Crohn’s Disease Diet and Natural Treatment Plan

Have you been suffering from excessive diarrhea and abdominal pain on a regular basis? You might have Crohn’s disease, which means you may want to follow a Crohn’s disease diet and treatment plan.

So if you have Crohn’s, there is good news. You can help treat this condition naturally with a Crohn’s disease diet, along with making other lifestyle changes.

What is Crohn’s disease, exactly? This inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) causes inflammation of the lining of your digestive tract, which can lead to abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss and malnutrition.

It’s estimated that 2.4 million to 3.1 million Americans suffer from Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis (collectively known as inflammatory bowel diseases or IBD).

Crohn’s disease can seriously get in the way of everyday life with the possibility of it being both painful and debilitating. Sometimes, it even leads to life-threatening complications.

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If you suffer from Crohn’s, don’t lose hope! Much like the IBS diet and ulcerative colitis diet can help treat those IBD conditions, the Crohn’s disease diet can do the same with this gastrointestinal tract issue.

Crohn’s disease diet guidelines

Crohn’s disease treatment, the natural way, involves making a number of scientifically proven changes to your lifestyle and diet. Here are some of the top ways to start improving Crohn’s disease symptoms, starting with learning about which foods are a part of a Crohn’s disease diet.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases states that healthcare providers recommend several types of specific diet plans for helping to control Crohn’s symptoms.

The type of diet that works best depends on your ability to digest and absorb minerals, bacteria, fats, fiber and certain types of carbohydrates. People with Crohn’s react differently to these food groups depending on what type of medications they might be taking, their levels of intestinal inflammation, and the extent to which they produce or don’t produce different digestive enzymes.

Here are some Crohn’s disease diet guidelines, including foods to eat and foods to avoid:

1. Avoid classic problem foods

Food sensitivities vary from patient to patient but commonly include spicy and fried foods, refined foods like white breads and pastas, carbonated drinks, alcohol, and caffeine. Wheat products (gluten), cereal grains such as corn and oats, dairy products, pork, onions, and yeast also all tend to make Crohn’s symptoms worse.

Research published in Gastroenterology and Hepatology found that a diet low in fat and fiber (known as a LOFFLEX diet) tends to be highly effective at treating Crohn’s, with some studies finding that up to 60 percent of patients go into remission within two years.

2. Eat a healing diet

Changing and improving your diet is one of the most important, controllable and natural things you can do to improve inflammation associated with Crohn’s disease.

If you suffer from Crohn’s, following a healing foods diet may help decrease inflammation (the No. 1 dietary goal with Crohn’s), alkalize the body, lower blood glucose, eliminate toxins and optimize nutrient intake.

The healing foods diet consists of eating roughly equal amounts (33 percent each) of clean protein sources, healthy fats and low-glycemic carbohydrates in the forms of fruits and vegetables.

3. Limit dairy

Many people with Crohn’s find that gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea, abdominal pain and gas improve when they limit or eliminate dairy products. Some people are also lactose intolerant, which means they can’t digest the milk sugar (lactose) in dairy foods.

While the lactose in dairy hasn’t been shown to necessarily make Crohn’s worse, the fat content in dairy can inflame the condition.

4. Be careful with high-fiber foods

For some people suffering from Crohn’s, consuming high amounts of fiber, especially from raw fruits and vegetables, can be too difficult for their compromised systems to handle. Don’t skip your fruits and veggies altogether, however. Just eat them cooked whenever possible.

Some Crohn’s sufferers have trouble with foods in the cabbage family (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc.), nuts, seeds, corn and popcorn.

Keeping a food diary can help you see what works and what doesn’t for your particular case of Crohn’s. This way you don’t eliminate a healthy food (for example, broccoli) unnecessarily in your Crohn’s disease diet if your digestive system actually can handle that food well.

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5. Increase prebiotic intake

Consuming more prebiotics, a special form of dietary fiber that promotes the growth of healthy bacteria (probiotics) that combat bad bacteria, is a smart idea for people with Crohn’s disease. Prebiotic foods include things like asparagus, bananas, honey and oats, all of which make excellent additions to any Crohn’s disease diet.

However, because prebiotics are a type of fiber, it’s important to monitor your systems and pay attention to how you feel. If particular prebiotic foods, or foods high in fiber, are causing worsened symptoms, then try subbing in other foods until you find what works.

6. Eat smaller meals

If you want to avoid a Crohn’s disease flare-up, it’s best to stop overloading your body with over-sized meals. By eating smaller meals you put less stress on the gastrointestinal tract, which can help reduce some Crohn’s symptoms like bloating, gas and cramping.

You can try eating smaller meals more often throughout the day, rather than two to three big meals, to help with absorption of nutrients, improving energy and controlling symptoms.

7. Drink enough fluids

It’s possible to lose a high amount of fluid due to frequent diarrhea. Make sure to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated every day.

Caffeine-free herbal tea, bone broth and kombucha are also good choices, since these not only provide water, but also electrolytes, amino acids and probiotics.

8. Avoid artificial sweeteners

Research has shown that increased use of artificial sweeteners is correlated with higher rates of IBD, including Crohn’s.