Hi nard6558,
While dietary changes may affect some people with ulcerative colitis,
most reputable medical sites seem to think that diet plays only a
small role, if at all. If you find milk and dairy products, fiber,
seeds, or cerain foods bother your condition, you should, of course
eliminate that food. Overall, though, you should not have to worry
about a restrictive diet. Be wary of sites that sell supplements that
are promoted as being needed with an ulcerative colitis diet.
"For these reasons, people with IBD should consume ample
fluids-especially in warm weather when loss of salt and water through
the skin may be high. A good rule of thumb is to drink one half ounce
per day for every pound of body weight. That means that if you weight
140 pounds, you should drink at least 70 ounces a day-or eight and
three-quarters glasses. Sip your beverages, rather than gulp them. By
introducing air into the digestive system, gulping can cause
discomfort."
http://www.ccfa.org/research/info/diet
"The inflammation caused by UC may lead to increased protein needs.
Inadequate protein intake may negatively affect healing and lead to
muscle loss."
http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/digestive-health/ucdiet.cfm
Consider an elimination diet, and keeping a "Food Diary" to track what
causes you discomfort, and what you can safely eat.
Here is a good elimination diet for ulcerative colitis patients.
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FDN/is_3_8/ai_107835435/pg_7
and
http://www.fpnotebook.com/ENT5.htm
Here are some sample food diary formats
http://familydoctor.org/299.xml
http://www.netfit.co.uk/fooddiary.pdf
http://weightloss.about.com/cs/ourtoptips/l/blfooddiary.htm
Primarily for weight loss diaries, you can pay $9 and record your diary online:
http://www.myfooddiary.com/?source=AdWords&OVKEY=fd
You can see that on this site, from The Chrohn's and Colitis
Foundation of America, no mention of a special diet is made.
http://www.ccfa.org/research/info/ulcerativeproctitis
"It is important to eat a healthy diet. Depending on your symptoms,
your health care provider may ask you to decrease the amount of fiber
or dairy products in your diet.Diet has little or no influence on the
inflammatory activity in ulcerative colitis. However, diet may
influence symptoms. For this reason, people with inflammatory bowel
disease often are placed on a variety of diet interventions,
especially low-residue diets. Evidence does not support a low-residue
diet as beneficial in treating the inflammation of ulcerative colitis,
though it might decrease the frequency of bowel movements."
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/articles/40954-6.asp
"There is no specialized diet for people with UC. Rather, the
recommended diet for UC is a balanced diet focusing on adequate
calories, protein, vitamins, minerals, and fluid. No specific foods
are known to trigger UC or make the disease worse. Therefore, there
are no specific foods that must be avoided by all patients with UC.
Some individuals may have their own food intolerances or notice that
certain foods cause discomfort. In such cases, those foods should be
avoided. Nutrition needs may vary from person to person depending on
the status of their disease, thus it is best to meet with a dietitian
who can help you individualize your diet to best meet your needs."
http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/digestive-health/ucdiet.cfm
From the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse
"Some people whose symptoms are triggered by certain foods are able to
control the symptoms by avoiding foods that upset their intestines,
like highly seasoned foods, raw fruits and vegetables, or milk sugar
(lactose). Each person may experience ulcerative colitis differently,
so treatment is adjusted for each individual. Emotional and
psychological support is important."
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/colitis/#treatment
"Do any specific foods worsen the inflammation of IBD?
No. Although certain foods may aggravate symptoms of these diseases,
there is no evidence that the inflammation of the intestine is
directly affected. Obviously, any contaminated food that leads to food
poisoning or dysentery will aggravate IBD.
Is there a special diet for people with IBD?
There is no one single diet or eating plan that will do the trick for
everyone with IBD. Dietary recommendations must be individualized.
They should be tailored just for you-depending on which disease you
have and what part of your intestine is affected. Furthermore, these
diseases are not static; they change over time, and eating patterns
should reflect those changes. The key point is to strive for a
well-balanced, healthy diet. Healthy eating habits, of course, are
desirable for everyone but they're especially important for people
with IBD.
Which foods should be avoided?
Again, there are no blanket rules or recommendations. If a particular
kind of food causes digestive problems, then try to avoid it. But it's
important to distinguish between an actual allergy to one kind of food
and an intolerance. Many people have food intolerances -- far more
than really have true food allergies.
Elimination tests are better at diagnosing which foods must be avoided
or modified than the standard allergy skin or blood testing. Many good
books discuss the proper way to follow such an "elimination diet,"
which involves keeping a food and symptom diary over several weeks.
http://www.ccfa.org/research/info/diet
"There is not a standard diet for all people with ulcerative colitis.
Your food choices will depend upon the severity of your disease,
whether it is active or in remission, the medications you're taking,
your individual nutrient needs, and your individual food tolerances."
and
"determine your own food intolerances. Work with your health care
team, which should include your doctor, his/her staff, and a
registered dietitian (ask your doctor for a referral or call the
American Dietetic Association at 1-800-366-1655 for the name of a
dietitian in your area). Keep a careful food diary that tracks what
you eat and your associated symptoms. Some foods to watch closely
include dairy products, high-fiber foods, and foods that might cause
an obstruction such as nuts, seeds, and popcorn."
http://www.living-better.com/improve_nutritiontips.shtml
IBD Diets
http://www.healthcastle.com/ibd-diet.shtml
An interactive tutorial on ulcerative colitis
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/_instruct/instructions.html?ModuleURL=ulcerativecolitis&LMModuleID=ge149101&x=83&y=22
Eat smaller meals, a low fat, high protein diet, per this web site:
http://ibscrohns.about.com/cs/dietandibs/a/eatingibs.htm
Food for Thought
"When there are acute flare-ups, the patient should avoid stimulants
such as caffeine, citrus fruits, and foods high in fiber. "
http://www.healthsquare.com/fgpd/fg4ch05p3.htm
"In addition to dietary changes which people in the West have
undergone in the past half century, new unnatural products have been
introduced into our gastrointestinal tracts. These include fluoridated
and chlorinated water, the residue of dental fillings containing
mercury, many common antacids containing aluminum, and other
potentially hazardous materials. A lively debate has taken place in
recent years in medical journals over the potential role of toothpaste
in contributing to inflammatory bowel disease. Researchers state that
they have found pigments in the intestinal mucosa containing aluminum,
silicon, and titanium through electron microscopy and x-ray analytical
techniques. In other studies, they have found not only toothpaste
residues but traces of other materials used in dental work. They have
suggested that further research be done on the role of toothpaste,
food additives, and synthetic food ingredients as possible causative
agents in inflammatory bowel disease."
and
"The official "party line" of gastroenterologists is that diet doesn't
matter in IBD. Sometimes instructions are given to follow a "bland"
diet and to avoid spicy, abrasive, or laxative foods. A recent medical
therapy text begrudgingly admits that "in the presence of the loss of
appetite and diminished food intake, a once daily multivitamin
supplement does not seem unreasonable."
http://www.consciouschoice.com/holisticmd/hmd101.html
Other Information:
Clinical Trials
http://www.colitistrial.com/
Hope this helps you out! If any part of my answer is unclear, please
request an Answer Clarification, before rating. This will enable me to
assist you further, if possible.
Regards,
crabcakes
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