Prebiotics and Diet to Reduce 'Leaky' Gut in First Degree Relatives of Crohn's Disease Patients
Prebiotics and Diet to Reduce "Leaky" Gut in First Degree Relatives of Crohn's Disease Patients
NCT ID: NCT03950336 Phase: NA Status: COMPLETED Enrollment: 33 Completion: 2024-05-17
Conditions
Healthy First Degree Relatives of Crohn's Disease Patients
Interventions
Prebiotics, Low n-6 PUFA Diet, Maltodextrin, Control Diet
Summary
Crohn's disease (CD) is a recurring inflammation of the intestines. The etiology is unknown; however evidence suggests that it could be a combination of gut microbes, environmental factors and genetics. CD has a strong genetic component, with up to 12% of patients having familial history. The Western diet is also thought to increase the risk of developing CD. In addition up to 20% of healthy first-degree relatives (FRD) of CD patients have increased small intestinal permeability ("leaky gut"). Previous studies have also shown that the Western diet can affect the intestinal immune response and normal intestinal barrier function, as well as alter the gut microbiota. We are interested in looking into whether beneficial dietary fibers (prebiotics) in combination with a diet low in n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and high in n-3 PUFAs can protect against the development of CD.
Prebiotics are carbohydrates that cannot be digested by human enzymes and instead feed the bacteria in the colon that can digest them. Prebiotics occur in different fruits and vegetables. They have been shown to improve health by positively changing the gut microbes and their metabolism.
The prebiotic we will be using are β-fructans. β-fructans have been shown to reduce "leaky gut" and positively impact the intestinal immune system in experimental models and healthy humans. Diet has been shown to affect the gut microbes, intestinal inflammation development and the activity of prebiotics. We hypothesize that β-fructans in combination with a diet low in n-6 PUFAs / high in n-3 PUFAs (similar to a Mediterranean diet) can reduce intestinal permeability ("leaky gut") in FDR of CD patients, associated with beneficial changes in the gut microbes.
Participants (FDR of CD patients; 40 total) will be randomized and receive either a 12 g/day dose of the prebiotic oligofructose-enriched inulin (Prebiotin), or placebo (maltodextrin), as well as a dietary intervention. In order to control the n-3 and
Primary Outcome
Change in small intestinal permeability over 6 weeks