How Does Enteral Nutrition Therapy Work?

  • The way this diet treats Crohn’s disease is not known. It may change the bacteria that you have in the intestine, or it may have other anti-inflammatory benefits.
  • Enteral Nutrition Therapy can also be used in combination with certain medicines. Some patients use this diet to “go into remission,” and then change their diet back to eating regular food. If symptoms return, you can go back onto the diet to try to control the symptoms again.

Are There Any Side Effects?

There do not appear to be any medical side effects from this diet.

What Should I Know Before Starting Enteral Nutrition Therapy?

  • This diet requires nearly all calories to come from formula. This means you cannot eat food. (Studies where IBD patients use part formula and part regular food show that “only formula” is much more effective.)
  • Some people who try this diet do not like the taste of formulas used for enteral nutrition therapy. This can be a problem if you do not like the taste of the only thing you are allowed to drink. If the taste is a problem, some patients use a nasogastric tube (a tube that goes through your nose and down into your stomach) to get formula while they sleep.

Rev. 11/2013

This document is intended to provide health related information so that you may be better informed. It is not a substitute for a doctor's medical advice and should not be relied upon for treatment for specific medical conditions.