Correct Diet for Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis is an chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) characterized by severe abdominal pain and diarrhea. Ulcerative colitis typically affects continuous stretches of the innermost lining of the large intestine (colon) and rectum. There is no available cure for ulcerative colitis, but existing therapies may reduce the symptoms. Although there is no hard evidence that foods you consume cause inflammatory bowel disease, there is evidence that specific foods or beverages can aggravate symptoms and trigger a flare-up of the condition. With correct dietary management, the disease may even go into a long-term remission.

Individual Eating Plan

• There is no one single diet that does the trick for all IBD sufferers. Dietary recommendations are individually tailored depending on the specifics of your condition and the particular part of your intestine that is affected. Additionally, this particular condition is not static. It changes over time. Eating patterns need to reflect those changes. The key is the development of a healthy, well-balanced diet that eliminates individual foods that your system cannot tolerate.

Dairy Products

• Many IBD sufferers are lactose intolerant. This means that your body is not able to digest the lactose (milk sugar) in dairy foods. If dairy products trigger episodes of abdominal pain, gas and diarrhea, you may be lactose intolerant. Try an over-the-counter enzyme product, such as Lactaid, to help your system properly digest lactose. If you are still experiencing problems, you may need to completely eliminate dairy foods and obtain calcium from nutritional supplements.

Fiber

• While fiber-rich foods such as fresh vegetables, fruits and whole grains are the foundation of a healthy diet for most people, fiber may cause abdominal pain, gas and diarrhea for IBD sufferers. These symptoms may be alleviated when raw fruits and vegetables are stewed, baked or steamed prior to consumption. Discuss the addition of a significant amount of fiber to your diet with your health care provider prior to implementing this change.

Miscellaneous Food Triggers

• Ulcerative colitis patients will experience different trigger foods. It is important that you eliminate any foods from your diet that worsen your individual symptoms. A common thread among most IBD sufferers are foods that create excess gas. These include cabbage, broccoli, fruit and fruit juice, popcorn, beans, caffeine, alcohol and carbonated beverages. You may find it helpful, especially when you are first determining the cause of your flare-ups, to eat small, simple meals with one or two items. This will make it easier to identify troublesome food triggers for your specific case.

Fluids

• It is especially important for patients with ulcerative colitis to stay hydrated as the risk of diarrhea always exists, particularly in warm weather, when additional loss of water and salt through the skin is high. If sufficient fluid intake is not maintained, kidney function is affected and there is an increased risk of developing kidney stones. It is best to drink at least 1/2 oz. of healthy fluids for each pound of body weight per day. For example, if you weight 150 lbs., you should drink at least 75 oz. per day. Remember to sip rather than gulp beverages. Excess air, introduced into the digestive system when gulping, causes discomfort. Steer clear of alcohol and caffeinated beverages. These stimulate your intestines and can worsen diarrhea. In addition, carbonated beverages produce gas.

Nutritional Supplements

• Discuss the addition of nutritional supplements to your wellness routine with your health care provider. In addition to having a limited diet, ulcerative colitis sufferers frequently have issues absorbing nutrients. Vitamin and mineral supplements can be helpful in supplying those missing nutrients. However, they do not provide essential calories and proteins and should never act as a substitute for a meal.