Elemental diet
Encyclopedia
An elemental diet is a diet
that proposes the ingestion
or in more severe cases, use of a gastric feeding tube or intravenous feeding of liquid nutrients in an easily assimilated form. It is usually composed of amino acid
s, fat
s, sugar
s, vitamin
s, and mineral
s. This diet, however, lacks whole or partial protein
due to its ability to cause an allergic reaction in some people.
as a form of nutritional therapy
. Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease
causing inflammation of any area of the gastrointestinal tract
and is able to occur in people of all ages, but often diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 and 30. The most common indication of having Crohn's is blockage of the intestine, and sores and ulcers around the area of the infected tissue. This includes the bladder, vagina, rectum, and anus. Other problems may also include skin problems, arthritis, and inflammation of the mouth or eyes. Nutritional problems that result from Crohn's are due to inflammation
of the small intenstine that cause diarrhea. This leads to malabsorption
of important nutrients in the small intestine, causing malnutrition
, fever, fatigue, and weight loss.
The elemental diet consists of a mixture of essential amino acids with non-essential amino acids. 90% of the energy from the diet comes from carbohydrates in the form of glucose, and there is less than 1% of fat. Water soluble vitamins, fat soluble vitamins, and electrolytes are often added. The elemental diet is commonly introduced over a period of three days to patients, successively increasing in strength on each day to reduce the likelihood of diarrhea and abdominal colic. It can be given orally or through nasiogastric tubes if patients are intolerable to the liquid. Patients are restricted of all foods, except for tea and coffee (without milk) and given Vivonex as the elemental diet. Other elemental diets such as Elental can be used that provide similar results. The elemental diet provides a high nitrogen source for patients from amino acids and acts as a medical bypass. Since the diet consists of the individual dietary components of food in their simplest form, the body does not have to do work to digest them. They prevent the food from ‘reacting’ with the gut, preventing the occurrence of symptoms. The resulting positive nitrogen balance and alterations in the bacterial flora of the gut prove to have beneficial effects in patients, helping to alleviate the symptoms of Crohn’s.
A common disadvantage is the taste of the elemental diet. Many patients are unable to tolerate the taste, even if the diet is flavoured, and choose to receive it through intragastric administration. Also, nausea and diarrhoea can result from the high sugar content and hyperglycaemia in patients with pre-existing diabetes.
Dieting
Dieting is the practice of eating food in a regulated fashion to achieve or maintain a controlled weight. In most cases dieting is used in combination with physical exercise to lose weight in those who are overweight or obese. Some athletes, however, follow a diet to gain weight...
that proposes the ingestion
Ingestion
Ingestion is the consumption of a substance by an organism. In animals, it normally is accomplished by taking in the substance through the mouth into the gastrointestinal tract, such as through eating or drinking...
or in more severe cases, use of a gastric feeding tube or intravenous feeding of liquid nutrients in an easily assimilated form. It is usually composed of amino acid
Amino acid
Amino acids are molecules containing an amine group, a carboxylic acid group and a side-chain that varies between different amino acids. The key elements of an amino acid are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen...
s, fat
Fat
Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and generally insoluble in water. Chemically, fats are triglycerides, triesters of glycerol and any of several fatty acids. Fats may be either solid or liquid at room temperature, depending on their structure...
s, sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
s, vitamin
Vitamin
A vitamin is an organic compound required as a nutrient in tiny amounts by an organism. In other words, an organic chemical compound is called a vitamin when it cannot be synthesized in sufficient quantities by an organism, and must be obtained from the diet. Thus, the term is conditional both on...
s, and mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
s. This diet, however, lacks whole or partial protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
due to its ability to cause an allergic reaction in some people.
Uses
The elemental diet is used mainly in the treatment of individuals with Crohn's diseaseCrohn's disease
Crohn's disease, also known as regional enteritis, is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, causing a wide variety of symptoms...
as a form of nutritional therapy
Therapy
This is a list of types of therapy .* Adventure therapy* Animal-assisted therapy* Aquatic therapy* Aromatherapy* Art and dementia* Art therapy* Authentic Movement* Behavioral therapy* Bibliotherapy* Buteyko Method* Chemotherapy...
. Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease
Inflammatory bowel disease
In medicine, inflammatory bowel disease is a group of inflammatory conditions of the colon and small intestine. The major types of IBD are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.-Classification:...
causing inflammation of any area of the gastrointestinal tract
Gastrointestinal tract
The human gastrointestinal tract refers to the stomach and intestine, and sometimes to all the structures from the mouth to the anus. ....
and is able to occur in people of all ages, but often diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 and 30. The most common indication of having Crohn's is blockage of the intestine, and sores and ulcers around the area of the infected tissue. This includes the bladder, vagina, rectum, and anus. Other problems may also include skin problems, arthritis, and inflammation of the mouth or eyes. Nutritional problems that result from Crohn's are due to inflammation
Inflammation
Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...
of the small intenstine that cause diarrhea. This leads to malabsorption
Malabsorption
Malabsorption is a state arising from abnormality in absorption of food nutrients across the gastrointestinal tract.Impairment can be of single or multiple nutrients depending on the abnormality...
of important nutrients in the small intestine, causing malnutrition
Malnutrition
Malnutrition is the condition that results from taking an unbalanced diet in which certain nutrients are lacking, in excess , or in the wrong proportions....
, fever, fatigue, and weight loss.
The elemental diet consists of a mixture of essential amino acids with non-essential amino acids. 90% of the energy from the diet comes from carbohydrates in the form of glucose, and there is less than 1% of fat. Water soluble vitamins, fat soluble vitamins, and electrolytes are often added. The elemental diet is commonly introduced over a period of three days to patients, successively increasing in strength on each day to reduce the likelihood of diarrhea and abdominal colic. It can be given orally or through nasiogastric tubes if patients are intolerable to the liquid. Patients are restricted of all foods, except for tea and coffee (without milk) and given Vivonex as the elemental diet. Other elemental diets such as Elental can be used that provide similar results. The elemental diet provides a high nitrogen source for patients from amino acids and acts as a medical bypass. Since the diet consists of the individual dietary components of food in their simplest form, the body does not have to do work to digest them. They prevent the food from ‘reacting’ with the gut, preventing the occurrence of symptoms. The resulting positive nitrogen balance and alterations in the bacterial flora of the gut prove to have beneficial effects in patients, helping to alleviate the symptoms of Crohn’s.
Disadvantages
As beneficial as the elemental diet is in patients, there are a few disadvantages.A common disadvantage is the taste of the elemental diet. Many patients are unable to tolerate the taste, even if the diet is flavoured, and choose to receive it through intragastric administration. Also, nausea and diarrhoea can result from the high sugar content and hyperglycaemia in patients with pre-existing diabetes.