The article "Addressing inflammatory bowel disease", by Hoffman Center Staff, at http://www.drhoffman.com/page.cfm/169 discusses

"information that soil residue and ingredients in processed foods could initiate an exacerbation of intestinal symptoms in patients with Crohn's disease. Thus, an avoidance of these substances could actually improve the intestinal health of patients with Crohn's disease. The study focused on what are called microparticles."

based on a February 2001 "European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology" article, entitled "Efficacy and tolerability of a low microparticle diet in a double blind, randomized, pilot study in Crohn's disease."

I found an online abstract for the article:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1124 ... d_RVDocSum
Efficacy and tolerability of a low microparticle diet in a double blind, randomized, pilot study in Crohn's disease.
Lomer MC, Harvey RS, Evans SM, Thompson RP, Powell JJ.
Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2001 Feb;13(2):101-6.
PMID: 11246607 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

which says, in part:

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Dietary microparticles, which are bacteria-sized and non-biological, found in the modern Western diet, have been implicated in both the aetiology and pathogenesis of Crohn's disease. Following on from the findings of a previous pilot study, we aimed to confirm whether a reduction in the amount of dietary microparticles facilitates induction of remission in patients with active Crohn's disease, in a single-blind, randomized, multi-centre, placebo controlled trial.
...
CONCLUSIONS: A low microparticle diet may be effective in the management of ileal Crohn's disease and could explain the efficacy of elemental diets, which similarly are low in microparticles.

An interesting article, especially what it says about "elemental diets".

However, I later found the abstract for a Dec 2004 article:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1571 ... d_RVDocSum
Dietary sources of inorganic microparticles and their intake in healthy subjects and patients with Crohn's disease.
Lomer MC, Hutchinson C, Volkert S, Greenfield SM, Catterall A, Thompson RP, Powell JJ.
Br J Nutr. 2004 Dec;92(6):947-55.
PMID: 15613257 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

with several of the same authors, which seems to contradict the earlier one:

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Dietary microparticles, which are bacteria-sized and non-biological, found in the modern Western diet, have been implicated in both the aetiology and pathogenesis of Crohn's disease. Following on from the findings of a previous pilot study, we aimed to confirm whether a reduction in the amount of dietary microparticles facilitates induction of remission in patients with active Crohn's disease, in a single-blind, randomized, multi-centre, placebo controlled trial.
CONCLUSIONS: Our adequately powered and carefully controlled dietary trial found no evidence that reducing microparticle intake aids remission in active Crohn's disease.

- RLJ

KentCountyChristian wrote:with several of the same authors, which seems to contradict the earlier one:

Sorry, "contradict " may have been the wrong choice of a word. The 1st study appears to be giving some preliminary favorable findings, while the 2nd gives the findings on a more controlled study, which appears not to show favorable results.

- RLJ