Crohn's Disease

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes severe inflammation anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract, most commonly in the small intestine and colon. Unlike IBS, Crohn's disease causes visible tissue damage, ulcers, strictures, and can lead to life-threatening complications if untreated.

The hallmark of Crohn's disease is transmural inflammation—the entire thickness of the intestinal wall becomes inflamed, leading to deep ulcers, scarring, and potential fistula formation. This chronic immune attack is driven by a dysregulated immune response to gut bacteria in genetically susceptible individuals.

• Immune dysregulation: Overactive Th1 and Th17 immune cells release pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-17, IL-23), causing persistent tissue destruction.
• Dysbiosis: Altered gut microbiota composition triggers and sustains the inflammatory cascade.
• Leaky gut: Compromised intestinal barrier allows bacteria and toxins to penetrate deeper tissue layers.
• Nutritional deficiencies: Chronic inflammation and malabsorption lead to deficiencies in B12, iron, zinc, and fat-soluble vitamins.

Symptoms include: chronic diarrhea (often bloody), severe abdominal pain, weight loss, fatigue, fever, and malnutrition. Complications can include bowel obstruction, abscesses, fistulas, and increased cancer risk.

Dietary interventions can induce remission in many cases. Exclusive enteral nutrition (liquid formula diet), carnivore diet, or ketogenic diet have shown remarkable success by removing inflammatory food triggers and allowing the gut to heal. Low-carbohydrate, anti-inflammatory diets reduce immune activation and promote gut barrier repair. Many patients achieve drug-free remission with strict dietary management.

Crohn's disease worsens with standard Western diet patterns (high in processed foods, refined carbs, and seed oils), while improving dramatically with elimination diets that remove plant fibers, gluten, and fermentable carbohydrates.