Time-Restricted Eating Cuts Crohn's Disease Activity by 40% in Clinical Trial

A randomised controlled trial has found that simply restricting meals to an 8-hour daily window reduced Crohn's disease activity by 40% and halved abdominal discomfort over 12 weeks — without requiring patients to change what they ate or count a single calorie.

The study, published in Gastroenterology and funded by the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, was conducted at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. It enrolled adults with Crohn's disease who were overweight or obese. Participants followed a 16:8 time-restricted eating pattern, consuming all food between roughly 10am and 6pm. The control group ate normally.

The results are striking for their simplicity. A cost-free, self-administered intervention with no pills, no side effects, and measurable clinical improvement.

The researchers found reductions in BMI, visceral fat, systemic inflammation markers, and disease activity scores. Lead researcher Dr. Maitreyi Raman noted that "metabolic health, gut microbes, and immune pathways interact — and eating patterns may help restore that balance."

For the estimated 3 million people living with Crohn's in Europe and North America alone, this offers a complementary tool alongside pharmaceutical treatments — one that patients can start today, for free.

Key Facts

• 40% reduction in Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) over 12 weeks (Source: Gastroenterology)
• 50% reduction in abdominal discomfort scores (Crohn's & Colitis Foundation)
• Participants followed a 16:8 eating window — all food consumed within 8 hours
• No calorie restriction required — timing, not quantity, was the variable
• Study population: adults with Crohn's disease and BMI ≥ 25

Why This Matters

Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease with no cure. Standard treatments include immunosuppressants, biologics, and sometimes surgery — all with significant costs and side effects. Many patients spend thousands of pounds per year on medication.

Dietary interventions have long been explored but rarely with rigorous trial design. Time-restricted eating has shown metabolic benefits in other conditions, but this is among the first randomised controlled trials in inflammatory bowel disease. The mechanism likely involves circadian rhythm alignment, reduced metabolic stress, and shifts in gut microbiome composition.

The accessibility is the real story. Unlike new drugs that take years to reach patients and cost thousands, this is an intervention anyone can try tomorrow. It doesn't require a prescription, special food, or medical equipment.

What We Don't Know Yet

The study was limited to Crohn's patients who were overweight or obese. Whether the same benefits extend to normal-weight patients with Crohn's is an open question.

Twelve weeks is a short trial. Long-term adherence and sustained benefit are unknown — it's possible the effects plateau or diminish over time.

This doesn't replace pharmaceutical treatment. It's a complementary approach, and patients should absolutely not stop their medication based on one study.

It's a single trial. Replication by independent teams is needed before clinical guidelines change. And eating-window approaches may be difficult or inappropriate for people with irregular schedules, eating disorders, or other conditions that make meal timing inflexible.

Sources: Gastroenterology · Crohn's & Colitis Foundation · University of British Columbia Okanagan
Published 16 February 2026 · Category: Health & Medicine