Relationship between trace elements, sugar consumption, and taste in Crohn's disease.

Seventy patients with Crohn's disease, 50 with ulcerative colitis, and 58 control subjects were questioned about their sugar consumption, measurements were made of their taste acuity, and blood levels of various trace elements including zinc and selenium were estimated. Sugar consumption was significantly increased in Crohn's disease (p less than 0.01). There was only a minor reduction in taste acuity for acid taste in Crohn's disease. Plasma zinc and whole blood selenium were reduced in Crohn's disease. No relationship was found between sugar consumption, plasma zinc, and taste acuity in Crohn's disease.