Nutrition in inflammatory bowel disease.

Recent developments concerning nutritional complications of inflammatory bowel disease include a better understanding of disease-associated anorexia and increasing recognition of the interaction of nutrition and cytokines in the pathogenesis of growth impairment of children. Decreased bone mineral density is a multifactorial complication and an increased focus of research. Enteral nutrition continues to play an important role in the therapy of Crohn's disease. The mechanisms whereby specific nutrients, such as n-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and butyrate, ameliorate inflammation are being elucidated in in-vitro studies, but beneficial effects have yet to be translated into the clinical sphere.