For many people with
Crohn’s diseasethe same question comes up at each consultation: what to put on your plate without waking up intestinal inflammation. The answers often remain unclear, due to a lack of solid dietary studies. A team from Stanford has just tested, in adults with mild to moderate Crohn’s disease, a low-calorie plant-based diet supposed to imitate fasting. The results, published on January 13, 2026 in the journal Nature Medicineattract the attention of gastroenterologists.
Mild Crohn’s disease: why this fasting diet intrigues doctors
In France, nearly 150,000 people live with this chronic illness, which alternates between bouts of diarrhea, cramps and fatigue, then calmer periods. Mild to moderate forms have few options: corticosteroids remain the only approved treatment, with significant long-term side effects. “We were very limited on the type of dietary information we could give to patients“, explains Sidhartha R. Sinha, gastroenterologist and hepatologist at Stanford Medicine. Hence the interest in this protocol.
The diet tested belongs to what the researchers call a
diet mimicking fastingor fasting‑mimicking diet, already studied for its impact on inflammation.
To go beyond isolated testimonies, the team conducted a randomized trial with 97 adults suffering from mild to moderate Crohn’s disease: 65 followed the diet mimicking fasting, 32 kept their usual diet for three months. Nutritional trials remain imperfect because patients know what they are eating, but the differences between the two groups remain marked.
How This 5-Day Fasting Mimicking Diet Works and What the Trial Showed
Concretely, participants in the fasting-mimicking diet group reduced their intake for five consecutive days, receiving only 700 to 1,100 kcal per day in the form of plant-based meals provided for by the protocol. The rest of the time, they kept their usual diet. “Many dietary approaches require permanent changes that are difficult to maintain. What set this diet apart is that it is short, structured, and designed to be realistic to follow.“, summarizes Dr. Sidhartha R. Sinha.
At the end of the three cycles, 69.2% of patients in the fasting-mimic diet group presented a clinical response compared to 43.8% in the control group, and remission was also more frequent. “We were pleasantly surprised that the majority of patients seemed to benefit from this regimen“, says Dr. Sidhartha R. Sinha.
“This study will provide doctors with evidence to support their recommendations in an area of great interest to patients” judge me Dr. Sinha.
Fecal calprotectin, a stool protein indicating intestinal inflammation, decreased by an average of 22% in patients on the tested diet, while it increased by 8% in controls, and no serious adverse effects were reported, apart from some fatigue and headaches. Pro-inflammatory lipid mediators from fatty acids were also reduced in participants following this diet. Additionally, these individuals’ immune cells produced fewer of various types of inflammatory molecules. Researchers are currently examining whether changes in the gut microbiota could also account for some of the benefits of this diet. “Much remains to be done to understand the biological mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of this and other diets in patients with Crohn’s disease.”however recognizes Dr. Sinha.
Mimetic fasting: a complementary option for mild Crohn’s disease, with caution
The trial was conducted in adults without severe disease, who continued their usual treatments; it is a complement, not a substitute. “We see this approach as a complement to standard therapies, not a replacement“, recalls Dr. Sidhartha R. Sinha. People who are underweight, malnourished, pregnant, adolescent or experiencing a flare-up should first speak with their gastroenterologist and a dietitian.