Crohn’s symptoms: A time-restricted eating plan that limits meals to an eight-hour daily window may reduce symptoms and inflammation in some people living with Crohn’s disease, according to a new randomised controlled study published in Gastroenterology.
The 12-week trial enrolled 35 adults with Crohn’s disease who were in remission and also had overweight or obesity. Participants were assigned either to time-restricted feeding, eating within an eight-hour window and fasting for the remaining 16 hours six days per week, or to a control group that continued eating as usual. The study reported that overall calorie intake and food choices were broadly similar between groups.
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By the end of the study, the time-restricted group showed a drop in BMI, alongside improvements in Crohn’s-related symptoms. Researchers reported a 40% reduction in stool frequency and a 50% reduction in abdominal discomfort compared with baseline measures, while markers linked to adiposity and inflammation, such as leptin, also decreased. In a subset of participants who underwent scans, visceral fat decreased in the time-restricted group, while it increased in controls.
The study also suggested changes in gut health. The time-restricted group showed increased microbial diversity, with signals pointing towards an increase in microbes associated with short-chain fatty acid production among those who achieved a meaningful BMI reduction.
Researchers cautioned that the findings should be interpreted carefully. The trial was small, ran for only 12 weeks, and focused specifically on people with Crohn’s disease in remission who also had overweight or obesity, so it’s not yet clear how well the approach applies to wider Crohn’s populations or whether benefits persist long-term.
Clinicians generally advise that anyone with Crohn’s considering intermittent fasting should discuss it with their gastroenterology team first, particularly if they have a history of weight loss, nutritional deficiencies, flares, or restrictive eating patterns.
