, the senior vice president of Translational Research & IBD Ventures at the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, which funded the research.
“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,” Hurtado said in a statement.
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Calgary in Canada, involved 35 adults with Crohn’s disease and weight management issues. The findings were published on February 9 in Gastroenterology.
The researchers assigned 20 participants to an intermittent fasting schedule.
The protocol involved eating all meals within an 8-hour window each day and fasting for the other 16 hours. The other 15 participants were told to adhere to a more regular eating pattern.
Both groups ate similar foods and consumed the same amounts of calories. The study period lasted for 12 weeks. Researchers measured disease activity, inflammation, and body composition at the start and at the end of the study period.
The researchers reported that participants on the time-restricted eating regimen reduced Crohn’s disease activity by 40% and abdominal discomfort by 50% over the 12-week period, compared with subjects on a standard eating schedule.
The researchers added that the fasting participants showed notable improvements in blood markers for inflammation and immune health. They also lost more than 5 pounds during the 12-week study period while the subjects on regular diets gained more than 3 pounds on average.
Experts not involved in the study say the findings bolster existing evidence that fasting can be beneficial to people with Crohn’s disease.
“This is a thoughtful and encouraging randomized study suggesting that time-restricted eating may improve symptoms and inflammatory markers in selected patients with Crohn’s disease,” said Sidhartha Sinha, MD, a gastroenterologist and professor of medicine at Stanford University.
“The work adds to growing evidence that metabolic and dietary timing interventions can meaningfully influence disease biology,” said Sinha, who participated in a
Babak Firoozi, MD, a gastroenterologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, said that the new research is a promising step for the Crohn’s disease community.
“Any non-pharmacologic approach that helps both with Crohn’s disease and overall health is significant,” Firoozi told Healthline.
Rudolph Bedford, MD, a gastroenterologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, said the key to the success of intermittent fasting with Crohn’s disease is the reduction of inflammation.
“With intermittent fasting, you are not feeding the inflammatory process itself,” Bedford told Healthline.
He added that this reduction of inflammation can also encourage people to adopt lifestyle strategies, such as exercise, that reduce Crohn’s disease symptoms.
“Symptomatically, you feel better. Your quality of life is better and your energy level is better,” Bedford said.
Sinha agreed that reducing inflammation is vital, but he says intermittent fasting can also spur other beneficial biological mechanisms.
“Intermittent fasting likely helps through several converging mechanisms rather than a single pathway,” he said.
“Changes in meal timing can improve metabolic signaling, reduce visceral adiposity, and shift immune mediators that are linked to inflammation,” Sinha told Healthline. “There may also be effects on circadian regulation and microbial activity that influence intestinal immune tone.”
Firoozi said the study participants’ weight loss was also an important factor.
“The likely effect is from what was described as significant weight loss and loss of visceral fat,” he said. “Visceral fat promotes inflammation, so loss of fat can theoretically improve Crohn’s disease through less overall inflammation.”
It’s estimated that
Researchers still aren’t sure how the disease develops or how to cure it. The range of severity for Crohn’s can be mild to debilitating.
Some factors that can increase the risk of developing Crohn’s disease include:
- carrying certain genes
- family history
- smoking
- living in an urban environment
The symptoms can include:
- diarrhea
- abdominal cramps
- bloody stools
- frequent need to pass a bowel moment.
- fever
Treatments can range from medication to surgery to diet to probiotics. About 80% of people with Crohn’s disease will require surgery at some point in their lives.
Experts and researchers emphasized that people with Crohn’s disease should talk with their healthcare team to determine whether intermittent fasting is appropriate for them.
“You need to make sure all of this is done under the supervision of a physician,” said Bedford.
Bedford said one key reason for the caution is that intermittent fasting is not necessarily a beneficial tool for all people with Crohn’s disease.
He noted that a significant number of people with Crohn’s lose weight, so a restrictive eating plan wouldn’t be the best strategy.
“Not all Crohn’s patients are overweight,” Bedford said. “If you’re not getting enough calories and nutrition, you could end up using more energy than you’re taking in.”
“Some patients are already malnourished, so you don’t want them to lose any more calories,” he explained.
“Many patients with Crohn’s struggle with weight loss, micronutrient deficiency, or active disease where fasting could be counterproductive,” he said.
Bedford added that any diet for Crohn’s disease should contain a sufficient amount of protein. He said a Mediterranean is probably the best choice.
Sinha said diet should be tailored to a person’s individual needs.
“Dietary strategies should be individualized based on nutritional status, symptoms, and disease phenotype,” he said. “The broader goal is precision nutrition that aligns with each patient’s biology rather than one universal approach.”
Bedford added that exercise is important because it can build muscle and reduce inflammation.
“First and foremost is to adhere to a healthy diet and to stay compliant with their medication,” added Firoozi. “If they are overweight or have other diseases related to obesity, they should work hard to address that. Intermittent fasting should be in the discussion.”
