To carry out your daily activities, you must be healthy. Some sicknesses interfere with this capability. One of the life-threatening illnesses is ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an autoimmune disease that causes ulcers in the large intestine and rectum.
It's a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which makes it harder to manage due to its possible flare-ups. If the flare-ups are not managed properly, it can lead to a ruptured colon.
It is possible to manage ulcerative colitis and have less frequent flares up with diets that you eat daily. However, diets should be reviewed by medical professionals or dieticians in order for them to assure their safety and effectiveness on your body.
In this article, we will talk about five diets that help prevent UC flare-ups: high fiber diets; Mediterranean diets; low residue diets; exclusion diets; and diets consisting of low-acid foods.
High-fiber diets are considered to be one of the most important diets for individuals with ulcerative colitis. Fiber is not digestible, so it provides our bodies with zero calories and zero fat.
There are two types of fibers that can help in managing UC flare-ups: soluble fiber; and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber absorbs water in the intestinal tract making the stool soft while insoluble does not absorb moisture but gives bulk to stools instead (making them softer).
Soluble fibers include oats, peas, beans, apples/pears, or carrots/squash; whereas Insoluble Fibers include wheat bran or whole grains like brown rice or barley. These foods must be eaten daily in order to manage your UC flare-ups.
Mediterranean diets are another way to manage your ulcerative colitis flare-ups. The Mediterranean diets include fresh vegetables, fish, and olive oil in small quantities; no dairy products or animal fat are included in them. It is found that people who follow this diet have fewer UC flares than those diets without high fiber foods.
Additionally, the diets recommend low salt intake to decrease inflammation levels along with fruits rich in vitamin C like tomatoes/oranges which help reduce oxidative stress caused by free radicals within the body.
Mediterranean diets also increase the level of good cholesterol and reduce bad cholesterol levels within our bodies which is a great way to manage your ulcerative colitis flare-ups as well.
Additionally, it reduces oxidative stress caused by free radicals that damage colon cells due to its anti-inflammatory properties along with the high fiber diets mentioned above.
Low residue diets are highly recommended for those with ulcerative colitis as they reduce the risk of intestinal blockage. People who have a history of bowel obstructions should not follow this diet, though. This is because it restricts many foods high in fiber which can cause problems with constipation and make UC flare-ups worse.
Instead, low residue diets consist mainly of soft foods that do not require much digestion or absorption by your body, such as fruit juices, bananas/mashed potatoes/baked potato without skin, etc. In this way, you will still be able to manage your UC flare-ups better, along with reducing its complications due to lack of nutrition from these types of food sources within your body.
For those who have a history of bowel obstructions, low residue diets can still cause problems with constipation and make UC flare-ups worse. Instead, they consist mainly of soft foods that do not require much digestion or absorption by your body, such as fruit juices, bananas/mashed potatoes/baked potato without skin, and others. In this way, you will be able to manage your ulcerative colitis better, along with reducing its complications due to lack of nutrition from these types of food sources within the body.
Exclusion diets are diets you can try to manage your UC flare-ups by removing possible triggers. The most common excluded foods include dairy products, caffeine, and gluten-containing grains like wheat/rye. These types of food should be avoided in order for the diet to work effectively on reducing UC flares. However, it is important that these foods are reintroduced into your body after a few weeks or months once the inflammation has gone down.
This will help identify which particular food starts an ulcerative colitis flare-up within your body so they can be easily eliminated from future diets to avoid them completely in future diets when needed. People who have followed exclusion diets reported positive results with their overall health and diets.
Low-fat dietary fatty acids diets aim to reduce the level of fats within our diets and their effects on inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis.
These diets include foods such as skinless poultry/fish, low-fat dairy products, and others, which help reduce inflammation levels and increase antioxidant intake through fruits and vegetables.
Additionally, they must be rich in omega-three fatty acids (n-three) like salmon or herring; this is because these types of food reduce oxidative stress by producing anti-inflammatory molecules called eicosanoids throughout an individual's body. Omega-three fatty acid supplements can also be taken orally daily, along with consuming specific types of fish regularly for those who do not eat it often.
There are many diets and diets supplements to help reduce the number of ulcerative colitis flare-ups within your body. By avoiding various foods, you can manage this type of inflammatory bowel disease more effectively while still maintaining a healthy diet for yourself throughout your life.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional consultation or advice related to your health or finances. No reference to an identifiable individual or company is intended as an endorsement thereof. Some or all of this article may have been generated using artificial intelligence, and it may contain certain inaccuracies or unreliable information. Readers should not rely on this article for information and should consult with professionals for personal advice.