Crohns Disease Foods
08.12.09
Although diet cannot cause or cure Crohns disease, some studies suggest that people who eat foods high in saturated fat and sugar or who eat processed foods may be more likely to develop the disease. Certain foods may also reduce symptoms and make recurrences of the disease less likely.
• Eating fruits and vegetables, lowering fat, and eliminating sugar may reduce the risk of developing Crohns disease. Although a low-fiber diet is one of the risk factors for developing Crohns disease, some people with Crohns disease find that fiber makes symptoms worse. If fiber bothers you, steam or bake your vegetables rather than eating them raw, and avoid high fiber fruits such as apples.
• Certain foods may aggravate symptoms of Crohns disease – most often, dairy products, fats, and spicy foods. People with Crohns disease may want to avoid these foods.
• Eat five or six small meals a day.
• If symptoms are severe, an elemental diet may be recommended. Elemental formulas are liquid diets that contain only the basic building blocks of food and need not be broken down into smaller substances along the digestive tract.
Some people find it difficult to stick to an elemental diet, but after a period of time, often other foods can be reintroduced. One study suggests that adding omega-3 fatty acids to an elemental diet may boost its nutritional content and make it more likely that people with Crohns disease will adhere to it.
Because of decreased appetite, malabsorption, chronic diarrhea, side effects of medication, and surgical removal of parts of the digestive tract, many people with Crohns disease have vitamin and mineral deficiencies. In particular, people with Crohns disease may lack adequate vitamin D, B12, and K, plus folic acid, calcium, and zinc. Your doctor may recommend that you take a multivitamin daily. Zinc (25 mg), folic acid (800 mcg), vitamin B12 (800 mcg) — These vitamins are used by the body to repair cells in the intestine.
In addition, drugs such as sulfasalazine and methotrexate may case levels of folic acid in the body to drop, requiring supplementation. Vitamin D (1,000 IU per day) — is necessary to maintain strong bones. People with Crohns disease, especially those who take corticosteroids, often have low levels of vitamin D and are at risk for osteoporosis. Fish oil (2.7 g per day) — Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil may help fight inflammation and reduce the chances of recurrence, but studies have been mixed. The study with the most positive results used a special type of fish oil – “enteric-coated free-fatty-acid form” – that is not sold commercially.
Some researchers suggest that measuring the blood levels of different types of fatty acids may help determine if fish oil would be useful. Do not take high doses of a fish oil supplement if you take blood-thinning medication.
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Tags: 3 Fatty Acids, Basic Building Blocks, Chronic Diarrhea, Crohn S Disease, Digestive Tract, Eating Fruits And Vegetables, Elemental Diet, Foods High In Saturated Fat, Fruits And Vegetables, Fruits Vegetables, Intestine, Liquid Diets, Low Fiber Diet, Multivitamin, Nutritional Content, Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Risk Factors, Spicy Foods, Symptoms Of Crohns Disease, Vitamin And Mineral, Vitamin And Mineral Deficiencies, Vitamin B12