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People with Crohn’s disease know how painful it can be. From abdominal pain to rectal bleeding and other symptoms, Crohn’s disease can be really painful and frustrating. It is the ability to provide sweet relief from
What is Crohn’s disease?
Crohn’s disease (along with ulcerative colitis) is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It is different from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a series of digestive symptoms, not a disease process. Both Crohn’s disease and colitis are autoimmune diseases. Also known as the immune system, it attacks the body’s tissues.
All autoimmune diseases are characterized by chronic inflammation. This is because the immune system becomes overactive and induces inflammation to promote healing. The challenge with any autoimmune disease, including Crohn’s disease, is figuring out what causes the immune system to overreact.
In Crohn’s disease, the immune system attacks the digestive tract. Ulcerative colitis affects the intestinal mucosa, whereas Crohn’s disease extends through the intestinal wall to the serosal lining. About one-third of people with Crohn’s disease have disease in the small intestine only. Half have both the large and small intestines affected, and about 20% have disease in the large intestine only.
People with Crohn’s disease have long periods of remission and may relapse when symptoms recur or worsen.
Symptoms of Crohn’s disease
Here are some common symptoms of Crohn’s disease. People with some of these symptoms may need to see a health care practitioner, naturopathic doctor, functional nutritionist, or holistic doctor:
- Chronic diarrhea (which may alternate with constipation)
- Abdominal pain and cramps
- bloating
- fever due to infection
- rectal bleeding from an ulcer
- weight loss or weight gain
- Abscess (local infection)
- Fistula (an abnormal tube that connects two hollow organs, such as the vagina and the colon)
- bowel obstruction (stenosis)
- Undernourishment due to malnutrition
Since these are common IBD symptoms, they may also be caused by ulcerative colitis or infectious colitis. If someone suspects Crohn’s disease, the doctor will probably have a blood test done to confirm the disease. may also be introduced.
The above symptoms may appear and disappear with flares and periods of remission.
Why is food so important?
Since Crohn’s disease is a disease of the digestive tract, it makes sense that the type of food eaten affects symptoms. Certain foods cause inflammation for everyone. Healthy people only have a higher tolerance to inflammatory foods. They also seem to have a faster hypoinflammatory response.
In Crohn’s disease, these foods can trigger and prolong an inflammatory response. Eliminating typical inflammatory foods from your diet can help calm the immune response and allow the gut to heal.
My family used the GAP Diet to heal our guts. Some people have success following GAPS, but not if they have a histamine problem. GAPS staples, such as bone broth and fermented foods, are very high in histamine. not.
A paleo diet increases your intake of protein, fiber, healthy fats, potassium, and vitamins. These changes can help people with Crohn’s disease reduce symptoms and live a more active life, free of pain and indigestion.
Foods to avoid with Crohn’s disease
Although it varies from person to person, the following foods tend to be problematic for people with Crohn’s disease: Some of these (like margarine) are foods I wouldn’t let anyone eat!
- processed food
- sugar
- sugar alcohols such as sorbitol
- Whole grains (especially those containing gluten)
- Dairy products (many people with Crohn’s disease are lactose intolerant)
- raw fruits and vegetables
- vegetable oil or margarine
- FODMAP foods (debtunstable 〇oligosaccharide, D.disaccharides, M.monosaccharides, and P.Oriole)
- high fiber food
- Legumes such as beans, lentils, peas and soybeans.
- Peanut butter (also soy milk)
- Spicy food
- alcohol
What not to eat during a flare
These are some common food categories that can cause problems due to inflammation and their impact on the gut flora. A fiber diet may be required.
according to Crohn’s Disease and Colitis Foundationthese foods can cause pain and diarrhea during flares:
- insoluble dietary fiber
- lactose
- sugar alcohol
- foods high in sugar
- high fat food
- alcohol
- caffeine
- Spicy food.
Foods high in fiber, nuts, beans, fruits and vegetables are more tolerated during remission.
Different foods can cause symptoms in different people. That’s where a customized paleo diet can help. Keeping a food diary is a great way to pinpoint exactly what your trigger foods are.
What Foods Are Left? (Try Paleo)
The Paleo diet focuses on everyday modern foods that mimic the food groups of our hunter-gatherer ancestors. They are high in protein, low in carbohydrates, and avoid foods introduced during the agricultural era. , grains, legumes, and dairy products.
- higher protein intake – Protein makes up 15% of the calories in the average Western diet. This is much lower than the 19-35% found in hunter-gatherer diets. Red meat, seafood, and other animal products are staples of the modern paleo diet.
- reduce carbohydrate intake – Non-starchy fresh fruits and vegetables are the main carbohydrate sources. These provide 35-45% of your daily calories. Since most of these foods are hypoglycemic, they are digested and absorbed slowly and do not cause blood sugar spikes.
Foods that are usually well tolerated by people with Crohn’s disease include:
- Fish (especially the types rich in omega-3 fatty acids)
- Seafood (ideally wild caught/harvested)
- lean meat/lean protein (ideally grass-fed or grass-fed)
- eggs (duck eggs may be more acceptable)
- Boiled, steamed, grilled vegetables
- Fruit (cooked during flare)
- Nuts and seeds without added oil (except during flaring)
- Healthy fats and oils (beef tallow, lard, avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, etc.).
In general, these are well tolerated by Crohn’s patients, but they may also have allergies to these foods. It is not uncommon for people to have allergies to certain types of fish.
It may be worth getting a blood test done to make sure these health foods aren’t causing further inflammation. This genetic test It helps you figure out which foods are beneficial or harmful to someone.
Paleo Cookbook for Crohn’s Disease Diet
Over the years, I’ve purchased and tried recipes from several Paleo cookbooks, including many I’ve received as gifts! Here are some I recommend:
There are some more Paleo cookbook recommendations in this post. Since Crohn’s disease is an autoimmune disease, specific autoimmune protocols such as those outlined in the Paleo approach may be a good place to start. You can also find a number of archaic-compliant recipes on her website at Wellness Mama.
Crohn’s Disease Dietary Supplements
Ultimately food is the best source of nutrients, but Crohn’s disease usually causes a deficiency. Supplements can help address these nutritional deficiencies by complementing a balanced diet.
- Vitamin B12
- calcium
- Fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K.
Your nutritionist or health care professional may recommend supplementing with these. They may also suggest the following:
These supplements also help support overall health as they support gut health and reduce inflammation.
Crohn’s Diet: Conclusion
Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory disease. Controlling inflammation is critical to controlling Crohn’s disease. You can’t control everything you’re exposed to, but you certainly can control what you eat. Focusing on a clean, healing, protein-rich, low-inflammatory diet can help.
Have you ever battled Crohn’s disease? did you overcome it? Which diet worked for you? Share with us below!