Food & Nutrition

Periodic 5-Day Fasting Eases Crohn’s Symptoms in 70 Percent of Patients, Stanford Study Finds

Fasting-mimicking diet ’resets’ eased symptoms of patients with Crohn’s disease and brought some into remission.
Periodic 5-Day Fasting Eases Crohn’s Symptoms in 70 Percent of Patients, Stanford Study Finds
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Rachel Ann T. Melegrito
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For many people with Crohn’s disease, diet is often the first place they start when managing symptoms—particularly in milder cases where long-term medication options are limited. In the United States, the only approved therapies for mild Crohn’s are steroids, which can carry side effects with long-term use.

A five-day-a-month fasting diet improved symptoms in seven out of 10 people with Crohn’s disease and brought some into remission, according to a new Stanford study.

Rachel Ann T. Melegrito
Rachel Ann T. Melegrito
Author
Rachel Melegrito worked as an occupational therapist, specializing in neurological cases. Melegrito also taught university courses in basic sciences and professional occupational therapy. She earned a master's degree in childhood development and education in 2019. Since 2020, Melegrito has written extensively on health topics for various publications and brands.