Crohn's disease is a chronic, gastrointestinal disorder, characterized by inflammation, swelling and ulceration anywhere along your digestive tract. The small bowel --- the primary site of digestion and absorption of nutrients from your diet --- is involved in approximately 80 percent of cases of Crohn's disease, reports Merck Manuals Online Medical Library. If you have Crohn's disease, your small bowel may not function properly, commonly leading to impaired digestion and nutritional consequences.
Protein Malnutrition
If you are living with Crohn's disease, you probably experience flare-ups, with mild to severe symptoms, interspersed with periods when the disease is relatively quiet. During flare-ups, the inflammation in your small bowel may interfere with the absorption of proteins from your diet. Additionally, protein-rich fluid may leak through your intestinal wall into the stool. The combined effect of poor absorption of dietary protein and loss of blood proteins into the stool may lead to protein malnutrition. With this condition, your body does not have the proteins needed to function properly. Your muscles may begin to shrink and abnormalities in your body chemistry may lead to complications, such as swelling in your feet, legs and hands. Depending on the severity of your condition, your doctor may recommend protein replacement through a feeding tube or intravenous nutrition until the flare-up resolves. Recovery from a bout of protein malnutrition associated with a Crohn's disease flare-up often occurs more slowly as an adult compared to when you were younger, reports the Danone Institute.
Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies
Eating can be difficult when you have Crohn's disease because of symptoms, including abdominal pain, diarrhea and loss of appetite. Additionally, you may not be getting the full nutritional value from your diet because of small bowel malfunction or previous intestinal surgery. Over time, these problems may lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. The symptoms associated with vitamin and mineral deficiencies vary, depending on which micronutrients your body lacks. Anemia is a common manifestation of vitamin and mineral deficiencies associated with Crohn's disease, reports MayoClinic.com. Your doctor may recommend vitamin and mineral supplements or a liquid nutritional supplement, especially if your disease is severe.
Dehydration and Electrolyte Imbalances
Chronic diarrhea associated with Crohn's disease puts you at risk for dehydration and electrolyte imbalances caused by excess losses through the stool. The University of California San Francisco Medical Center recommends that you drink 1/2 oz. of water for every pound of body weight daily. For example, if you weigh 140 lb., you need to drink 70 oz. of water daily. Liquid nutritional supplements and sports drinks can help replenish your electrolytes, including sodium and potassium.
References
- Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: Crohn's Disease
- Danone Institute: Nutritional Considerations in Crohn's Disease
- Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America: About Crohn's Disease
- MayoClinic.com: Crohn's Disease Complications
- University of California San Francisco Medical Center: Nutrition Tips for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- American Gastroenterological Association: Inflammatory Bowel Disease
