Clinical importance of n-3 fatty acid-rich diet and nutritional education for the maintenance of remission in Crohn's disease

Elemental diet (ED) therapy has been established as primary therapy for Cro hn's disease, and home enteral nutrition (HEN) has been reported to control relapse at a dose of more than 30 kcal/kg of ideal body weight. However, a decrease in ED compliance with long-term use is becoming problem. We devel oped an n-3 fatty acid-rich diet and carried out nutritional education spec ifically for Crohn's disease patients using HEN to facilitate compliance an d to improve their nutritional status. After the introduction of this n-3 r ich diet, disease activity was not altered, and nutritional status, especia lly serum n-3 fatty acid levels, improved. The remission periods in patient s with poor compliance seemed to be prolonged by the nutritional education. Thus, a n-3 rich diet in combination with nutritional education specific f or Crohn's disease patients is very important for the in maintenance of hig h compliance and for maintaining nutritional balance.