Introduction
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
are types of
. They cause inflammation
and sores (ulcers) in the
. This can lead to symptoms such as
diarrhea, belly pain, loss of appetite, fever, bloody stools, and weight loss.
Often symptoms are worse after eating.
If you have an
inflammatory bowel disease, it may be hard to get important nutrients such as
vitamins, minerals, and protein. Your intestines may not be able to take all
the nutrients from the food you eat. You may lose nutrients through diarrhea.
This can lead to problems such as anemia or low levels of vitamins, such as
and
.
To control their symptoms,
some people eat only bland foods, like pasta, and they avoid fruits and
vegetables. But you need to eat a variety of foods to get the nutrients you
need for good health. This topic can help you learn more about how to eat
so you can manage your symptoms but still get the nutrition you need.
Key points
- Inflammatory bowel disease can make it hard to
get the nutrients you need.
- It is important to eat a healthy,
varied diet to help you keep your weight up and stay strong.
- Some
foods can make symptoms worse. Not eating these foods may help reduce your
symptoms.
- No one diet is right for everyone with an inflammatory
bowel disease. Keep a food diary to find out which foods cause problems for
you. Then you can avoid those foods and choose others that supply the same
nutrients.
- Because you may not be absorbing all the nutrients from
the food you eat, you will need to eat a high-calorie, high-protein diet. This
may be easier to do if you eat regular meals plus 2 or 3 snacks each day.
- You may need to take vitamin and mineral supplements to help you
get the nutrients you need.
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References
Other Works Consulted
Beyer PL (2008). Inflammatory bowel diseases section
of Medical nutrition therapy for lower gastrointestinal tract disorders. In LK
Mahan, S Escott-Stump, eds., Krause's Food and Nutrition Therapy, 12th ed., pp. 689–695. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier.
Botoman VA, et al. (1998). Management
of inflammatory bowel disease. American Family Physician, 57(1): 57–68.