Patients with Acute Severe Ulcerative Colitis (ASUC) may have an altered protein turnover due to inflammation, reduced dietary intake and/or accelerated protein loss. Despite this the level of dietary protein needed to maintain nitrogen balance has never been described in patients with ASUC. Clinical symptoms of ASUC include frequent and bloody diarrhea which alone or simultaneous with a risk of reduced dietary intake and weightloss can lead to magnesium depletion. Magnesium depletion can cause severe symptoms including cardiac arrhythmia and neuromuscular dysfunction which might worsen the disease further. The prevalence of magnesium depletion in ASUC has never been described and furthermore it is not known whether oral supplementation are able to reverse the condition in patients with ASUC.
The aim of the study is to improve the quality of nutritional therapy for patients admitted with Acute Severe Ulcerative Colitis (ASUC) treated with high-dose steroids. This study consists of two randomized interventions and one observational part regarding protein, magnesium, and metabolic stress. First an interventional part aims to explore the effect of a high-protein diet during and after admission on different parameters regarding protein turnover.Second the study aims to explore the degree of magnesium depletion in ASUC. In case of magnesium depletion, the study aims to investigate whether oral magnesium supplementation can regain body stores of magnesium. Last the study aims to observe the degree of metabolic stress, including, the degree of insulin resistance, in ASUC during admission and under treatment with high-dose steroids compared to three weeks after discharge.