A Crohn's disease patient reversed his painful condition with a vegan diet, doctors have claimed. There is currently no cure for the agonising condition, which can cause diarrhoea, abdominal pain and weight loss.
However, drugs can help some patients can achieve clinical remission - when the disease is no longer active but a flare-up could still occur. But one unidentified man's symptoms completely disappeared after he cut animal products from his diet, after drugs failed to help.
A doctor said the case study provides 'hope for thousands of people' and hailed food as medicine with the life-long disease who rely on medication. However, other experts warned against a plant-based diet, insisting there is not enough evidence it will help.
Critics of the case report even said a vegan diet could even exacerbate nutrient deficiencies in Crohn's patients. The case study was published by medics at the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, Missouri, in the journal Nutrients.
Dr Kelsea Sandefur, the author, revealed the man had been diagnosed with Crohn's disease in November 2014 at the age of 25. He experienced months of weight loss, diarrhoea and flu-like symptoms, and an examination showed severe inflammation in the gut.
Treatment began in January 2015. But after a year, tests still indicated his disease was mildly active. According to the doctors, only about 10 per cent of traditionally managed Crohn's disease patients achieve long-term remission.
