INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE IS A DEVASTATING CONDITION THAT AFFECTS OVER A MILLION AMERICANS, BOTH YOUNG AND OLD, AND IS CHARACTERIZED BY CHRONIC INFLAMMATION WITHIN THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM. PATIENTS WITH INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE HAVE SYMPTOMS OF ABDOMINAL PAIN, DIARRHEA, AND RECTAL BLEEDING THAT CAN SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE AS WELL AS INCREASE THEIR RISK OF DEVELOPING LIFE-THREATENING CONDITIONS, INCLUDING COLORECTAL CANCER. EVEN THOUGH SIGNIFICANT ADVANCES HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE TREATMENT OF INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE, THERE IS STILL A NEED FOR ADDITIONAL THERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES TO INDUCE LONG-LASTING REMISSIONS WHILE MINIMIZING SIDE EFFECTS. ONE SUCH STRATEGY IS THE INCORPORATION OF DIETARY INTERVENTIONS. THERE IS INCREASING EVIDENCE THAT DIET AND THE MICROBES THAT LIVE IN OUR GUT, THAT IS,THE GUT MICROBIOTA,HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON HUMAN HEALTH AND ONTHE DEVELOPMENTOF DISEASE, INCLUDINGINFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE.INDEED, A WESTERNIZED DIET HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH AHIGHER RISK FOR DEVELOPING INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE WHILE A DIET RICH IN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES TENDS TO REDUCE RISK. WORK FROM OUR LABORATORY SUGGESTS THAT A SPECIFICPREPARATION OF BROCCOLI SPROUTSREDUCES INFLAMMATION IN THE GUT AND THAT BROCCOLI-DERIVED METABOLITES CAN ALTER THE COMPOSITION OF THE GUT MICROBIOTA. THUS, THE PRIMARY GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF INCREASING THE NUMBER OF BROCCOLI SPROUTS CONSUMED ON A DAILY BASIS IN PATIENTS WITH INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE AND TO DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF SERVINGS NEEDED TO INCREASE THE LEVELS OF BENEFICIAL, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY BROCCOLI-DERIVED METABOLITES IN THE BLOOD AND STOOL. IN ADDITION, WE WILL DETERMINE WHETHER CONSUMPTION OF BROCCOLI SPROUTSCHANGES THE GUT MICROBIOTA IN A BENEFICIAL WAY AND REDUCE INFLAMMATION IN PATIENTS WITH INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE. OUR LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO DEVELOP AWHOLE FOOD APPROACH IN REDUCING SYMPTOMS,PREVENTING WORSENING DISEASE, AND IMPROVING HEALTH IN PATIENTS WITH INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE.