It should be understood that Crohn's Disease can not be cured or
treated with nutritional change. Food intake or allergies also
do not cause Crohn's Disease. However, after the disease is
present, certain foods may aggravate the effects of Crohn's and
may be eliminated to reduce side effects.
There is no special diet Crohn's sufferers should follow. For
the most part, you should monitor your diet and the results of
such on your body. One way of doing this is by utilizing a food
diary in which you log such information. This way, you can keep
track of any negative effects certain foods may have.
Furthermore, the part of your intestine that is affected by
Crohn's may determine how your body reacts to certain foods and
these results may change as time goes by.
Certain diets are being advertised as being effective in
treating Crohn's disease, such as "The Specific Carbohydrate
Diet". However, diets that make such claims are only supported
by testimonials and have no scientific support. This should be
considered in the validity of the diet. However, certain claims
of the diet may be accurate, such as reducing gas and bloating
by eliminating hard to digest foods. It should be understood
that while certain side effects of the disease may be reduced,
it does not actually lessen inflammation or cure the disease.
However, there are certain factors that should be kept in mind
in regards to Crohn's Disease and nutrition. One of which is
malnutrition. Due to inadequate food intake, poor absorption,
and a combination of diarrhea and vomiting, sufferers often do
not have proper nutrient levels in their body. Therefore,
special care should be taken to either take supplements or to
maintain a proper diet. Also, dehydration is a very serious
concern. Excessive diarrhea, as a result of the emptying of the
intestines and inadequate absorption of liquids in the large
intestines, may lead to dehydration which, in turn, can cause
dysfunction of the kidneys or excessive weakness.
A possible treatment to aid in proper vitamin and mineral
intake, nutritional support may be utilized. This is the use of
a feeding tube through the stomach or small bowel to assure
adequate nutrition.
New research is being done in the area of nutritional therapy.
The use of fish or flaxseed oils has been shown to decrease
inflammation in the digestive tract. The use of probiotics, or
good bacteria, has also shown promise in restoring balance to
the intestine.
About the author:
Sarah is an acclaimed writer on medical matters, and has written
extensively on the subjects of Attention Deficit Disorder, Bird
Flu and Crohn's Disease. For more of her articles, go to
http://www.imedicalvillage.com.
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