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Note: these tips should not replace advice from your physician. Always check with your physician before making any changes to your eating habits.

Diet and Crohn's disease
People with Crohn's disease often experience a decrease in appetite, which can affect their ability to receive the daily nutrition needed for good health and healing. In addition, Crohn's disease is associated with diarrhea and poor absorption of necessary nutrients

For some people a diet high in fat (like fried foods or fatty red meat), dairy or certain types of fiber may make their symptoms worse.

On the other hand, most experts agree that eating high-protein foods and drinking plenty of fluids can be beneficial for people with Crohn's disease. You may want to consult a dietician for tips on how to stay nutritionally healthy. Check with your healthcare professional to find out about specific dietary guidelines before making any changes to what you eat, and check with your doctor before vitamin supplements.

A healthy well-balanced diet is a good place to start. No special diet has been proven effective for preventing or treating Crohn's disease, but it is very important that people who have Crohn's disease follow a nutritious diet and avoid any foods that seem to worsen symptoms. There are no known consistent dietary rules to follow that will improve a person's symptoms.

MyPyramid was released by the USDA in 2005 as a guideline for healthy nutrition. Obviously as a Crohn's disease patient you must take into account any food sensitivities you have, but it provides a good place to start. It stresses activity and moderation along with a proper mix of food groups in one's diet. MyPyramid contains eight divisions. From left to right on the pyramid are six food groups:

Grains, recommending that at least half of grains consumed be as whole grains
Vegetables, emphasizing dark green vegetables, orange vegetables, and dry beans and peas
Fruits, emphasizing variety and deemphasizing fruit juices
Oils, recommending fish, nut, and vegetables sources
Milk, a category that includes other dairy products
Meat and beans, emphasizing low-fat and lean meats such as fish as well as more beans, peas, nuts, and seeds
There are two other categories:
Physical activity, represented by a person climbing steps on the pyramid, with at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per day recommended
Discretionary calories, represented by the uncolored tip of the pyramid, including items such as candy, alcohol, or additional food from any other group.
Click to enlarge the image

Chart courtesy of National Agricultural Library, Agricultural Research Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture.


Below is an additional resource you can use to research nutritional value of the foods you eat.

USDA National Nutrient Database and Nutrient Lists
Nutrient Data Laboratory, ARS, USDA
USDA's online searchable database. Look up the nutrient value of thousands of foods.

Want to find out which foods are high or low in a nutrient? See lists for a number of nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, fat, carbohydrate and selected antioxidants and phytochemicals. The site provides lists with foods in alphabetical order as well as in descending order (high to low) by nutrient content.

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