Enteral nutrition (liquid feeds) for maintenance of remission in Crohn's disease

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the intestines. Crohn's disease frequently occurs in the lower part of the small intestine (the ileum), however it can affect any part of the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus. The most common symptoms of Crohn's disease are abdominal pain, often in the lower right region of the abdomen, and diarrhea. The mechanism by which enteral nutrition may influence inflammation is unknown and is currently being studied. Two small studies were reviewed. The studies tested the effectiveness of enteral nutrition as maintenance therapy among 84 adult patients whose Crohn's disease was in remission. In one study the subjects received half the amount of their daily allowance of calories as enteral nutrition and the remaining half by normal diet. The comparison group followed a normal diet. The other study compared an elemental versus liquid diet to a polymeric formulation. The study that compared enteral nutrition with a normal diet found that enteral nutrition was an effective strategy for reducing the rate of relapse. The other study found that there was no difference in effectiveness between elemental and polymeric formulas. However, both studies were small and no firm conclusions can be made regarding the effectiveness of enteral nutrition. Enteral nutrition appears to be safe. Neither study reported any side effects that were related to enteral nutrition. The current evidence suggests that supplementary enteral nutrition (liquid feeds) may be effective for maintenance of remission in Crohn's disease.