Crohn's Disease Nutrition: What Can Help?
Hi, everyone. Welcome back to our channel.
What is Crohn's Disease and what are some potential causes?
What are some common symptoms associated with Crohn's disease?
What role does nutrition play in Crohn's disease management?
Which foods are recommended and which foods should be limited in the diet for Crohn's disease?
And lastly, what are some supplements and lifestyle changes that may be beneficial?
These are the questions we'll be addressing in today's video.
[Video Transcript Below Video]
Hi, I'm Katie Bailey. I'm a gut health dietitian at Oswald Digestive Clinic, where we help individuals improve and resolve their bothersome gut issues.
If you're interested in learning more about gut health, I'll link our free guide Five Ways to Improve Your Gut Health here.
All right, let's get started on today's topic.
What is Crohn's disease and what are some potential causes?
Well, Crohn's disease is an autoimmune inflammatory bowel disease that is characterized by chronic inflammation and damage to the intestinal tract.
It can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus, but it most commonly affects the end of the small intestines known as the ileum, as well as the beginning of the colon.
The exact cause of Crohn's disease is not fully understood, but it's believed to be the result of a combination of factors.
These factors include an excessive immune response that is triggered by genetic susceptibility, as well as environmental triggers like smoking, excessive use of NSAIDs, diet and stress, which can all increase intestinal permeability and inflammation in the digestive tract.
Crohn's disease can develop at any age, but it's most commonly diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 30, and then having a family history of inflammatory bowel disease is going to increase your risk for developing Crohn's.
What are some common symptoms associated with Crohn's disease?
Symptoms tend to be chronic with recurrent flares in between periods of remission and symptoms are going to vary depending on the location and the severity of the inflammation.
Common symptoms include abdominal pain, gas, bloating, diarrhea that has blood or mucus in it, weight loss or appetite, mouth sores and fatigue.
Crohn's Disease Nutrition: What role does nutrition play in Crohn's disease management?
Proper nutrition plays a crucial role in the management of Crohn's disease.
A well-balanced diet is going to help reduce inflammation. It's going to provide the body with essential nutrients as well as promote healing of the digestive tract.
Individuals with Crohn's may also have increased nutrient needs due to malabsorption issues as well as inflammation.
Some key nutrients to focus on are things like protein, as protein is going to be essential in tissue repair and immune function, certain vitamins and minerals, especially things like iron and vitamin D, as these seem to be deficient in these individuals.
And then fluid is also important because fluid is a concern due to diarrhea and fluid loss with Crohn's, which foods are recommended and which foods should be limited in the diet.
For Crohn's disease, while there is no one size fits all diet for Crohn's disease, certain foods may be better tolerated than others.
Some foods that are generally recommended are proteins like poultry, eggs, and fish, really well cooked vegetables, soft fruits like bananas or melons and healthy fats.
Now during an active flare, certain foods are going to make your symptoms worse and should be limited or avoided to allow for bowel rest.
These are going to be your fibrous foods like raw fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and whole grains.
Dairy products can be really hard for some individuals to digest and then spicy and fried foods as these can really irritate the digestive tract and make inflammation worse.
It's best to stick to soft, bland foods like refined grains, easy to digest proteins, soft fruits, and well-cooked vegetables.
A balanced diet for Crohn's is going to include a variety of whole nutrient dense and anti-inflammatory foods. It's also important to identify specific triggers for each individual, and this can be done through something like an elimination diet.
For example. Many individuals see symptom improvement with the elimination of gluten in dairy.
And then lastly, processed foods in refined grains should really be avoided. As these contribute to inflammation.
What are some supplement and lifestyle changes that may be beneficial for Crohn's Disease?
Individuals with Crohn's disease may benefit from taking certain supplements to address nutrient deficiencies, decrease inflammation, as well as promote gut health.
Iron, zinc and vitamin D are common deficiencies that we see in Crohn's disease, so these nutrients may need to be supplemented. Omega 3s, turmeric and ginger can all be beneficial in helping to decrease inflammation in the gut.
Probiotics and probiotic rich foods like sauerkraut and yogurt, as well as bone broth and L-glutamine can all help in promoting gut health and help repair the gut lining.
A healthy gut can allow for proper digestion, better nutrient absorption, it can support a better immune system and decrease inflammation.
And then lastly, lifestyle modifications like managing our stress levels, optimizing our sleep, and really chewing our food thoroughly to help with proper digestion can also be beneficial in managing Crohn's disease.
To wrap up our topic for today, Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory condition that can significantly impact your quality of life.
While there's no one size fits all, diet, proper nutrition can play a role in managing your symptoms, decreasing inflammation, and promoting gut healing by incorporating whole nutrient dense foods, identifying potential triggers and avoiding them limiting processed foods and incorporating targeted supplements you can help manage your symptoms and improve overall wellbeing.
That's it for today's video. If you like this video, please hit the like button and subscribe for more nutrition videos.
If you're interested in working with our clinic, you can click link here to schedule an appointment.
We do take insurance and you can find more information about that on our website.
Thanks for watching. I'll see you next time.
Bye.
If you'd like to explore any of this information further or obtain an individualized nutrition plan, you can schedule an initial appointment at our clinic. We also take insurance and some of our clients get full coverage, which is great.
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