Colitis and Crohn’s patients talk about the foods they absolutely cannot eat

Posted in Ulcerative Colitis by On March 7, 2020. No comments

You won’t find much agreement in the inflammatory bowel disease community on the issue of foods to eat and foods to avoid. But we thought we’d address the topic anyway. Scroll down to read about foods that our Twitter followers can’t eat because of ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease.

Some people find that diet doesn’t affect their condition too much, or at all. Others are exquisitely sensitive to certain foods. But what those foods are varies greatly from person to person. And beyond the issue of individual differences, there’s another point to consider: Foods that are fine for someone in remission might cause problems during a flare.

There’s no particular diet plan that has been demonstrated to help IBD. The best approach is to monitor your symptoms carefully and see if you can identify patterns based on the foods you’re eating. A food journal can be a useful tool to help you keep track. The goal is to limit or eliminate as few foods as possible so you continue to get balanced nutrition.

That said, there are some general guidelines for when you’re in an ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s flare and for when you’re recovering from a flare. For example, if you are experiencing diarrhea and abdominal pain, a low-residue diet may ease your symptoms. And you may be better able to tolerate smaller meals at more frequent intervals, helping you to get enough nutrition.

As you begin to get better, it’s best to gradually reintroduce foods to see what works best. A few items that work for many people are oatmeal, white bread, apple sauce and mashed potatoes. Check out this page from UCSF Health for more tips.

The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation also offers some helpful advice on diet and IBD. For example, taking extra care in planning and preparing your meals can be a major element in helping you deal with flares and get proper nutrition. Keep a ready supply of foods that you know work well for you in a flare, and use basic cooking methods such as steaming, boiling and grilling.

We wanted to get a sense of which specific foods cause problems for our readers. So we posted the following question on Twitter: “What’s a food you absolutely cannot eat anymore because of IBD? (Please say whether you have ulcerative colitis, or Crohn’s.)”

As you might guess, the answers were highly varied. Remember that what holds true for one person might not be the case for someone else. It’s best to talk with your doctor if you have concerns about your diet.

With that in mind, here’s a sampling of what readers shared. Head over to Twitter for a more comprehensive view of potentially problematic foods.

Nuts and seeds are a bit of a theme.

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A lot of people mentioned dairy.

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Fruit was noted quite a few times.

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In some cases, very specific fruits wreak havoc.

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Certain vegetables made the list, too.

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Spicy foods cause problems for many people.

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And popcorn is off limits for some.

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And a wide variety of other items are in the no-go zone.

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Which foods bother you? If you haven’t commented already, be sure to join the conversation on Twitter. (And don’t forget to follow us!)

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