Preventing Colitis with Food
One of the prevalent ailments included in the Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBD) group is Ulcerative Colitis (UC). Proper food digestion is hampered by intestinal inflammation brought on by colitis. If untreated, it has a variety of symptoms and lowers overall quality of life.
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You’ll be better off treating your colitis sooner rather than later. If you leave it untreated for an extended period of time, you run the risk of having a toxic megacolon, developing chronic exhaustion, immune system damage, colorectal cancer, osteoporosis, miscarriage, and other pregnancy-related disorders. If your case of colitis is mild to severe, there are common and easily found foods that can greatly help. There are drugs, procedures, and treatments that can help treat and control colitis symptoms.
Foods to Steer Clear Of
Prior to discussing the top foods for relieving and managing colitis symptoms, let’s talk about some foods you should try to avoid as much as possible because they can exacerbate your symptoms and trigger inflammatory flare-ups.
● Alcohol
● Caffeine
●Carbonated beverages
● Dairy products, should you be intolerant to lactose
●Legumes, dried beans, and peas
●Fruits that are dried
●Foods containing sulfate or sulfur
● High-fiber foods
● Meat
●Nuts along with crunchy nut butters
● Popcorn
●Sorbitol-containing products (such as sugar-free gum and candies)
●Unprocessed fruits and veggies
●Sugar that has been refined
● Seeds
● Spicy cuisine
If you’re having trouble determining which foods are best for you, a trained nutritionist or your doctor are excellent resources. Inform them about your eating habits and emotional state. They can assist you in obtaining the nourishment you require and respond to your inquiries. Although they can either exacerbate or help control ulcerative colitis, foods do not directly cause the illness.
You may need to take supplements such as calcium, folic acid, and vitamin B12 if you have trouble eating a diet rich in nutrients or if you are under dietary restrictions. Consult your physician if your regimen needs to include any more important supplements.
It’s also possible that you perform better when you eat multiple smaller meals throughout the day as opposed to three large ones. Consider foods you can carry with you for nutritious snacks when creating your diet plan. It is inevitable that your diet may alter over time, and there is no one-size-fits-all diet for colitis. Keeping a food journal can help you identify what foods are good for you and what doesn’t, as well as help you stay on track.
What then can prevent a terrible and excruciating flare-up of colitis? Continue reading to discover and learn.
Easily Digested Meals Like Applesauce
During a flare, your gastrointestinal tract becomes quite irritated, so you might want to limit your diet to soft, easily digested foods like applesauce. However, keep in mind that varieties with added sugar may exacerbate inflammation, so make sure to select one without. You can also boil sliced apples with a little water to produce your own sugar-free applesauce, which you can then puree.
Really Soft And Ripe Bananas As Well As Soft Fruits Like Canned Peaches Or Pears
Very soft and ripe bananas are sometimes well tolerated by Colitis patients, despite the general advice from nutritionists to avoid raw fruits during a flare-up. In addition to being high in protein and lipids, carbohydrates are another important component of bananas. Furthermore, according to York, Pennsylvania’s Shannon Szeles, RDN, soft fruits like canned pears or peaches might not irritate skin.
Cooked Vegetables, Such As Spinach And Carrots
Crucial minerals like vitamins A and K can be found in soft, cooked vegetables like spinach and carrots. Just make sure the veggies are cooked enough so a fork can easily pierce them. This breaks down any fiber that can irritate someone.
Fish High in Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Such As Salmon
Simply include salmon in your diet during a flare-up if you have UC, are lactose intolerant, or just want to increase the amount of protein in your diet. Salmon offers healthful omega-3 fatty acids that may help lower inflammation in addition to being a fantastic source of protein. Should salmon not be to your taste, you may substitute it with shrimp, tuna, or any fish that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. These are all really good fish options.
Salmon should be baked, broiled, or sautéed instead of fried, suggests gastroenterologist Neilanjan Nandi, MD, assistant professor at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia. When fish is fried, a lot of its nutritious content is lost, says Nandi.
Yogurt Contains Probiotics And Protein
Yogurt contains live bacteria called probiotics, which may aid the digestive system, and protein if you’re not lactose intolerant. Make sure the yogurt you purchase is labeled with live and active cultures. Yogurt with big fruit chunks should be avoided since they may be difficult to digest. Nonetheless, if the fruit is well-blended, soft, and seedless, it should be okay. If you are intolerant to lactose, you might also consider taking probiotic pills.
Turmeric-infused White Rice
If, during a big flare-up, you are intolerant to most foods, you might wish to limit your intake to bland foods such cooked white rice. Turmeric, a yellow spice whose main component, curcumin, has shown some promise in the treatment of ulcerative colitis, is a good addition if you want to enhance flavor.
According to a meta-analysis that was published in the Annals of Gastroenterology in November 2019, treating ulcerative colitis with curcumin in addition to an anti-inflammatory medicine was more effective than treating the condition with an anti-inflammatory drug alone.
Closing Remarks
If neglected for an extended period of time, UC can be extremely painful and debilitating, and it may even be fatal. However, you may lessen the symptoms, enhance your quality of life, and prevent it from growing worse with appropriate and timely therapy.
Be it any medical procedure or health-related therapy, see a licensed physician or dietitian first before making any alterations.
