Crohns Disease & Diet
Do you have Crohn’s disease? Do you find that certain foods give you excess gas and painful abdominal bloating? Are you searching for guidance on a Crohn’s disease diet that will alleviate these painful symptoms? If so then you are in the right place because following are different types of diets that have shown to help Crohn’s disease sufferers.
It is important to understand that each diet works differently for each person. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits all Crohn’s disease diet. However, you can try each of these diets and will most likely find one that lessens your condition. Plus, modifying your own diet gives you some control over your battle against Crohn’s disease. You can complement this diet with Crohn’s disease medications and/or surgery.
Following are examples of diets that may help your condition. The benefits and drawbacks of each diet will also be provided.
Crohn’s disease diet option #1…
The Gluten-Free diet. This is curative diet for Celiac disease sufferers. When people have Celiac disease they are intolerant to gluten. Eating food with gluten causes the villi in the lining of their intestine to flatten. Thus they do not absorb food or nutrients.
The gastrointestinal symptoms of Celiac disease are very similar to Crohn’s disease. Therefore, many Crohn’s disease sufferers have gone gluten-free. Going 100% gluten free has been shown to minimize, if not eliminate, the symptoms of Celiac disease. This diet may help minimize the symptoms of Crohn’s disease as well. The major drawback to the Gluten free diet is that gluten is in virtually every processed food. You have to eat natural products such as vegetables, meat, and fish. You can find processed foods, but they must be gluten-free, not just wheat-free.
Crohn’s disease diet option #2…
Sugar-free diet. Sugar has been found to be a possible culprit in flare ups of Crohn’s disease. However, ongoing research is still being conducted in this area. Eliminating sugar from your diet can help keep your blood sugar levels remain consistent and avoid hypoglycemia.
Crohn’s disease diet option #3…
Low-residue diet. This type of diet is low in fiber. Normally, doctors and dieticians prescribe a high fiber diet, but high fiber can be troublesome for people with Crohn’s disease. It can aggravate your condition. High fiber foods can wreak havoc on the lining of your intestine thus increasing inflammation.
A drawback to a low-residue diet is that you won’t get all the nutrients you would normally get from a high fiber diet. Therefore, you can drink vegetable juice and/or take supplements to make sure you get all the nutrients you need.
Crohn’s disease diet option #4…
Specific Carbohydrate diet. This diet avoids gluten, dairy (unless it is lactose free), and sugar. It is a very restrictive diet, but may alleviate Crohn’s disease symptoms. You can find more about this diet at your local bookstore.
Take the time to try one of these diets as it just might be the relief you need. If it doesn’t work then don’t continue it. And remember to always consult your doctor before you begin any diet.
It is important to understand that each diet works differently for each person. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits all Crohn’s disease diet. However, you can try each of these diets and will most likely find one that lessens your condition. Plus, modifying your own diet gives you some control over your battle against Crohn’s disease. You can complement this diet with Crohn’s disease medications and/or surgery.
Following are examples of diets that may help your condition. The benefits and drawbacks of each diet will also be provided.
Crohn’s disease diet option #1…
The Gluten-Free diet. This is curative diet for Celiac disease sufferers. When people have Celiac disease they are intolerant to gluten. Eating food with gluten causes the villi in the lining of their intestine to flatten. Thus they do not absorb food or nutrients.
The gastrointestinal symptoms of Celiac disease are very similar to Crohn’s disease. Therefore, many Crohn’s disease sufferers have gone gluten-free. Going 100% gluten free has been shown to minimize, if not eliminate, the symptoms of Celiac disease. This diet may help minimize the symptoms of Crohn’s disease as well. The major drawback to the Gluten free diet is that gluten is in virtually every processed food. You have to eat natural products such as vegetables, meat, and fish. You can find processed foods, but they must be gluten-free, not just wheat-free.
Crohn’s disease diet option #2…
Sugar-free diet. Sugar has been found to be a possible culprit in flare ups of Crohn’s disease. However, ongoing research is still being conducted in this area. Eliminating sugar from your diet can help keep your blood sugar levels remain consistent and avoid hypoglycemia.
Crohn’s disease diet option #3…
Low-residue diet. This type of diet is low in fiber. Normally, doctors and dieticians prescribe a high fiber diet, but high fiber can be troublesome for people with Crohn’s disease. It can aggravate your condition. High fiber foods can wreak havoc on the lining of your intestine thus increasing inflammation.
A drawback to a low-residue diet is that you won’t get all the nutrients you would normally get from a high fiber diet. Therefore, you can drink vegetable juice and/or take supplements to make sure you get all the nutrients you need.
Crohn’s disease diet option #4…
Specific Carbohydrate diet. This diet avoids gluten, dairy (unless it is lactose free), and sugar. It is a very restrictive diet, but may alleviate Crohn’s disease symptoms. You can find more about this diet at your local bookstore.
Take the time to try one of these diets as it just might be the relief you need. If it doesn’t work then don’t continue it. And remember to always consult your doctor before you begin any diet.
Why is good nutrition such a challenge for people with Crohn's disease?
Most of us know that good nutrition is essential to good health. Good nutrition is even more important to people whose health is compromised by a chronic disease. When you have Crohn's disease, maintaining good nutrition can be a real challenge.Several factors contribute to nutritional problems in people with Crohn's disease. When inflamed, the small intestine is not able to do its main job, which is absorbing nutrients from food. The degree of this impairment, called malabsorption, depends on the extent of inflammation and damage in the intestine.
To make matters worse, the intestinal inflammation and pain of the disease reduce your appetite, so you probably do not eat enough to supply your nutritional needs. Diarrhea further depletes important nutrients. Compounding the problem is the fact that people with a chronic illness such as Crohn's disease require more calories and certain other nutrients than healthy people. The most common nutritional problem in people with Crohn's disease is insufficient calorie intake.
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Which foods should I avoid with a Crohn's disease diet plan?
The foods that trigger symptoms differ for each person with Crohn's disease. To know which foods to leave out of your diet plan, you'll need to determine which foods, if any, trigger yours. Many people with Crohn's disease find that the foods on the following list aggravate symptoms during disease flares. So it's possible that at least some of these listed foods will trigger your symptoms:- alcohol (mixed drinks, beer, wine)
- butter, mayonnaise, margarine, oils
- carbonated beverages
- coffee, tea, chocolate
- corn husks
- dairy products (if lactose intolerant)
- fatty foods (fried foods)
- foods high in fiber
- gas-producing foods (lentils, beans, legumes, cabbage, broccoli, onions)
- nuts and seeds (peanut butter, other nut butters)
- raw fruits
- raw vegetables
- red meat and pork
- spicy foods
- whole grains and bran