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Crohn’s disease is a dangerous disease that cause swelling or inflammation in the digestive tract.
Crohn’s disease can affect both small and large intestine as well as any part of the body, causing sores either on the anus or mouth (1) .
It can also be regarded as an autoimmune disease, this is where immune system attack itself, thinking they harmful.
Crohn’s disease is common among individuals who have family member with the disease.
Presently, there is no known cure for Crohn’s disease but lifestyle changes, drugs and dietary modifications can go a long way to reduce symptoms associated to Crohns disease.
However, Crohn’s disease often present with numerous symptoms include , Diarrhea, Fever
Fatigue, Abdominal pain and cramping, Blood in the stool, Mouth sores, weight, and Loss of appetite.
This article will explore Crohn’s disease diet in South Africa
1. Grains
Grains are commonly eaten in many homes across the globe but once you’re diagnosed with Crohn’s disease you may not necessarily need grains, especially those high in fiber.
Fiber is very essential in bowel movement and overall well-being of the digestive tract. It becomes problematic when you have Crohn’s disease; as it aggravate symptoms linked to Crohn’s disease.
It is on this ground, Dietitians often emphasize on low fiber diet to prevent irritation of the bowel and symptoms associated with Crohn’s disease.
According to researchers, those with Crohn’s disease may benefit greatly from a low residue and low fiber diet.
Opting for low fiber diet like; rice and rice pasta, potatoes, cornmeal, oatmeal, and gluten-free diet are helpful in managing Crohn’s disease.
2. Vegetables
Vegetables are incredibly good in human body as they provide numerous nutrients. They possess vitamin and minerals as well as dietary
fibre.
Because of the importance of vegetables, preparing it in a way that will reduce the insoluble fiber is recommended so as to prevent irritation of the bowel in tackling Crohn’s disease.
Baking and steaming vegetables can make them more easily digestible; it enable you reap all the nutrients found in them. Though some people bland vegetables to avoid symptoms attributed to Crohn’s disease.
Some vegetables to be taken on low residue or fiber diet includes; eggplant, potatoes without the skin, pumpkin, pulp-free vegetable juice, and Asparagus.
3. Take Fruits
To meet daily requirement for vitamins and minerals, take low fiber fruits such as bananas, honeydew melon, watermelon, cantaloupe peaches among others.
While opting for these fruits, eating moderately is advised as too much consumption of fruits may trigger symptoms linked with Crohn’s disease.
You can further reduce fiber content in fruits by cooking, canning, as well as poaching. It is thought that intense processing of fruits help lower fiber content and allows your digestive tract to tolerates them.
4. Protein
Protein plays a critical role in many bodily functions. Consuming animal source of protein can rapidly aggravate symptoms of Crohn’s disease.
Many animal source of protein are high in dietary fat. High intake of animal fat has be observed to
raise risk factors of inflammatory bowel disease.
Lean protein is better in Crohn’s disease management. So at the grocery, always choose skinless chicken.
5. Egg yolk
Clinical findings revealed that those with Crohn’s disease are prone to vitamin A and D deficiency.
Therefor, egg yolk consumption can be helpful at nourishing your body during Crohn’s disease treatment.
Incorporating vitamin A and D supplements can better treatment of Crohn’s disease.
6. Take Omega-3 fatty acids rich food
Trout, salmon, mackerel, herring, tuna, and sardines, are excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids.
They posses antiinflammatory properties that enables your body combat inflammation and decrease risk of sore in the colon.
7. Diary product
Taking yourght can help in treating Crohn’s disease as it contains probiotic. Probiotic foods are generally good for gut Health.
They are healthy bacteria which assist in stopping inflammation in the gut. Though lactose in them may trigger digestive disorder if you have lactose intolerance.
8. Juice
Juice helps reduce fiber content in fruits and vegetables. It does not only limit to fiber reduction in food but offer you vitamin C which help our body absorb iron.
It is imperative you go for low gycemic Index food to prevent blood sugar spike while juicing.
Conclusion
Crohn’s disease cause inflammatory bowel disease, leading to various symptoms such as weakness, bleeding, fatigue, abdominal pains, weight loss among others.
However, certain South Africa food such as grains, diary product, have been reported to mitigate symptoms of Crohn’s disease.
