"Tasty&Healthy" Dietary Approach for Crohn's Disease
Israel129 participantsStarted 2020-04-01
Plain-language summary
Despite the advent of multiple novel medications, many patients with Crohn's disease (CD) fail to achieve mucosal healing (MH). Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) has been shown to induce clinical remission accompanied by MH in many of CD patients. The aim of this proposal is to explore the effectiveness of the "Tasty\&Healthy" dietary approach based on avoiding "pro-inflammatory" and processed ingredients, for inducing and maintaining remission and MH in children and young adults. This approach is based on the previously published charity cook-book "Tasty\&Healthy" and might be more feasible than currently available nutritional treatments in CD. It does not offer a rigid diet with specific nutrients and does not require concurrent use of a formula feed.
The investigators hypothesize that a flexible dietary intervention of excluding processed and pro-inflammatory ingredients will improve the rate of clinical remission and MH without the need for liquid formula or structured rigid diet which are more difficult to adhere to. The investigators also hypothesize that home kits of Fecal calprotectin (FC), can personalize the diet thereby increasing feasibility for maintenance therapy in some patients.
Who can participate
Age range
6 Years – 40 Years
Sex
ALL
See this in plain English?
AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Inclusion criteria
. Children and young adults aged 6-24 years with established diagnosis of CD by European crohn's and colitis organisation (ECCO) /The European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) criteria.
. \<1 years of disease duration since the time of CD diagnosis.
. Willingness to provide stool samples during the visits, at baseline, week 4 and week 8.
. Mild- moderate disease activity (wPCDAI 20-57.5 or CDAI 200-45) or milder disease (wPCDAI 12.5-57.5 or CDAI 150-450) that according to the physician's discretion warrants an immediate change in treatment (and thus cannot be included in the MH-RCT-II that has a non-treatment arm).
. Currently receiving no drug treatment or on maintenance treatment with immunomodulators (at stable dose for at least 16 weeks) or 5-aminosalicylic acid (5ASA)/sulfasalazine (at stable dose for at least 8 weeks). No current or prior treatment with biologics is allowed (i.e. biologic-naïve).
Questions worth asking your doctor
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
1Based on my diagnosis and history, is this trial worth exploring for me — or is there a standard treatment we should try first?
2What does this trial's phase tell us about how much is already known about its safety and benefit?
3What would taking part actually involve for me — visits, tests, time, and travel?
4What are the known and possible risks or side effects I should weigh, and how would they be monitored?
5If this trial isn't the right fit, what other options or trials would you suggest I look into?
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
Questions for the trial coordinator
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
What they're measuring
1
ACTIVE-RCT-I: patient's tolerance to the diet by week 8.
. Children and young adults aged 6-40 years with established diagnosis of CD by ECCO/ESPGHAN criteria.
. \<1 years of disease duration since the time of CD diagnosis, or \<3 years of disease duration since the time of CD diagnosis for patients without evidence of significant bowel wall thickening (≤4 mm) without any damage as much as known.
. Willingness to provide stool samples during the visits, at baseline, week 4 and week 8.
Exclusion criteria
. Fibrostenotic or penetrating phenotype.
. Fistulizing perianal disease which is not in complete remission.