Colitis, or ulcerative colitis, is a chronic condition affecting the digestive tract. The symptoms of colitis range from mild to severe, and while no cure exists, different therapies and treatments may help ease your symptoms. Although diet is not a cause, it can impact the effects of colitis. Restricting specific foods that worsen your condition may make it easier for you to cope with colitis.
Colitis
Colitis causes inflammation in the lining of the rectum and colon, and forms ulcers in areas where inflammation has destroyed healthy cells, explains the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. It tends to run in families and is most common in people between the ages of 15 and 30. Symptoms include anemia, weight loss, rectal bleeding, loss of appetite, diarrhea, loss of nutrients through loss of bodily fluids and joint pain. There is no evidence to prove that food is directly related to inflammation of the intestine, but some foods may aggravate your symptoms.
Determine Your Trigger Foods
The symptoms of colitis vary with each person, therefore no specific diet works for everyone. Keeping a food diary is perhaps the most effective means of determining your trigger foods, or the foods that worsen your colitis symptoms. It also helps determine if you are receiving the right amount of nutrients, preventing malnourishment from occurring.
Malnourishment and Colitis
Relieving the symptoms from colitis may be your first goal, but you also need to take malnourishment into serious consideration. University of Maryland Medical Center explains malnourishment may occur with colitis due to the consistent loss of bodily fluids and loss of appetite. To prevent this, you need to consume enough protein can calories from each food group. Show your food diary to a registered dietitian. She can help ensure you eat a balanced diet by increasing the foods you can consume, or by adding supplements to your diet.
General Diet Suggestions
Limiting dairy products may help when your symptoms are at their worst. They can make diarrhea, gas and abdominal pain more severe. High-fiber foods can do the same. Steaming and baking fruits and vegetables may help reduce the severity of your symptoms, according to MayoClinic.com. Drink enough water through the day, at least eight glasses. It keeps you hydrated and is a healthy alternative to coffee, which worsens diarrhea, and carbonated beverages, which increases gas.
