title: What can Crohn's patients eat?
abstract: Seventy-one patients with Crohn's disease were interviewed about their diet. All had undergone surgery for the condition. Thirty-seven patients had an ileostomy and 34 patients did not. Information about the effect of 32 foodstuffs and drinks, what advice had been given, who had given it, and the patients' attitude to food, was obtained. Twenty-seven fit health workers acted as a control group. Corn, nuts, fizzy drinks, raw fruits, shellfish and pickles in the ileostomy patients and nuts, raw fruit and tomatoes in the non-ileostomy patients gave rise to problems. These differences were statistically significant (P less than 0.01) when compared to the control group. Chicken, white bread, rice, potatoes and lamb were the foods least likely to provoke symptoms in all the groups. "Eat what you can" was the commonest dietary advice given and physicians were the most important source of that advice. More than half of the patients thought their diet was adequate but more Crohn's patients than controls took regular vitamin supplements. Although only two patients considered that diet might be responsible for their disease, most thought dietary factors important in controlling symptoms or aiding recovery.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Surgery, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: V W
authors.initials: VW
authors.lastname: Fazio
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003376:Counseling; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007081:Ileostomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010819:Physician's Role