Certain foods can trigger UC symptoms in some people.
Has ulcerative colitis (UC) made you hesitant to eat for fear of causing painful symptoms? If you know for sure what foods make you feel worse, it’ll be easier to live with the disease. One review noted that people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who had a diet full of fiber from fruits and vegetables, and low in animal fats, dairy, and processed food, had the fewest flares and best health outcomes. Doctors and nutritionists recommend that people who are diagnosed with ulcerative colitis change their dietary intake to ensure that they are consuming much-needed nutrients without exacerbating symptoms.
What’s the best way to identify foods to avoid if you have UC? Elimination diets, where patients remove certain foods from their diet to see if their symptoms abate, are a good way to identify common food triggers.
To get started on one, record all the food you eat during the day in a diary or journal along with any symptoms you experience. You can do this with pen and paper or with phone apps.
There are also a number of special diets that people with UC may want to try, although dietary recommendations will vary from person to person. For example, the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), which is designed especially to control IBD symptoms, focuses on vegetables, fruits, meats, and nuts, limits dairy, and eliminates grains, processed foods, and all sugars but honey. Studies on the effect of the SCD diet on UC are limited, but there is more recent research about the diet’s effect on Crohn’s disease, another type of IBD.
The preliminary results of a 2021 clinical trial comparing how people with Crohn’s disease fare on the SCD and the Mediterranean diet showed that 46.5 percent of people on the SCD achieved symptomatic remission after six weeks, compared with 43.5 percent of those on the Mediterranean diet. Additionally, 5.4 percent of patients on the SCD achieved a reduction of systemic inflammation after six weeks, compared with 3.6 percent of those on the Mediterranean diet.
Another special diet is the low-residue or low-fiber diet, which restricts foods that increase bowel activity — like prune juice, bran cereals, legumes, and leafy vegetables — and allows mostly white rice, white bread, well-cooked vegetables, fish, poultry, and dairy products. That said, a high-fiber diet, in conjunction with a low-fat diet, has otherwise been shown to be beneficial in UC patients, per research from 2021. So a low-fiber diet may be more appropriate for individuals with severely uncontrolled disease, because increased bowel activity due to higher fiber consumption may worsen UC symptoms.
Be sure to speak with your doctor or a dietitian before starting any special diet for UC. If you start removing particular foods from your diet, you may develop nutritional deficiencies. Your doctor or nutritionist can test your nutrient levels and help you create a meal plan that’s right for you while meeting all your nutritional needs.
Dairy Is a Common Trigger Food for People With Ulcerative Colitis
7 Foods to Avoid When You Have Ulcerative Colitis
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Ditch Unhealthy Fats for a Happier Digestive Tract
One review found that diets high in trans fats, such as the hydrogenated oils found in processed foods, as well as peanut, canola, sunflower, and safflower oils, were more likely to trigger inflammation and caused a higher risk of ulcerative colitis. In contrast, people who ate more omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish, had a lower risk of UC. Another review reported that omega-3 fatty acids reduced intestinal inflammation, maintained remission, and improved quality of life.
Dr. Dassopoulos recommends limiting unhealthy fats for overall health. This includes saturated fats found in red meat. “My advice to people with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease is to follow a healthy Mediterranean diet and limit red meat,” Dassopoulos says.
Carbonated Beverages May Increase Abdominal Pain
Fizzy drinks may cause gas or bloating in some people, possibly leading to increased abdominal discomfort. Many soft drinks or carbonated energy drinks also contain caffeine, which can stimulate the intestines and worsen diarrhea, according to the Mayo Clinic. Drinking sugary soft drinks can contribute to obesity as well, which raises the risk of heart disease and other health problems, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
One research analysis found that a high intake of soft drinks was associated with an increased risk of developing Crohn’s disease, while a high intake of tea was associated with a lower risk of the inflammatory bowel disease. For a refreshing beverage, choose fruit-infused water or herbal iced teas.
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Many People With Ulcerative Colitis Are Gluten Intolerant
Gluten sensitivity or intolerance is a growing issue among people with ulcerative colitis. In recent years, more people are reporting gastrointestinal symptoms and sensitivity to gluten without evidence of celiac disease, which causes a reaction to eating gluten, or the proteins found in wheat, barley, rye, and some oats. Blood tests, a biopsy, and your response to a gluten-free diet can determine if celiac disease is responsible for causing abdominal symptoms like cramping, diarrhea, or pain that can be mistaken for UC symptoms. Eliminating gluten will ease the additional symptoms if tests show that you do have celiac disease.
Even in the absence of celiac disease, you may find some relief in eliminating gluten. Research has found that 65 percent of patients with IBD saw an improvement in their gastrointestinal symptoms when they tried a gluten-free diet.
Nuts and Seeds May Be Hard to Digest if You Have Ulcerative Colitis
If you’re experiencing an active flare, it’s best to eat foods that are easy to digest and don’t further irritate the lining of your intestines. When you have UC, that means avoiding high-fat or high-fiber foods, like nuts, seeds, and corn hulls as well as raw vegetables. Once the colon is healed with proper treatment, these foods should be fine to eat, and high-fiber foods may even offer a protective effect when not in a flare.
Stick With a Mild Spice to Avoid Stomach Problems
A red-hot spicy meal can send anyone to the bathroom for emergency relief, and some people with IBD find spicy foods to be a particular trigger for symptoms, according to the University of Chicago Medicine.
During an active flare, it’s best to avoid spices altogether. Stick to plain foods like applesauce, oatmeal, or baked chicken to minimize symptoms and give the colon a chance to heal. “In general, when someone is flaring, we say to follow a bland diet,” says Dassopoulos. “Don’t add insult to injury.”
Limit the Size of Your Meal to Aid Digestion and Ease IBD Symptoms
Eating a large meal can put stress on your digestive system and make inflammatory bowel disease symptoms even worse. The NHS recommends smaller, more frequent meals to make it easier for your body to digest food and prevent abdominal discomfort. Try eating five or six smaller meals every two or three hours rather than the typical “three squares” a day.
Additional reporting by Jordan M. Davidson.