Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39001958›Full record

ReviewDigestive diseases and sciences2024

Elemental Diet as a Therapeutic Modality: A Comprehensive Review.

Jason Nasser, Sepideh Mehravar, Mark Pimentel, Jane Lim, Ruchi Mathur, Antoine Boustany, Ali Rezaie

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Digestive diseases and sciences, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Jason Nasser *Medically Associated Science and Technology (MAST) Program, Cedars-Sinai, 700 N. San Vicente Blvd, Suite G271, West Hollywood, CA, 90069, USA.
Sepideh Mehravar *Medically Associated Science and Technology (MAST) Program, Cedars-Sinai, 700 N. San Vicente Blvd, Suite G271, West Hollywood, CA, 90069, USA.
Mark PimentelMedically Associated Science and Technology (MAST) Program, Cedars-Sinai, 700 N. San Vicente Blvd, Suite G271, West Hollywood, CA, 90069, USA.
Jane LimMedically Associated Science and Technology (MAST) Program, Cedars-Sinai, 700 N. San Vicente Blvd, Suite G271, West Hollywood, CA, 90069, USA.
Ruchi MathurMedically Associated Science and Technology (MAST) Program, Cedars-Sinai, 700 N. San Vicente Blvd, Suite G271, West Hollywood, CA, 90069, USA.
Antoine BoustanyDepartment of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Ali RezaieMedically Associated Science and Technology (MAST) Program, Cedars-Sinai, 700 N. San Vicente Blvd, Suite G271, West Hollywood, CA, 90069, USA. ali.rezaie@cshs.org.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Elemental diets have been employed for the management of various diseases for over 50 years, with several mechanisms mediating their beneficial effects. Yet, they are underutilized due to poor palatability, access, cost, and lack of awareness regarding their clinical efficacy. Therefore, in this review, we aimed to systematically search and review the literature to summarize the formulation variability, mechanisms of action, clinical applications, and tolerability of the elemental diets in gastrointestinal diseases. While large prospective trials are lacking, elemental diets appear to exhibit objective and subjective clinical benefit in several diseases, including eosinophilic esophagitis, eosinophilic gastroenteritis, inflammatory bowel diseases, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, intestinal methanogen overgrowth, chemoradiotherapy-associated mucositis, and celiac disease. Although some data support the long-term use of elemental diets as an add-on supplement for chronic pancreatitis and Crohn's disease, most of the literature on exclusive elemental diets focuses on inducing remission. Therefore, subsequent treatment strategies for maintaining remission need to be adopted in chronic/relapsing diseases. Several mechanistic pathways were identified to mediate the effects of elemental diets, including food additive and allergen-free content, high passive absorption rate, and anti-inflammatory properties. High rates of intolerance up to 40% are seen in the trials where exclusive elemental diets were administered orally due to poor organoleptic acceptability; however, when tolerated, adverse events were rare. Other limitations of elemental diets are cost, access, and lifestyle/social restrictions. Moreover, judicious use is advised in presence of a concomitant restrictive food intake disorders. Elemental diets offer a potentially highly efficacious dietary intervention with minor side effects. Palatability, cost, access, and social restrictions are common barriers of use. Prospective clinical trials are needed to elucidate the role of elemental formulas in the management of individual diseases.

Indexed as

Food, FormulatedGastrointestinal DiseasesHumansCrohn’s diseaseElemental dietEnteral nutritionEosinophilic esophagitisIntestinal methanogen overgrowthSmall intestinal bacterial overgrowth

Identifiers

PMID39001958
PMCPMC11415405

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.