- What to eat in Crohn's disease
- 1. Allowed foods
- 2. Foods to Avoid
- Crohn's disease menu
- Other important recommendations
The Crohn's disease diet is one of the most important treatment steps, as some foods can worsen symptoms and should therefore be avoided. For this reason, one should also, whenever possible, prefer healthy and varied options to avoid nutritional deficiencies.
Generally, people with Crohn's disease experience periods of intense gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, changes in taste, constipation and loss of appetite, which can result in malnutrition. Here's how to identify Crohn's syndrome.
Generally speaking, it is important that the diet for this disease is low in foods high in sugar and drinks with caffeine because sugars and caffeine irritate the intestines and can increase the symptoms of Crohn's disease.
What to eat in Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease is a health problem in which there is constant inflammation of the intestine, which, in addition to intestinal discomfort, also affects the absorption of nutrients. Thus, the main objective of the diet should be to reduce inflammation and improve absorption, relieving symptoms and preventing the appearance of new crises.
1. Allowed foods
Some foods allowed in the diet are:
- Rice, purees, noodles and potatoes; Lean meats such as chicken meat; Boiled eggs; Fish such as sardines, tuna or salmon; Cooked vegetables such as carrots, asparagus and pumpkin; Cooked and shelled fruits such as bananas and apples; Dairy products, as long as the person is not lactose intolerant; Avocado and olive oil.
In addition to eating these foods, you should also supplement omega 3 to help reduce inflammation of the intestine. Depending on the risk of malnutrition, it may also be advisable to consult a nutritionist to supplement vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, folic acid, vitamin B12, iron and vitamins A, D, E and K.
Likewise, the use of probiotics and glutamine can help improve bowel function.
2. Foods to Avoid
Foods that should be avoided, as they have a high risk of causing inflammation of the intestine, are:
- Coffee, black tea, caffeinated soft drinks; Seeds; Raw vegetables and unpeeled fruits; Papaya, orange and plum; Honey, sugar, sorbitol or mannitol; Dried fruits such as peanuts, nuts and almonds; Oats; Chocolate; Alcoholic beverages; Meat pork and other fatty meats; shortbread cookies, puff pastry, chocolate; fried food, gratin, mayonnaise, frozen industrialized meals, butters and sour cream.
Foods rich in fiber, such as raw vegetables, unpeeled fruits or oats, should be avoided especially when partial intestinal obstruction occurs and in times of crisis because they can worsen symptoms.
These foods are just a few examples that should generally be avoided, however, the ideal is to consult a nutritionist to adapt the food to the body of each person as there may be other foods that worsen symptoms.
Watch other feeding tips to control symptoms in the following video:
Crohn's disease menu
An example of a menu for those with Crohn's disease could be:
| Meals | Day 1 |
Day 2 |
Day 3 |
| Breakfast | Scrambled egg with toast + strained fruit juice and diluted in water | Rice drink with rusks + strained fruit juice diluted in water | Slice of bread with boiled egg + strained fruit juice and diluted in water |
| Morning snack | Baked banana with cinnamon | Baked apple without peel and cinnamon | Cooked pear without shell and cinnamon |
| Lunch dinner | Skinless chicken breast with mashed potatoes and diced pumpkin, with a little olive oil. | Grilled salmon with rice and carrot salad with a little olive oil. | Skinless turkey breast with pumpkin puree with boiled carrot and peas salad, with a little olive oil. |
| Afternoon snack | Gelatine | Baked banana with cinnamon | Toast with apple jam |
The diet for Crohn's disease varies from person to person because the sensitivity can increase at any time and even the foods that were normally consumed may have to be eliminated from the diet for a period, so it is necessary to adjust the diet according to each patient and counseling with a nutritionist or nutritionist is essential.
Other important recommendations
People with Crohn's disease should eat several small meals during the day, avoiding going too long without eating so that the intestines maintain regular activity. In addition, it is very important to chew your food well to aid in the digestive process, decreasing the chances of intestinal irritation.
Another important recommendation is to avoid excessive consumption of foods with fiber. To do this, you must peel the fruits and vegetables, as well as cook and prepare them in the form of purees.
As this disease can cause bouts of diarrhea, it is advisable to maintain adequate hydration of the body through the consumption of water, coconut water and fruit juices diluted in water and strained.
