Ulcerative Colitis Diet: What to Eat for Better Management

If you have ulcerative colitis, your diet may help you manage symptoms.

As with any health condition, one way of eating wont necessarily work for everyone who has ulcerative colitis.

What Causes Ulcerative Colitis?

Certain foods are known triggers for people with ulcerative colitis.

This is why dieticians recommend keeping a food journal when developing an ulcerative colitis diet plan.

Note everything you eat in your journal and the time you ate it.

If you experience symptoms that day, note those, too.

Choose bread, pasta, and other carbohydrates that are low in fiber.

Usually, this means theyre made from refined white flour instead of whole grains.

Eating Habits

Your eating habits and the way you cook your food may contribute to your flares.

Adjusting these habits can help you manage your symptoms and reduce the number of flares you experience.

Researchers presented a paper on a small human research study.

Remove any stems, seeds, and peels from fresh produce as youre preparing to cook.

These adjustments are usually temporary.

Strictures are common in Crohn’s disease, but not in ulcerative colitis.

One example is if you become pregnant.

But you also may have fewer flares during this timeeveryone is different.

What diet is best for ulcerative colitis?

Supplements

Talk to your healthcare provider about whether you gotta take supplements.

Some staples, like white rice, can be even cheaper if you buy them in bulk.

If you notice these symptoms arent improving or are getting worse, tell your healthcare provider.

Sometimes, people following a low-fiber diet experience constipation.

Likewise, if you have diarrhea that is persistent, youre at risk of becoming dehydrated.

Disordered eating patterns may worsen symptoms of ulcerative colitis.

As a result, you might not have as much energy as you typically do.

Not only to help manage ulcerative colitis but to maintain your overall health.

Preventing nutritional deficiencies may help prevent flares.

If you are lactose intolerant, you are likely used to avoiding or limiting dairy products.

If you have any other dietary considerations, its important to talk to your healthcare provider.

Your healthcare provider may want you to take supplements or vitamins to ensure that you dont become deficient.

Dietary challenges and practices may fall under both categories.

Summary

Eating certain foods and avoiding other foods is an important part of ulcerative colitis management.

Focus on low-fiber, easy-to-digest foods, especially during flares.

Avoid foods that are harder to digest such as whole grains, fried foods, and desserts.

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