Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an idiopathic inflammatory disease of the intestine involving the ileum, rectum, and colon. Clinical manifestations include diarrhea, abdominal pain, and even bloody stools. The disease includes ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). Because it is a disease of the intestinal tract, it is important not to neglect diet while taking medication. A good diet promotes healing of the intestines themselves, and dietary modifications can assist in treating inflammatory bowel disease, relieving symptoms and preventing recurrence. So how should inflammatory bowel disease patients eat?
For patients with inflammatory bowel disease, the diet should generally grasp the principle of soft, easy to digest, high nutrition, high energy, avoid cold, spicy and coarse fiber, eat less and more meals, regular ration. Specific aspects are as follows: a. High nutrition, easy to digest. Because of the long duration of the disease, the wide range of lesions, and the symptoms of high fever, fistula, anemia, diarrhea and purulent stools, patients consume more nutrients, so it is recommended that patients consume a daily diet formula with high calories, high protein, low fat, rich in vitamins and essential trace elements. The main food should be fine, using rich flour, good rice, etc. Lean meat, fish, chicken, liver and eggs can be used as side dishes to provide the main source of protein, and a daily multivitamin supplement can help fill the food deficit. Although peanuts and beans also contain large amounts of protein, they are poorly tolerated by patients. Assuming steatorrhea occurs with the consumption of beef or pork, you can switch to low-fat fish as the main source of protein.
Second, eat less coarse fiber foods. Limit too much fiber diet, such as nuts, seeds, cereals, corn, fruits, and a wide variety of vegetables. This is because large amounts of coarse fiber foods can irritate the intestinal tract and affect the absorption of nutrients, while aggravating the condition. In order to give the intestine a proper rest, mechanical stimulation should be avoided as much as possible in the diet, and a less crumbly diet should be used. Food fiber should be limited as much as possible, such as leeks, celery, white potatoes, radishes, coarse grains, and dried beans. Patients with Crohn’s disease often have small intestinal stenosis obstruction, coarse fiber is not easy to pass, coupled with a wide range of lesions, once too much fiber food into the small intestine will cause contraction and abdominal pain, and even too much food residue aggravate the obstruction.
Third, should not eat cold food. Cold food refers to cold fruits and melons, cold rice. In summer, especially to avoid eating cold drinks and food just taken out of the refrigerator. Avoid eating raw fruits and vegetables, and properly reduce the fiber content of the diet to reduce mechanical damage to the inflammatory bowel mucosa, thereby reducing symptoms.
Fourth, avoid stimulating food. Spicy irritating foods such as chili, leeks, onions, mustard, wine and other foods easily stimulate the colon wall, so that the intestinal wall edema, congestion, smooth muscle spasm, causing the recurrence of the disease. Patients should be prohibited with irritating onions, ginger, garlic and a variety of strong stimulating seasonings such as spices. Beer, white wine, cocktails, etc. should not be consumed.
Five, should not eat too much greasy food. Greasy food refers to fatty meat, fried and fried food. Inflammatory bowel disease diarrhea is often accompanied by fat malabsorption, severe cases accompanied by steatorrhea. Therefore, the amount of dietary fat to limit, roast meat, bacon, red meat (steak, etc.) and poultry with skin, butter and other animal oils, margarine, bread sauce, mayonnaise, etc. can not eat more.
Sixth, careful to eat seafood. Chinese medicine will be seafood as “hair”, seafood proteins are different from the proteins in the food we often eat, certain foreign proteins are prone to allergies, aggravating the inflammatory response, so inflammatory bowel disease patients must be careful to eat seafood.
Seven, try not to eat gas-producing foods. Such as lentils, soybeans, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, etc., carbonated beverages, coffee, strong tea, chocolate, popcorn, nuts and seeds (peanut butter, other nut butters), etc.
Eight, it is advisable to eat less and more meals. Although patients with inflammatory bowel disease should have a high-protein, high-nutrient diet, but should not eat too much, eat too much, so that the gastrointestinal function of the system disorder, prompting the relapse or aggravation of the disease. Eat 4 to 5 times a day to minimize the burden on the intestines.
Nine, choose the right food for you. Milk, eggs, tomatoes, peanuts, potatoes, etc. have an allergenic effect, and some people are allergic to these foods, but some people are not. If a food can cause a digestive reaction, avoid it, and distinguish whether you are allergic or intolerant to it. It is a good idea to create a dietary log to record which foods cause gastrointestinal symptoms, and to record in a small notebook the foods and amounts consumed each day, indicating the date, the food, and the symptoms that occur after taking a particular food. Certain specific foods may cause a relapse or worsening of the disease condition, discomfort or allergic reactions after eating them. If these “offender foods” are well avoided, certain GI symptoms can become relatively easy to manage.