Managing Inflammatory Bowel Disease
If you’re living with an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, you’re painfully aware of how quickly a day can turn from good to bad. Just when you’re feeling confident about your health, a sudden flare up of cramps, diarrhea, constipation, or rectal bleeding can ruin a perfectly fine day.
Fortunately, thanks to the latest nutritional research, we now know that IBD can be effectively managed through dietary changes. And that potentially means a lot more good days are on the horizon!
You’re Not Alone
Being diagnosed with IBD may cause you to feel socially isolated. But take heart—you’re not alone! In the United States, more than 1 million people—mostly between the ages of 15 and 35—have been diagnosed with IBD. And every year, 30,000 new cases are diagnosed.
Managing IBD with Dietary Changes
Traditionally, IBD is treated using steroidal medications or, in the most severe cases, surgery. However, targeted medical foods, in tandem with dietary changes, can help you effectively manage IBD.
Targeted medical foods - certain medical foods (defined by the FDA as “prescribed by a physician when a patient has special nutrient needs in order to manage a disease or health condition”) contain key ingredients that can support the health of your digestive tract and immune system. These key ingredients can include:
- Reduced-iso-alpha acids (RIAA), a hops derivative with anti-inflammatory properties
- Low-allergy potential, readily-digestible protein and amino acids
- L-glutamine, an essential amino acid that supports the immune system and helps maintain a healthy gastrointestinal mucosa
- Turmeric (curcumin) and ginger, two spices that have long been recognized for their anti-inflammatory effects
Dietary changes - because IBD affects your ability to absorb nutrients, it is important to eat foods that are both nutrient-rich and non-irritating. This means making sure you’re eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and avoiding processed foods, foods that are high in simple carbohydrates and fats, or high fiber foods that can irritate the intestinal lining.
Recent seminar
Note that Dr. Eklund in July, 2009 completed a three day seminar held in Washington DC under the auspices of the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) entitled,
“Restoring Gastrointestinal Equilibrium:
Practical Applications for Understanding, Assessing and Treating Gut Dysfunction.”
The faculty included Patrick J. Hanaway, MD of Genova Diagnostics and two IFM faculty members Liz Lipski, PhD and Gerard E. Mullin, MD. Significant information was shared regarding the effects of bacteria in the small intestine; the role of prebiotics and probiotics in sickness and health; irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and dysbiosis; constipation; inflammation in the gut; and auto-immune diseases.
Don’t let IBD or IBS cramp your style! If you’re interested in dietary approaches to managing gastrointestinal problems, please schedule an appointment at our office. We’ll work with you to develop a personalized nutritional plan.
