Eating, Diet, & Nutrition for Crohn’s Disease

What should I eat if I have Crohn’s disease?

If you have Crohn’s disease, you should choose healthy foods and drinks. Talk with your doctor about a healthy eating plan.

Crohn’s disease can affect nutrition in several ways. Crohn’s disease symptoms may cause some people to lose their appetite and eat less. Inflammation in the small intestine may cause the body to absorb fewer nutrients. Certain medicines and surgery used to treat Crohn’s disease may also cause the body to absorb fewer nutrients.

Depending on your symptoms and the medicines you take, your doctor may recommend changes to what you eat and drink.10 Your doctor may also recommend dietary supplements if your body doesn’t absorb enough nutrients. For safety reasons, talk with your doctor before using dietary supplements, such as vitamins, or any complementary or alternative medicines or medical practices.

Getting the amount of nutrients that is best for you may help prevent complications, such as malnutrition and problems with growth and development in children.

Diet

Researchers have not found that specific foods cause or worsen Crohn’s disease symptoms. However, studies suggest that consuming healthy foods and drinks may lower the risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Talk with your doctor about any foods that seem to be related to your symptoms. Your doctor may suggest keeping a food diary to help identify foods that seem to make your symptoms worse.

Gut bacteria

Some experts believe that the microbiome may play a role in Crohn’s disease. Changes in certain types of bacteria in the digestive tract may lead to IBD, including Crohn’s disease.

Eating a variety of healthy foods can improve healthy bacteria in the gut. Your doctor may recommend eating more fruits and vegetables for Crohn’s disease.

Reference

[10] Ha C, McGovern D, Melmed GY. Chapter 64: Crohn’s disease: clinical manifestations and management. In: Wang TC, Camilleri M, Lebwohl B, et al, eds. Yamada’s Textbook of Gastroenterology. 7th ed. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd; 2022:1232–1247.

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