Do You Know? How a Well Planned Diet Can Help You from Ulcerative Colitis

Updated on April 18th, 2020
Ulcerative Colitis

What kind of diet help in managing and soothing ulcerative colitis flares? Omega-3 fatty acids are the

Albacore tuna and salmon consists of omega-3 fatty acids help in reducing inflammation flare-ups. Simple changes in the diet or adapting to diet for ulcerative colitis helps in treating it.

Ulcerative colitis is a severe health condition. No proper cure is proposed for ulcerative colitis. However, using the diet for ulcerative colitis aims at reducing symptoms during a flare-up as well as preventing symptoms from returning during recovery. Ulcerative colitis is also considered a self-immune disease; it is one where our body gets healed by itself.

UC also termed as inflammatory bowel disease or IBD. It is not similar to the disease of Crohn. Some general guidelines and diet for ulcerative colitis can help you in keeping its symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis at bay. A proper diet for ulcerative colitis might be useful to get rid of this health condition.

Ulcerative colitis(1) has affected around 907,000 Americans.

You will also find it more prevalent in males as compared to females. UC, health issue gets mostly diagnosed between the age of 15 and 40.

Diet for Ulcerative Colitis

1. Lean protein

protein-rich diet foods
Image: Shutterstock

Poultry and lean meats are recommendable. You might need to increase the consumption of healthy protein both during and after inflammation because a large amount of saturated fat can indicate further complications to the digestive system. It may also decrease the protein levels in your body, so you can opt for lean meat cuts because it is one of the healthiest protein sources.

You can add few things in the diet such as pork loin, skinless poultry, roasts, sirloin, top loin steak, and also ground beef or turkey labeled extra lean. These are the perfect low-fat choices that you can go for and treat UC as the lean meat can replenish the nutrients that your body may lose during a flare inflammation. You can take lean protein in the form of fish, white meat poultry, firm tofu, soy, lean cuts of pork, and eggs.

If you are losing weight due to ulcerative colitis, take 5-6 small meals as well as snacks during the entire day rather than two or three large meals in a day.

[Read:  Best Breakfast Protein Smoothies]

2. low fiber diet for ulcerative colitis

You can add on the low fiber fruit and non-cruciferous vegetables such as whole grains, vegetables, and fruits if you have ulcerative colitis. Apart from that, it has nutritional benefits, and fiber absorbs extra water of the human body system and can form firm stools.

Start consuming low-fiber fruits such as honeydew melon, cantaloupe, bananas, and cooked fruits. All these low-fiber fruits are typically recommended to patients who are having stitches or have had surgery recently.

As per the doctor’s recommendation, you can go for 20-30 grams of fiber per day. Baking, steaming or stewing vegetables and fruits before consuming them might be more comfortable on the digestive tract as compared to consuming them in raw form.

3. Fluids and Electrolytes

Fluids and Electrolytes 
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Inflammatory bowel disease is a severe intestinal disorder. Intestinal inflammatory reduces the absorption of sodium, calcium, and chloride while increasing the potassium secretion. You need to ensure that you restore electrolytes lost from diarrhea. You can replenish sodium, potassium, and chloride by sipping sports drinks.

Undoubtedly, it is essential to intake sufficient amounts of fluid. The fluid necessity increases both during and after diarrhea episodes as well as with exercise.

A perfect way to hydrate your body is to drink half of the body weight in ounces of water, for example, an individual who weighs 120 lb. needs to drink 60 ounces of water.

[Also Read: Probiotics to Overcome Ulcerative Colitis]

4. Refined Grains

A diet that includes a lot of fiber becomes difficult for people with ulcerative colitis while digesting. Whole grain flour enriched with fiber because the germ or bran has not removed.

You need to avoid eating whole grain flour eatables, such as cereals, bread, pasta, plain barley, macaroni, noodles, bulgur wheat, millet, wheat-berries, etc. In case of flare-ups, go for white bread and pasta that prepared from enriched white flour, only if you have a gluten allergy. The mentioned grains(2) have the fibrous germ, endosperm, as well as bran, which can irritate ulcerative colitis and may trigger its pain.

Always go for 5-6 meals in a day and add a few of the mentioned grain in your diet. Also, take your doctor’s recommendation before taking the best diet for ulcerative colitis.

5. Protein Shakes

Protein Shakes
Image: Shutterstock

The quality and the quantity of the dietary protein consumption, as well as amino acid supplementation, may otherwise affect the IBD course. The dietary protein’s source may regulate the threat of developing an IBD.

You should take your doctor’s advice before taking any homemade protein shakes or oral nutritional supplements.

A considerable amount of dietary protein shakes might result in increasing intestinal production of potentially infectious bacterial metabolites.

[Read: Best Foods That Can Treat Ulcers]

6. Avoid trigger foods

Though dietary choice does not cause UC, yet some food items may trigger or even worsen symptoms. You need to avoid a few food items that can trigger UC symptoms, and it is a method to manage symptoms by having a proper diet.

You need to know what type of food can help in relieving flares. Foods such as alcohol, caffeine, carbonated beverages, dairy products, dried beans, peas, and legumes, dried fruits, berries, fruits with pulp or seeds, foods that contain sulfate or sulfur, and High fiber foods can trigger UC.

You should consult the doctor to identify trigger foods. You can reduce the severity and frequency of UC symptoms.

It is not easy to know what type of food is good for the human body, especially in case an individual is having Crohn’s disease or UC. Though both diet and nutrition play a vital role when it comes to inflammatory bowel disease or IBD, yet no guaranteed diet for ulcerative colitis can work for everyone. Food affects not only the IBD symptoms but also overall health. In the absence of proper nutrients, Crohn’s disease or UC symptoms may cause serious complications, such as malnutrition, weight loss, and nutrient deficiencies.

[Read: Foods to Avoid with Colitis]


FAQs

1. How to Prevent Ulcerative Colitis?

Though no one has proved some specific type of food that helps in preventing the causes of ulcerative colitis, yet proper nutrition plays an essential role to manage the disease. A diet change may help in reducing its symptoms.

2. How to Plan Your Meal for Ulcerative Colitis?

No particular meal plan is valid for everyone, and a few tips can help in guiding you to take better nutrition daily. It includes eating 4-6 small meals every day, staying hydrated, drinking slowly, etc.

3. What to Eat When You Are in Remission?

It is essential for maintaining a nutrient-rich and diverse diet even you are in remission, and the UC symptoms have lessened or disappeared. Start taking new food slowly. Keep yourself hydrated with water, tomato juice, broth, or rehydration solutions. Consult a doctor or dietitian before doing any amendments to the diet.

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