cramp 2Elemental diets are liquid diets that put no stress on the digestive system. They contain all the nutrients your body needs, but the nutrients are usually in digested form. They supply the body’s nutritional needs while giving the digestive system a rest. Research appearing in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (2005; 11(6): 580-8) looked at the effect an elemental diet had on 28 patients with Crohn’s disease over a period of four weeks. The researchers looked at chemical markers for inflammation and the appearance of the cells. The Crohn’s disease patients were compared to 30 controls without any inflammation. Chemical markers for inflammation were reduced to levels comparable to the control group after the four weeks. Cellular improvements were noted and clinical remission occurred in 20 of the patients.