title: Dietary intake of inulin-type fructans in active and inactive Crohn's disease and healthy controls: a case-control study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Prebiotic inulin-type fructans are widely consumed in the diet and may have contrasting effects in Crohn's disease by stimulating gut microbiota and/or by generating functional gastrointestinal symptoms. The aim of this study was to measure fructan and oligofructose intakes in patients with active and inactive Crohn's disease compared with healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with active Crohn's disease (n = 98), inactive Crohn's (n = 99) and healthy controls (n = 106) were recruited to a case-control study. Dietary intake of inulin-type fructans was measured using a specific food frequency questionnaire and was compared between the three groups and between patients with different disease phenotypes (Montreal classification). Associations between intakes and disease activity (Harvey-Bradshaw Index, HBI) were also undertaken.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with active Crohn's disease had lower fructan intakes (median 2.9 g/d, interquartile range [IQR] 1.8) than those with inactive Crohn's (3.6 g/d, 2.1, p = 0.036) or controls (3.9 g/d, 2.1, p = 0.003) and lower oligofructose intakes (2.8 g/d, 1.8) than those with inactive Crohn's (3.5 g/d, 2.2, p = 0.048) or controls (3.8 g/d, 2.1, p = 0.003). There were no differences in intakes related to disease site or behaviour. There were negative correlations between HBI well-being score and fructan intake (ρ = -0.154, p = 0.03) and oligofructose intake (ρ = -0.156, p = 0.028) and for the HBI abdominal pain score and fructan (ρ = -0.164, p = 0.021) and oligofructose intake (ρ = -0.157, p = 0.027).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with active Crohn's disease consume lower quantities of fructans and oligofructose than their inactive counterparts and healthy controls. The impact of lower intakes of prebiotic fructans on gut microbiota is unknown and warrants further research.
authors.affiliation: King's College London, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences Division, London , UK.
authors.forename: Jacqueline L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: King's College London, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences Division, London , UK.
authors.forename: Charlotte R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Hedin
authors.affiliation: King's College London, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences Division, London , UK.
authors.forename: Jane L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Benjamin
authors.affiliation: King's College London, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences Division, London , UK.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koutsoumpas
authors.affiliation: St Marks's Hospital, Harrow, Middlesex, UK Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Institute of Digestive Disease, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, LKS Institute of Health Science, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Siew C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: St Marks's Hospital, Harrow, Middlesex, UK.
authors.forename: Ailsa L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.affiliation: Centre for Gastroenterology and Nutrition, University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Alastair
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Forbes
authors.affiliation: Blizard Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Stagg
authors.affiliation: Blizard Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK Digestive Diseases Department, The Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London , UK.
authors.forename: James O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Lindsay
authors.affiliation: King's College London, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences Division, London , UK kevin.whelan@kcl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Whelan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004034:Diet Surveys; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007444:Inulin; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D056692:Prebiotics; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D009844:Oligosaccharides; D056692:Prebiotics; C120489:oligofructose; D007444:Inulin
keywords: FODMAPs; Inflammatory bowel disease; fructans; inulin; oligofructose