UC and Diet
A common question among UC patients is whether their diet may have caused or contributed to colitis. Numerous researchers have investigated this topic and found no conclusive evidence that there are specific food items that cause or worsen the state of inflammation in the colon.
Certainly, there are some foods which are more likely to result in GI symptoms than others. For example, if a person eats a whole bag of prunes, he or she is likely to develop diarrhea regardless of whether the individual has IBD or not. The food does not necessarily make the colon more inflamed, but it can cause common symptoms in almost every individual.
As an analogy, think about a cut on the skin. If lemon juice is squeezed over the cut, the cut will burn and hurt. The cut skin is not necessarily worse in terms of inflammation nor will it take longer to heal, it just temporarily hurts more because of the lemon juice. The same is true of various food effects on the colon in UC. When the colon is inflamed, ingestion of gas producing foods containing lactose or high fiber products may result in abdominal cramping and discomfort. These foods, however, will not cause the lining of the colon to develop more ulcers or bleeding.
Along the same line, bowel rest and intravenous nutrition may decrease the number of bowel movements a person has, but it does not specifically translate into healing of the lining of the colon. Your doctor may decrease your food intake if you are hospitalized for a flare to help you feel better until medicines begin to heal the colon.
Future blogs will contain more information about diet advice and UC.