What is enteral nutrition and will it put my Crohns disease into remission?
Enteral nutrition formulas usually consist of intact, partially digested or near complete digestion of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins with vitamins and minerals added for complete nutrition in a can. They are typically given through tubes that go into the stomach through the skin (G-tube or PEG) or the nose (nasogastric or nasoduodenal tubes). Unfortunately, most of the enteral nutritional formulas are not very tasty, but some people do drink them. Food is a big part of living and one would not choose to be on enteral nutrition formulas for a lifetime. So even though these treatments are widely used in Asian countries, they are not very popular in the U.S. But, the fact that IBD can get better on this type of nutrition therapy tells us there has to be more research done to find out what other alternatives that incorporate regular foods might work, as when you stop enteral nutrition and start eating a regular diet, your IBD starts coming back.
