Purpose: To assess the adherence to MD in patients with Crohn's disease (CD).
Methods: Outpatients with CD were enrolled in this protocol. Medical history, disease activity, dietary intake, habitual Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) score, anthropometric measurements and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ) were recorded. Blood samples were collected for quantification of biochemical and inflammatory indices.
Results: A total of 86 patients with CD were enrolled: 41 in relapse (5 ≤ Harvey Bradshaw Index ≤ 14) and 45 in remission (Harvey Bradshaw Index ≤ 4). Adherence to MD was greater in patients with inactive disease. The MedDiet score correlated positively with the IBDQ (p = 0.008) and negatively with disease activity (p < 0.001).
Conclusions: Adherence to Mediterranean diet is associated with improved quality of life in CD patients. Higher adherence to Mediterranean diet could be of importance in patients with CD to improve quality of life and reduce disease activity.
Keywords: Crohn’s disease; Disease activity; Inflammation; Mediterranean diet; Quality of life.