Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine appointments are available to our patients. Sign up for Connect today to schedule your vaccination.

A Randomized Trial Comparing the Specific Carbohydrate Diet to a Mediterranean Diet in Adults With Crohn's Disease.

TitleA Randomized Trial Comparing the Specific Carbohydrate Diet to a Mediterranean Diet in Adults With Crohn's Disease.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2021
AuthorsLewis JD, Sandler RS, Brotherton C, Brensinger C, Li H, Kappelman MD, Daniel SG, Bittinger K, Albenberg L, Valentine JF, Hanson JS, Suskind DL, Meyer A, Compher CW, Bewtra M, Saxena A, Dobes A, Cohen BL, Flynn AD, Fischer M, Saha S, Swaminath A, Yacyshyn B, Scherl E, Horst S, Curtis JR, Braly K, Nessel L, McCauley M, McKeever L, Herfarth H
Corporate AuthorsDINE-CD Study Group
JournalGastroenterology
Volume161
Issue3
Pagination837-852.e9
Date Published2021 Sep
ISSN1528-0012
Abstract

BACKGROUND & AIMS: This study compared the effectiveness of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) to the Mediterranean diet (MD) as treatment for Crohn's disease (CD) with mild to moderate symptoms.

METHODS: Adult patients with CD and with mild-to-moderate symptoms were randomly assigned 1:1 to consume the MD or SCD for 12 weeks. For the first 6 weeks, participants received prepared meals and snacks according to their assigned diet. After 6 weeks, participants were instructed to follow the diet independently. The primary outcome was symptomatic remission at week 6. Key secondary outcomes at week 6 included fecal calprotectin (FC) response (FC <250 μg/g and reduction by >50% among those with baseline FC >250 μg/g) and C-reactive protein (CRP) response (high-sensitivity CRP <5 mg/L and >50% reduction from baseline among those with high-sensitivity CRP >5 mg/L).

RESULTS: The study randomized 194 patients, and 191 were included in the efficacy analyses. The percentage of participants who achieved symptomatic remission at week 6 was not superior with the SCD (SCD, 46.5%; MD, 43.5%; P = .77). FC response was achieved in 8 of 23 participants (34.8%) with the SCD and in 4 of 13 participants (30.8%) with the MD (P = .83). CRP response was achieved in 2 of 37 participants (5.4%) with the SCD and in 1 of 28 participants (3.6%) with the MD (P = .68).

CONCLUSIONS: The SCD was not superior to the MD to achieve symptomatic remission, FC response, and CRP response. CRP response was uncommon. Given these results, the greater ease of following the MD and other health benefits associated with the MD, the MD may be preferred to the SCD for most patients with CD with mild to moderate symptoms. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03058679.

DOI10.1053/j.gastro.2021.05.047
Alternate JournalGastroenterology
PubMed ID34052278
PubMed Central IDPMC8396394
Grant ListP30 DK034987 / DK / NIDDK NIH HHS / United States
P30 DK050306 / DK / NIDDK NIH HHS / United States
UL1 TR001878 / TR / NCATS NIH HHS / United States