Diet For Crohn's Disease

The human digestive system is made up of several different sections that form a type of tube that runs through the body. Food is consumed through the mouth where it is processed through chewing. From here, food is swallowed and passed into the esophagus. The esophagus has no major function apart from transporting food down to the stomach. In the stomach, food is processed using various enzymes and stomach acids.

Crohn's disease is a digestive system disorder. The entire system that deals with human digestion is known as the gastro-intestinal system. The gastro-intestinal system is designed to deal with the various stresses associated with digestion. In the stomach, the lining of the gastro-intestinal system is extremely thick and strong to help it deal with the acids that work on the food. There is also a lining that covers the insides of the intestinal system which performs various functions including the protection of the intestinal system itself. Crohn's disease is a condition that leads to the chronic inflammation of the lining of the gastro-intestinal system. This leads to a situation where it becomes difficult to digest food and difficult to absorb nutrients from food.

Crohn's disease can affect any part of the digestive system. However, most cases of Crohn's disease are noted in the small intestine. When this happens, the small intestine will be swollen and will not be able to perform its functions efficiently. The individual will suffer from abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhea. Crohn's disease is often mistaken for other inflammatory bowel conditions. The cause of Crohn's disease is not completely understood as of now. There is some evidence to suggest the involvement of the immune system. However, it is not clear that this involvement is related to the cause of the condition or is a result of the condition itself.

Foods To Avoid

In general, one can look at a list of Crohn's disease foods to avoid that applies to most people. These foods include butter, oil, caffeine drinks, fatty foods, dairy products, alcoholic beverages, chocolates, gas producing foods, raw fruits and vegetables, red meat, pork and spicy foods. Whole grain foods and other high fiber foods should be avoided. Dairy products may not be such an issue if the individual does not suffer from lactose intolerance. Again, trial and error comes into the picture in such a situation.

Healing Food Ideas

When it comes to the diet for Crohn's disease sufferers, there is a lot of ambiguity. This is because there is no specific diet for Crohn's disease. A suggested diet for Crohn's disease may work for one individual without helping another. What is important from the point of view of the individual is to note the changes that are felt when consuming food. Some foods will be consumed without any symptoms of pain, gas or bloating. Others may trigger an attack of these symptoms and these can be added to the list of Crohn's disease foods to avoid. This sort of trial and error method will help to eventually end up with a list of Crohn's disease foods to eat which the patient can follow. Interestingly, some of the foods that are listed as Crohn's disease foods to avoid may be consumed at a later date. The reason for this is that the body will react poorly to most foods when it is suffering from serious intestinal inflammation. Once this inflammation calms down, the patient may be able to handle more foods.

A low residue diet for Crohn's disease is one that slows the functioning of the intestinal system down. This therefore reduces foods that are high fiber or that stimulate the digestive processes of the intestines. A low residue diet for Crohn's disease slows down the functioning of the intestinal system, thus promoting better health as the amount of nutrition absorbed is greater. The low residue diet also helps to calm the intestinal system down, something that helps with treatment.

It is fairly obvious that patients suffering from Crohn's disease will suffer from low absorption of food compared to healthy individuals. Thus, it is important to consume foods that have a high nutritional value and that can be easily absorbed. This will compensate for the fact that the intestines are not running at their optimum efficiency. Thus high protein and high carbohydrate foods should be consumed to ensure that there is sufficient nutrition in the system. The diet for Crohn's disease is fairly similar to a diet followed for other ulcerative conditions such as ulcerative colitis. In both cases, the diet should provide plenty of nutrition so that the individual is able to ensure that he or she gets the requisite nutrition into the system while consuming food. This will ensure that the body does not suffer from symptoms of malnutrition. If this happens, the patient will struggle to recover from injuries that occur within the intestinal system as the body will not be generating enough energy and enough effort to deal with the damage that has taken place.

Medication Process

The diet for Crohn's disease is an important aspect of managing the condition. There are various different forms of medication that may be used to help with the condition. These will be prescribed by the doctor who is treating the patient and must be taken under the doctor's instructions and observation only. Self medication should be avoided at all costs. The diagnosis of Crohn's disease depends on a number of different tests and procedures that help with understanding the condition. The diet for Crohn's disease is one that can help to aid the recovery process and boost the health of the individual.