Low FODMAP diets are not recommended for maintaining remission in Crohn’s disease, and there is no evidence supporting their use in ulcerative colitis, according to a new consensus statement.

However, a low FODMAP diet is recommended to treat persistent gastrointestinal symptoms in adults with quiescent inflammatory bowel disease and IBS-like symptoms, according to the first European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation (ECCO) consensus statement on dietary management.

“These guidelines give really specific recommendations that the low FODMAP diet should be used to treat IBS-like symptoms, not inflammation,” said dietitian and co-author Associate Professor Emma Halmos from Melbourne’s Monash University. 

The guidance endorsed exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) as an induction therapy for children and adults with mild to moderate Crohn’s disease.