crohn's disease

 There is no scientifically proven diet for inflammatory bowel disease. Most experts believe, though, that some patients can identify specific foods that trigger their gastrointestinal symptoms, particularly during disease flares. By avoiding your "trigger foods," you may find that your GI symptoms of gas, bloating, abdominal pain, cramping, and diarrhea are more manageable. At the same time, you will give your inflamed intestines time to heal.

If you have had problems absorbing nutrients due to Crohn's disease, it's important to follow a high-calorie, high-protein diet, even when you don't feel like eating. In this setting, an effective Crohn's disease diet plan, based on recommendations from experts, would emphasize eating regular meals -- plus an additional two or three snacks -- each day. That will help ensure you get ample protein, calories, and nutrients. In addition, you will need to take your doctor-recommended vitamin and mineral supplements. By doing so, you will be able to replenish the necessary nutrients in your body.

 

Many people with Crohn's disease find that one or more of the foods on the following list aggravate symptoms during disease flares. 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

 if certain raw vegetables trigger a flare, you don't necessarily need to give them up. You may find that steaming them, boiling them, or stewing will allow you to eat them without increased GI symptoms. If red meat increases fat in the stools, you could try eating ground sirloin or ground round to see if you can tolerate a leaner cut of beef. Or you might decide to rely on low-fat poultry without skin and fish as your main sources of protein.

 Keeping a daily food diary can help self-manage Crohn's disease

Limiting some food triggers may help control your symptoms during disease flares. But don't restrict yourself so much that you make malnutrition, which often accompanies Crohn's disease, worse. You'll need to find other sources to replace calories, protein, carbohydrates, and fats that are in the foods you eliminate. To do that, you'll need to focus on including nutrient-dense foods in your diet plan.

higher doses of vitamin D (1,000 to 2,000 IU each day) may be beneficial, particularly in reducing the risk of colorectal cancer,