Emulsifier restriction is an effective therapy for active Crohn's disease: the ADDapt trial - a multi-centre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, re-supplementation trial in 154 patients

Abstract

Background: Food additive emulsifiers result in bacterial dysbiosis, reduced intestinal mucus thickness, microbiota encroachment and increased permeability resulting in intestinal inflammation in murine models. Dietary intervention trials in inflammatory bowel disease are limited by challenges with blinding, high placebo response rates and because changes to one diet component impact on intake of many others (dietary collinearity). The ADDapt trial aimed to investigate the effects of a low emulsifier diet (LED) compared to control diet for 8-weeks on disease activity in patients with mild/moderately active Crohn's disease (CD).