A group of researchers from Stanford University and a number of American universities conducted an experiment in which they tracked the effect of a new diet that mimics fasting on Crohn’s patients who suffer from mild to moderate symptoms.
The study, the results of which were published in the journal Nature in early 2026, followed 97 patients with Crohn’s disease, then divided them into two groups, one of which included 65 patients who participated in the diet that the researchers prepared for the experiment, and 32 who were asked to continue with their regular diet program for the purpose of comparing the results later.
The diet was based on the participants’ commitment to a special diet for five consecutive days each month, during which daily calories were reduced to between 700 and 1,100 calories only, while relying on exclusively plant food sources. During the rest of the month, they are allowed to return to their usual diet without restrictions.
The results showed a noticeable improvement in patients who followed this diet similar to fasting, as 45 patients recorded a general improvement in their health condition, compared to only 14 patients in the control group that did not follow the diet.
Symptoms of Crohn’s disease also significantly decreased or disappeared in 42 patients in the diet group, compared to only 12 patients in the other group.
Why is the diet effective for Crohn’s patients?
Researchers tried to understand what happened in the bodies of Crohn’s patients after they followed the diet that they designed specifically for them, and their speculation immediately jumped towards indicators of inflammation, the levels of which usually register a significant increase in Crohn’s patients, as it is possible to unravel the mystery after analyzing vital samples from the patients.
Indeed, the researchers collected blood and stool samples from patients to detect inflammatory parameters. Tests showed lower levels of inflammatory indicators in patients who followed the diet compared to those who did not follow it, as levels of both fecal calprotein (an indicator of inflammation) and certain types of inflammatory fatty molecules decreased.
It was also noticeable that the level of inflammatory signals released by immune cells decreased after the patients followed this diet for five days, as Crohn’s disease is classified (so far) as one of the immune diseases resulting from an abnormal response to various factors that stimulate an allergic reaction from the intestinal cells, so the disease is provoked, accompanied by disturbing symptoms that bother the patient.
A persistent quest to find out the mechanism
Researchers confirm that knowing the main reason behind the good response of Crohn’s patients after following the diet prepared for them has become a major requirement for determining the mechanism of the interaction of certain types of foods accompanied by fasting or otherwise with different bodies. Could beneficial bacteria have played a role in this?
A scientific review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences in 2022 previously suggested that an imbalance in the gut microbiome may play a major role in the exacerbation of Crohn’s inflammatory bowel diseases.
Researchers working at research institutions and universities in Spain and Ireland showed that following certain diets, such as the specific carbohydrate diet (SCD) or the FODMAP diet, provided promising treatment options for alleviating the symptoms suffered by patients with inflammatory bowel disease, through their effect on the microbiome in the intestine.
Rather, a review published by a group of researchers from the University of Alberta in Canada suggested that the deteriorating health condition of some Crohn’s patients may be due to an imbalance in biodiversity among the microorganisms present in the intestines as a result of the medications used to relieve Crohn’s symptoms.
The study published in the journal Frontiers in Medicine recommended that future research specializing in Crohn’s disease should focus on the possibility of manufacturing drug formulations and functional foods that target the different microbiome signature of Crohn’s patients, to ensure that the drug works without negatively affecting the environment of microorganisms naturally present in the intestine, thus worsening the condition instead of treating it.
Is fasting the reason?
Fasting, by abstaining from exceeding a certain limit of calories and avoiding all types of food except vegetarian, has emerged as one of the most prominent features of the five-day diet to relieve the annoying symptoms of Crohn’s.
Although the researchers did not determine the main reason behind the improvement in the condition of Crohn’s patients participating in the experiment, fasting was the hero of a number of studies that filled it with research and experimentation as one of the potential solutions in alleviating mild to moderate Crohn’s symptoms and inflammatory bowel diseases in general.
Researchers from the Maghreb conducted an observational study in which they analyzed the data of 100 Crohn’s disease patients during the Ramadan fasting period, and showed that 94% of the patients were able to fast without significant symptoms, and their health condition even improved during the day in Ramadan.
Intermittent fasting is beneficial for Crohn’s disease
In the same context, a randomized clinical trial published in the journal Gastroenterology in February 2026 revealed encouraging results supporting the role of fasting in improving the lives of Crohn’s disease patients.
The study included 35 adults suffering from Crohn’s disease and obesity, where intermittent fasting was applied for 12 weeks.
The participants were divided into two groups: the first included 20 people who adhered to intermittent fasting, while the second group (15 people) continued with their usual diet. The fasting diet relied on eating within 8 hours a day, while abstaining from it for 16 hours.
The results showed a noticeable improvement in the fasting group, as disease activity decreased by 40%, and abdominal pain decreased by about 50%.
These data indicate that the timing of eating may be an important factor in alleviating the symptoms of the disease, in addition to the quality of food.
These results were supported by Andres Hurtado-Lorenzo, Senior Vice President of Translational Research and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Projects at the Crohn’s Disease and Colitis Foundation of America, who stressed that such studies represent an innovative approach that helps patients control their symptoms and improve their quality of life.
Lorenzo also explained that intermittent fasting may contribute to regulating the functioning of the immune system, which reduces the severity of symptoms and prolongs periods of stability in patients.
Diet may relieve symptoms
Although the mechanisms of the effect of different diets on Crohn’s disease patients are still not fully understood, in addition to the varying response of patients depending on different foods and eating habits, a number of specialists believe that combining diet with drug treatment may contribute to alleviating symptoms, especially in mild to moderate cases.
It is believed that this positive effect may be achieved through several paths, including enhancing the growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestine, modifying their metabolic products, strengthening the intestinal barrier, in addition to improving the immune system response in the intestinal lining.