Abstract

OLIVEIRA, Carina et al. Nutrition Support in Crohn’s Disease. Acta Port Nutr [online]. 2017, n.10, pp.44-48. ISSN 2183-5985.

Inflammatory bowel diseases include Crohn’s disease, which manifests mostly in the ileum and colon, but can also cause changes in any region of the gastrointestinal tract. People with this type of disease have a higher risk of nutritional deficiencies due to a number of reasons related to the disease and the treatment itself. Thus, the primary purpose of feeding is to restore and maintain the nutritional status of the individual by using foods, dietary supplements, and enteral and parenteral nutrition. Oral nutrition and other nutritional support means may be changed during the characteristic phases of Crohn’s Disease. This study aims to review the most recent evidence related to Crohn’s disease and to elaborate a summarised reflection on these. Through this reflection, it was concluded that food education is fundamental to warn patients regarding the variety of foods they are able to consume, if they tolerate them, in order to avoid the extremely restricted diets indicated in the past, which contributed to a greater frustration of patients and consequently lower quality of life. Enteral nutrition is the first-line treatment for the induction of remission of the disease in the active phase in children, and it also has benefits in the remission of the disease in adults. In turn, parenteral nutrition is only recommended when Enteral Nutrition is contraindicated.

Keywords : Gastrointestinal disorders; Inflammatory bowel diseases; Artificial nutrition; Enteral nutrition; Parenteral nutrition; Nutrition support.

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