Treating Crohn’s Disease With The Right Diet

Living with Crohn’s disease is definitely not easy. It is a chronic disease associated with inflammation of the gut. We therefore look at how you can treat Crohn’s disease with the right diet.

Although the disease has severe and less severe periods, Crohn’s disease often has a major impact on the quality of life of the person who suffers from it.

The cause is often genetically determined. It may also be associated with certain bacteria and viruses that prevent the body from functioning properly. In addition, factors such as anxiety, stress or certain lifestyle habits can aggravate the condition.

Is There a Cure for Crohn’s Disease? Unfortunately, the disease is still incurable. However, the disease can be treated to somewhat improve the patient’s quality of life.

Often patients are prescribed antibiotics and corticosteroids. Sooner or later, they will also have to undergo surgery to remove the affected parts of the intestines.

In addition to taking the treatment your doctor has prescribed, it is also important to pay close attention to your diet. In this article we explain this further. We hope this information will be helpful to you.

Nutrition and Crohn’s Disease

Doctors indicate that in Crohn’s disease, as in ulcerative colitis, there is no diet that works in the same way in all patients. Everyone is unique and has a different clinical outlook. 

Note the following

• In some periods this disease is less intense and the symptoms are less pronounced. This allows the patient to eat all kinds of food without getting sick. However, from the moment that the bloated stomach or the diarrhea returns, it is important to adjust your diet immediately.
• Pay close attention to your body and how you feel after eating certain foods. By this we mean that you might get sick one day after eating rice, but that doesn’t mean that rice is necessarily the culprit in this case and that you should remove it from your diet immediately.
  • We mean that it’s important to pay attention to the herbs and spices you use when cooking. Sometimes certain spices and even dyes can cause serious irritations.
• If you have Crohn’s disease, some foods will cause pain or intolerance within two hours of eating them. From the moment the food enters the intestines, the reaction is almost immediately noticeable.

• It is strongly recommended to consume smaller amounts during the day. This means that you should try to never fill your plate completely. With smaller amounts, the reaction in the intestines will also be smaller. Maybe not even noticeable at all.
• Chew your food carefully and try to rest for half an hour to an hour after eating.

Keep an eye out for sources of stress. Also, try not to push yourself to the limit during the day. So try to lead a quiet life!

Treating Crohn’s Disease With the Right Diet

You can treat Crohn’s disease by eating the right things. Therefore, pay attention to the following:

Drinks

• Avoid coffee and most teas.  These drinks irritate the intestines.
• Also avoid strong alcoholic drinks.
• Drink small amounts of water regularly throughout the day .
• Chamomile tea is great: it is anti-inflammatory and relaxing.
• Mint tea can also provide a lot of relief.
• Pineapple juice will also help to digest food better.

Stick to the daily recommended amount of calcium and protein

Because of the inflammatory process, diarrhea, and immune system problems associated with Crohn’s disease ,  it’s important to consume more calcium and protein.

Keep these recommendations in mind:

• People with Crohn’s disease often have  an intolerance to dairy products. This is because the disease causes inflammation in the body. It is therefore better to replace these products  with rice milk enriched with calcium.
• Try eating tofu and pay close attention to how your body feels. If you can tolerate it, try to include it in your diet regularly. Tofu is rich in calcium and vegetable proteins.
• Also try to include ham in your diet. Ham is rich in protein and contains much less fat than red meats. You need enough protein. So try to regularly eat lean meats such as chicken and turkey. However, avoid fried or fried foods!

• Eggs are also allowed if you have Crohn’s disease.
• Tuna, mackerel and sardines are good sources of healthy protein and are generally well tolerated by the body.

Fruit

• Try quince
• Apple, baked or in the form of applesauce. Never add sugar!
• pear
• Papaya
• Banana (if your body can handle this)

Treating Crohn’s Disease With the Right Vegetables

• Asparagus
• Endive
• Sweet potato
• Cucumber
• Root
• Potato
• Celery
• Artichoke
• Eggplant

Treating Crohn’s Disease With Supplements

People who have Crohn’s disease regularly experience weaker periods because of infections and changes in the gut. It is therefore necessary to get the right amount of vitamins and minerals.

Therefore, try to include the following supplements in your diet. These supplements are usually available at the pharmacy:

• folic acid
• Zinc
• Evening primrose and linseed oil: both a good source of natural minerals.

Foods to Avoid

• Legumes rich in insoluble fiber.
• Bran, in case this irritation worsens.
• sweets.
• Spices and highly spicy foods.