What’s the difference between Crohn’s & Colitis?
The article I was reading this morning intrigued me because it said that eating certain foods may not trigger IBS, but that it will irritate symptoms. This makes perfect sense, but I never thought of it like this. Foods may not trigger the disease itself but only a symptom. A symptom is a feeling or observation made by an individual. Interesting…
Symptoms of IBS, food allergies and intolerance’s are very similar. These include stomach cramping and pains, nausea, loose bowels, and urgent bathroom trips. Food allergies and food intolerance’s should be watched carefully as there is actually quite a difference. People with UC have an immune system that is switched on very easily, causing major inflammation, which then causes the body to want to eliminate any waste or potential harm to the body. This is a normal reaction, however not to the extent of time a person with UC has it. Their bodies stay in ‘fight or flight’ mode for a long time after the potential threat is eliminated.
Everyone is different. For Tom, Popcorn is the culprit. Nothing else seems to do it like popcorn does. The symptoms get so bad that he’s not even tempted by it! That would be like me drinking a glass of milk. Geez that would hurt and cause SO much discomfort! But I know it would be gone within a day or two. That popcorn for Tom makes the discomfort drag on for an entire week! We believe that because popcorn kernels are more difficult to digest, it may irritate the intestines during digestion causing his symptoms to flare up. Of course, this is just our speculation.
I wonder… what other foods trigger the symptoms of IBD/UC/Crohn’s?
Key:
IBD = Irritable Bowel Disease
IBS = Irritable Bowel Syndrome
UC = Ulcerative Colitis
Visit the link below for more useful information. I have been reading more on the recent studies as well the causes, triggers, and treatment.
http://www.ccfa.org/resources/diet-and-ibd.html
Nourishing Zen 
April 9, 2014 at 11:01 pm
From what I’ve read it can really depend on the person for what causes a symptom flare up when it comes to food. These are the foods that bug me:
Coffee
Alcohol
Popcorn
Possibly tomatoes
I’m still working on what all makes it angry though. A food diary really helps to narrow things down!
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April 10, 2014 at 12:01 am
Thanks so much for letting us know! I know it is dependent upon the person which makes it difficult to narrow things down besides doing trial and error. It’s really interesting to hear about what triggers other people. I would think nuts would irritate a person also because they are more difficult to digest? A food diary is an excellent idea! How long have you had it?
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April 10, 2014 at 12:09 am
I’ve heard that people have problems with nuts. I’m still trying to figure out if I do or not. I got diagnosed in December with Colitis. My doctors are still trying to figure out if it’s UC or Crohn’s. I had bowel problems for about three years prior to that.
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April 10, 2014 at 2:28 am
For me, the only way I’ve gotten any handle on my symptoms is cutting foods out of my diet. Unfortunately, I seem to have problems with a LOT of foods. I was already vegetarian for many years pre-UC, so I don’t know if any meats trigger it.
For me, the #1 worst food is corn. Not just kernels–corn in any form. And because it’s so heavily subsidized, it’s in everything. Corn flour, cornstarch, cornmeal, corn syrup.
Gluten is also a problem for me. I’m close to remission now (last colonoscopy showed only moderate inflammation), so at my gastroenterologist’s recommendation, I tried reintroducing gluten. I’ll just say that it was NOT a successful experiment.
Other problem foods: artificial sweeteners, caffeine, nuts (nut butters are okay, though), seeds, raw fruits and veggies, peas, and some cooked veggies (kale and Brussels sprouts are particularly bad).
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April 10, 2014 at 2:57 am
IBD = Inflammatory Bowel Disease. This is a key definition as the inflammation in the digestive system can be much more severe than the irritation caused in irritable bowel syndrome. IBS does not often require surgery nor cause bleeding as significant as the inflammation.
On the food idea: I agree with you that it is very individualized. I can eat seeds (sesame for example) but have significant problems with spinach and very fibrous fruits and vegetables, especially if raw. The types of meat I tend to avoid have been ones that are very fatty and where you can literally see the fat (pork mostly, the strip of fat on a New York strip steak).
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April 10, 2014 at 2:46 pm
Thanks for sharing all of this wonderful information! Come to think about it, Tom does have a lot of issues with corn or anything along those lines (of course popcorn included). Also in that mix are raw brussel sprouts. He doesn’t eat too many raw veggies in general except carrots, and sugar snap peas. And of course anything that has any preservatives, especially cured meats such as salami.
Another huge one is red meat. He can only have a small amount of beef – we hardly ever have ground beef. We usually take the ground turkey route which is much healthier in general and more gentle on the system. There was a day a couple weeks ago – we had beef (brisket, steaks) two or three days in a row. His stomach did not agree with it and ended up sick that night only (thank goodness). It was SO bad – I felt awful! His stomach was cramping and said it felt like someone was drilling him right in the abdomen constantly. He eventually ended up giving back the meal to the porcelain gods.
Does anyone else have trouble with beef?
Another interesting thing I was talking to him about last night was that when he eats a ton of veggies, salads, juicing etc., he says he feels better and his bowels are more ‘normal’ rather than loose and urgent. He says he’s never felt better than when we were making salads (baby kale, spinach, mixed greens). His system felt regular and clean. I made the broccoli soup the other night and he said it helped him also. It’s really odd to me because usually, that amount of veggies have the opposite effect on people that don’t have IBD. I suppose this is a very case-by-case situation.
Thoughts?
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April 10, 2014 at 3:32 pm
From what I’ve read it’s a very case by case when it comes to food. Some people avoid salads at all costs while others can eat it just fine. I haven’t noticed any problems with beef for me. And you have people that swear by the paleo diet which has a lot of meat in it. I also found out that foods that aren’t a problem for a person now are problems for them later down the road.
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April 10, 2014 at 3:38 pm
In my opinion…Paleo is good within moderation. It seems that it’s not realistic to eat like that all day every day of our lives. If you don’t mind me asking, Kenzie, are you on any medications for your Colitis? If so, do you find it to be working?
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April 10, 2014 at 6:06 pm
I don’t think I could do Paleo. It seems like too much of a pain. I’m currently on Budesonide and I’m not sure if it’s working as well as it should be. Some of my symptoms are coming back. But I’m also not getting enough fiber in my diet so that could be a cause of it. I was on Lialda and that didn’t work for me at all. It actually landed me in the hospital.
What meds are your husband on?
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April 11, 2014 at 2:39 pm
Fiber actually helps him a lot. It makes him regular and ‘normal’. We usually have fiber pills around and also the vegetable greens that we mix with water or juice. It seems to help a lot! Tom is taking Balsalazide Disodium Capsules. He takes it only at night now that he’s in remission.
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April 11, 2014 at 3:21 pm
I’m glad to hear that! I really need to get better at taking my fiber. Balsalazide Disodium is one of those meds that I can’t have. I can’t have any of the 5-ASAs. I’m glad it’s working well for your husband 🙂
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