DIET FOR CROHN'S DISEASE PATIENTS

A patient with Crohn's disease (aka regional enteritis which is one part of chronic inflammatory bowel disease, the other one being ulcerative colitis) asked me, "what kind of diet should I eat and what should I avoid?". By the way, the term Crohn's diease should not be confused with irritable bowel syndrome or diverticular disease.

Diet, nutrition and Crohn's disease

The issue of diet in Crohn's disease is a tough one since there are not many good studies to help guide a recommendation. In general, it is a good idea to avoid anything that makes your gut go awry. In addition, I would suggest the following:

1. Studies  implicate diets rich in sugar, iron and aluminum in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease. Thus, in the absence of evidence otherwise, it may be prudent to keep this in mind as we eat and drink everyday. 

• Avoid refined sugars which are abundant in sweets, candy and carbonated beverages.
• Talk to your doctor before taking iron supplements to make sure you indeed need them.
• Tea, and some herbs and leafy vegetables are high in aluminum naturally. Food processing contributes to aluminum in diet. Aluminum in diet may also come from dood additives, bakery products, powdered foods and drinks, and processed cheeses. Aluminium in food may also be derived from aluminum utensils and cans/cartons. The degree to which these contribute to aluminum in food is controversial.

In most cases of flare up of Crohn's disease, it might be prudent to eat low fiber, low lactose diet and avoid irritants like alcohol, tomatoes, spicy foods, and caffeine.

Similar dietary precautions for Crohn's disease would apply to patients with ulcerative colitis also.

Most importantly, always talk to your doctor before imposing any dietary restrictions in any sort of health condition, including Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.