Inflammatory bowel disease or IBD refers to conditions such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Such conditions cause diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain and cramping, loss of appetite, and other symptoms. The foods you eat can relieve or trigger symptoms, but safe and trigger foods vary from one person to another. Here’s more information about safe and trigger foods for individuals with IBD:
How Diet Affects Bowel Diseases
Diet and IBD influence each other in many ways. Diseases such as Crohn’s disease and colitis affect your ability to digest food, absorb nutrients, and pass waste. Food traveling through your gastrointestinal tract is broken down and digested, allowing your body to absorb nutrients. Inflammation anywhere along the digestive system can prevent proper digestion and absorption of nutrients.
Crohn’s disease usually causes inflammation anywhere from your mouth to your anus. Colitis causes inflammation in the colon, rectum, and anus. Such inflammation affects the absorption of water, leading to watery stool and diarrhea. Chronic inflammatory bowel diseases can flare up, causing a range of symptoms, or go into asymptomatic remission periods. Some foods are linked with flare-ups, while others help to promote healing. Finetuning your diet during flare-ups and remission can reduce symptoms.
Safe Foods for Bowel Diseases
Inflammatory bowel diseases lead to the narrowing of the gastrointestinal tract, making low-fiber fruits and vegetables more suitable during periods of flare-ups. You can eat bananas, melons, canned fruits without seeds and skin, and applesauce. Safe foods vary depending on the individual, so speak to your gastroenterologist to determine suitable items for your condition. Eat cooked, peeled, and seedless vegetables, such as carrots, spinach, zucchini, and potatoes.
For proteins, choose lean options, such as skinless chicken and turkey, fish, eggs, and tofu. You can eat refined grains, such as white bread, rice, pasta, and oatmeal, in moderation. Olive and avocado oil and other healthy fats are also safe when consumed in moderation. Track your symptoms after meals to determine your tolerance for specific food items.
Trigger Foods That Worsen Bowel Diseases
Foods that may trigger flare-ups include high-fiber options, like raw vegetables, nuts, seeds, popcorn, and fruits with skins and seeds. Fatty and fried foods, including fast foods, fried meats, and heavy cream sauces, also worsen symptoms. If you’re lactose intolerant, avoid dairy products like milk, cheese, and ice cream. You should also avoid hot peppers, curry dishes, chili, and other spicy foods.
Other trigger foods include carbonated drinks, like soda and sparkling water, that can cause gas and bloating. Alcohol, coffee, tea, and energy drinks may be triggering for certain individuals. Your gastroenterologist is best positioned to identify the food items to avoid and nutritious replacements to prevent deficiencies. The doctor can also provide other tips, such as eating smaller meals and drinking plenty of water to avoid dehydration during flare-ups.
Get Treatment for IBD Today
If you’ve been diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease, your gastroenterologist can prescribe medications, nutritional changes, or surgery. Medications relieve the symptoms and reduce inflammation, while nutritional changes manage flare-ups and remission periods. Surgery is a last resort used to remove damaged areas of the colon. Speak to an experienced gastroenterologist today to learn more about IBD, symptoms, prevention, and treatment.
