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Eosinophilic Colitis Diet

Eosinophilic colitis is a condition characterized by the presence of excessive numbers of eosinophils (a type of white blood cell associated with allergies) within the large intestine. While there is no official cure for eosinophilic colitis, symptoms can be reduced through adherence to a specific diet. A proper diet for eosinophilic colitis will involve elimination of common trigger foods, allowing you to regain some measure of control over your life.

  1. Eosinophilic Colitis

    • Eosinophilic colitis is a disease of the digestive tract that can strike either children or adults. Symptoms of eosinophilic colitis include nausea, unwanted weight loss, reduction in appetite, the presence of blood in the stool, or difficulty sleeping. Eosinophilic disease occurs when unusually large numbers of white blood cells are present in some area of the body. In eosinophilic colitis, the affected area is the large intestine.

    Eosinophilic Colitis Diet Theory

    • According to the American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders, an elimination diet is the best way of dealing with eosinophilic colitis. An elimination diet is removal of all trigger foods from the patient's diet, a trigger food being any item to which the individual is allergic or seems to cause symptoms after consumption. This can reduce the frequency and intensity of your symptoms.

    Suggested Elimination Diet

    • Try to stick to a high-fiber diet--you should be eating at least 20 to 30 g of fiber daily, split between soluble and insoluble sources. Minimize consumption of dairy products, as lactose is a very common trigger for episodes of colitis. In general, increase the frequency of meals while reducing the amount consumed at each feeding--providing your body with less food per meal will reduce the severity of symptoms. Finally, attempt to eliminate foods that cause gas, such as cabbage, broccoli, lentils, peas, and peppers.

    Modifying Your Elimination Diet

    • In addition to following these general recommendations, you should also be looking to identify the specific trigger foods that affect you. The best way to do this is to have your doctor perform a food allergy test or keep a constant food journal listing everything you eat along with a description of your symptoms. After obtaining a few months worth of data with a food log, you will be able to more precisely determine which foods affect your colitis.

    Considerations

    • Studies on both humans and animals with colitis have shown that supplementation with fish oil can help to alleviate symptoms. According to Dr. James W. Simpson of the Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies in Scotland, research has shown that supplementation with fish oil reduced colitis severity by up to 56 percent. Thus, you might want to consider purchasing an over-the-counter fish oil and taking 3 to 5 g daily to see if it helps you with your condition.

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