Nutrition for People with Crohn's and Colitis

Nutrition plays an important role in the overall health of someone with IBD, inflammatory bowel disease, meaning Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.

It is generally accepted that diet does not cure the disease. However, research in recent years raises a different theory, showing a beneficial effect of nutrition on the disease's course. In any case, we must remember that the food we eat affects various aspects of the disease, including:

1. Digestive system function
2. Overall nutritional status (macro: weight, blood proteins, essential fatty acids; micro: minerals and vitamins)
3. Treating short-term complications, such as anemia from iron, folic acid, or vitamin B12 deficiency
4. Preventing long-term complications, such as preserving bone mass and preventing osteoporosis

Dietary guidance depends on each patient's condition and forms an essential part of the factors influencing health.

Guidance changes with different states of bowel function. To make this easier, I have organized the explanation around traffic-light colors:
Starting with the "red" stage, a flare-up,
then the yellow stage: transition, recovery, and a gradual return to normal functioning,
through to the green stage: the hoped-for remission and calm. Remember that movement between stages can occur in both directions. The better we know the body and its symptoms, the sooner we can recognize our current stage and adapt food accordingly, minimizing the harm from unsuitable nutrition that can damage and worsen the bowel's condition.

Many people with Crohn's and colitis remain in the yellow stage for years,
and are therefore forced to eat a sparse, unnutritious diet, which is among the factors responsible for complications of these diseases!

Listening to and considering the body's responses is therefore the key to a diet that is appropriate and good for you personally.

How do you know which stage your body is in? Signs requiring attention and reassessment may include:Shai.

• Digestive discomfort
• Gas and bloating
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Abdominal pain of varying intensity
• Heartburn
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fatigue and weakness
• Weight changes
• And more

Behavioral factors can also affect symptoms:

• Hunger level before eating
• Stress level on the day of eating or in the preceding days

• Eating speed
• How thoroughly you chew
• Doing something else while eating: reading, talking, watching television, or working at a computer
• How you eat: sitting, standing, walking, and so on
• The company you eat in; business meals, for example, may worsen symptoms
• Emotional state
• Pay attention to all the factors surrounding eating

The following list presents the relationship between digestive function and nutrition, from normal functioning to the most severe state:

• Completely normal functioning: Balanced eating, sometimes junk food
• Less normal functioning: A more carefully managed diet
• Tolerable diarrhea, mild pain: A diet low in residue, wheat, and lactose
• Frequent diarrhea and pain: A binding diet; consider drinking medical nutrition if weight is being lost
• Severe, frequent and/or bloody diarrhea, intense pain: A very basic diet (chicken soup) + medical nutrition
• Lack of digestion and absorption, to the point of needing surgery: EN, medical nutrition only; consider partial intravenous nutrition
• Complete absence of digestion and absorption, surgery: Intravenous nutrition, TPN

How do you know where you currently are on the scale? Keep a food and bowel-movement diary, which can provide plenty of information you had not noticed. This allows monitoring of the situation, removal of all "suspect" foods, and gradual adjustment toward foods that are easier and more suitable to digest. As the digestive system strengthens, you can diversify and bring more foods back, building a tasty, healthy diet aimed at maintaining remission.

It is recommended to begin developing "intuitive eating", eating that is aware of and considerate of the body's needs, allowing you to fully enjoy the healthy, tasty food you have chosen.

This is general news information and is not a substitute for personal advice from a doctor or dietitian.