Medications provide great benefits for managing inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) like Crohn’s disease and colitis, and will always be the mainstay in treating these conditions. However, an individualized and healthy diet plan may also provide additional benefits in reducing IBD symptoms. Some of the common foods known to trigger IBD symptoms are: corn and corn-related snacks, spicy foods, oranges/orange juice, whole nuts, as well as fried and fatty foods. While removing or limiting the intake of these foods may help prevent IBD symptoms, patients with IBD may also run the risk of being malnourished. Therefore, there needs to be a fine balance in the diet so that the person can meet their daily nutritional needs without having to worry about worsening symptoms.
Crohn’s and Colitis Canada offers several resources to help make informed decisions about diets for people living with IBD (referenced below). It might also be a good idea to consult a dietitian who would be able to help you plan your daily diets. Once again, medications are the most important tools we have to treat IBD, but it is advised that patients also reap the benefits of healthy diets to manage their IBD.
For more information, visit Crohn’s and Colitis Canada here.
An additional source of information for diet is available here.