Inflammatory Bowel Disease – Know what to eat

0
3473

Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD) is a group of chronic inflammations that affects all or part of your digestive tract. Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are the principal types of inflammatory bowel disease. Crohn’s disease can affect the small intestine, large intestine, mouth, esophagus, stomach and anus whereas ulcerative colitis primarily affects the colon and the rectum. Both usually involve severe diarrhea, pain, fatigue and weight loss.

Due to this, many people believe that Inflammatory bowel disease arises due to lack of proper diet. These concerns are extremely popular, and appropriate. Patients often believe that their disease is caused by and can be cured by diet. However, this is not true and there is no scientific or clinical data to prove this claim.

Diet can certainly affect symptoms of IBD, and may play some role in the underlying inflammatory process, but there is no evidence that anything in your diet history caused or contributed to IBD. Once you have IBD, however, pay special attention to what you eat as this will help in reducing symptoms and promoting healing.  A good nutritional diet promotes overall well-being and helps in the process of healing. Make note that a healthy diet can help you maintain good nutritional status and effectively manage symptoms, medications are recommended to effectively treat IBD. People with IBD should have a well-balanced diet with a lot of variety.

Well balanced, nutritious diet consists of:

  1. 8-10 glasses of water a day to prevent dehydration
  2. Carbohydrates with more soluble fiber
  3. Proteins like lean meats, fish, eggs, nuts and poultry
  4. Healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids and olive oil
  5. Deeply colored (skinless and seedless) fruits and cooked vegetables
  6. Vitamin and mineral supplements, if your doctor approves
  7. Dairy/calcium (dairy substitute if you’re lactose intolerant)

There are certain foods that can help you stay well-nourished without aggravating symptoms. Here is a list of foods that should be easy on your digestion. Please note that right diet is highly individual.

Best Foods for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Best Foods for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

  • Almond milk
  • Egg
  • Oatmeal
  • Vegetable soups
  • Salmon
  • Papaya
  • Pureed beans
  • Poultry
  • Avocado
  • Butter lettuce

Along with what to eat, it also important to note what not to eat when you have IBD. The following are the foods you must avoid.

Food to avoid

  • Your trigger food(food that have caused you trouble before)
  • Certain high-fiber food
  • Nuts, seeds and popcorn
  • High fat food
  • Caffeine
  • Alcohol
  • Spicy food
  • Dairy products as tolerated
  • Prunes
  • Large food portions

Talk to your doctor or dietician to learn more about the link between food and IBD. Together, design a meal plan that meets your nutritional needs and helps you manage IBD. For further details,

Consult a Gastroenterologist with Apollo Edoc