Cross-Sectional Analysis of Overall Dietary Intake and Mediterranean Dietary Pattern in Patients with Crohn’s Disease

The primary objective of this study was to explore the macro- and micro-nutrient intakes and dietary patterns of patients with Crohn’s disease (CD). Secondary objectives were to (a) compare the micronutrient intakes of CD patients with a representative sample of individuals, (b) describe the macro- and micronutrient intakes of male and female CD patients, and (c) describe Mediterranean diet scores (P-MDS) of male and female CD patients in remission that were recruited from an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) clinic in Calgary, AB. Consecutive patients with ileal and/or colonic CD in endoscopic remission were recruited for participation in this cross-sectional study. Sixty-seven patients were enrolled with a mean age of 45, and a Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥ 25. Compared with the representative sample, patients with CD had similar energy, protein, carbohydrate, and total fat intake. However, polyunsaturated fats (PUFA), omega-6 and 3, and monounsaturated fats (MUFA) were lower in CD patients and dietary fiber intake was higher (p < 0.05). Vitamins C, D, thiamin, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and potassium were all significantly lower in all CD patients when compared to the representative sample (p < 0.05). Few patients with CD met the P-MDS criteria and overall scores were low (mean 4.5, Standard Deviation (SD) = 1.1 in males and 4.7, SD = 1.8 in females). The CD patients in this study had suboptimal dietary intakes and patterns and these data may be used to inform future dietary interventions in this population to improve intake. View Full-Text