- There's a lot of misinformation online
about treating Crohn's disease.
Unlike the low FODMAP diet for IBS,
there is no real cure for Crohn's disease.
However, studies show that there are some
diet changes that can really help
with treatment and preventing recurrence,
and that's what I'm looking at in this video.
(bell rings)
Just to quickly cover the basics,
Crohn's disease is an inflammatory disorder of the gut.
Alongside Ulcerative Colitis, it's classified
as an Inflammatory Bowel Disease or IBD.
Together, IBD affects over 1.4 million people in the US
and 2.2 million in Europe.
It's characterised by inflamed sections of the intestine.
However, it can affect all parts
of the gastrointestinal tract, from mouth to anus.
It's thought to be caused by a combination
of genetic, environmental, and immunological factors.
Some researchers believe the typical western diet
is the reason rates of Crohn's disease
and other gastrointestinal problems is on the rise.
However, that's certainly not proven.
But what is clear is that diet plays a critical role
in managing symptoms as well as preventing recurrence.
This means appropriate modifications to your diet
are the closest thing you can get to a cure.
Eating patterns that restrict or eliminate certain
food groups have emerged as popular diets for Crohn's,
so things like low FODMAPS, SCD, GAPS, and even paleo.
However, there is not much evidence
to support the concept of most of these.
The most well-researched and promising is actually
the low FODMAP diet, which is a temporary eating pattern
proven to treat irritable bowel syndrome.
FODMAPS are short-chain carbohydrates that can cause
digestive problems in certain people.
It's thought that cutting FODMAPS may also
inadvertently remove problem foods for Crohn's disease
patients, improving overall symptoms
and reducing risk of flare-ups.
In a study of 72 IBD patients given
low FODMAP diet education, 52 of which had Crohn's,
those who managed to follow it for three months,
which was 70% of patients, reported improvements
in symptoms of pain, bloating, and diarrhea.
Unfortunately, there was no biochemical markers measured
and no way to accurately monitor eating habits
during that time, so we can't draw any firm conclusions
from this type of study, but it's promising.
This suggests a low FODMAP diet can be beneficial
initially if you can stick to it,
but we're not sure about the long run.
Long-term restriction of FODMAPS is not good for your
gut bacteria and can cause future problems down the road.
But considering that most IBD patients
can recognize which foods give them problems,
I can definitely see the potential
in a low FODMAP diet in the beginning.
Just know that it's not easy to do on your own,
so you should try to team up with a
IBD specialist, dietitian, or doctor.
One other eating pattern worth mentioning
is to do with meat and added fats,
because there's a lot of information online
that says that eating meat is bad for Crohn's.
But research on the role of animal foods is a mixed bag.
Observational studies tend to find a link
between high consumption of animal foods
and increased risk of Crohn's disease, but not always.
High fish consumption has also been linked
to worse outcomes, yet other studies show
high omega-3 intakes to be beneficial.
All the main types of fat, saturated, poly,
unsaturated, and mono unsaturated,
have also been linked to an increased risk,
but not consistently, and mainly for Ulcerative Colitis.
So given the quality of the observational evidence
so far, it remains unclear what role
animal foods and fatty acids play.
So in summary, a low FODMAP diet is a great
place to start if you have symptoms.
This can help you identify any potential
food intolerances that you have,
which do have overlapping symptoms with Crohn's disease.
Just remember that a low FODMAP diet
should be temporary and it should be done
under the supervision of a dietitian.
And with animal food intake, we really don't know much
at this stage to give solid conclusions.
You could definitely limit intake if you want,
but just be weary of your iron levels, which are an
at-risk nutrient for someone with Crohn's disease.
Thanks for watching.
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(upbeat music)