Amy Dowden opens up about her battle with Crohn's disease
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Crohn’s disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It causes inflammation of your digestive tract, which can lead to abdominal pain, severe diarrhoea, fatigue, weight loss and malnutrition. Although there is no single diet to alleviate Crohn’s symptoms, there are steps you can take and by cutting down or reducing certain foods, your symptoms can be reduced.
Avoid certain meats
People with Crohn’s disease may experience an immune response to certain compounds in pork and beef that can contribute to their symptoms.
In a study published in Nutrition, researchers reviewed the effect of meat products on Crohn’s disease.
Researchers found that although people with Crohn’s disease did not have an allergy to eating pork and beef, they did have hypersensitivity to these foods.
If you choose to eat meat, eating cuts of meat that are leaner and low in saturated fats could provide high protein content without all the inflammation.
Dairy products
Some people with Crohn’s disease have problems digesting lactose, the sugar found in milk and other dairy products.
Your doctor can test you to find out if you have lactose intolerance.
If you’re lactose intolerant, make sure you look for other sources of calcium and vitamin D such as soy, almond or rice milk, tofu, fortified cereals and orange juice.
Certain carbohydrates
Carbohydrates promote the activity of certain microorganisms, or bacteria, living in the gut lining.
This activity encourages the release of toxins and acids that damage the tissue of the digestive tract lining.
This action in turn damages enzymes that ordinarily help break down carbohydrates and could promote symptoms.
What can you eat?
- Oat bran
- Beans
- Barley
- Nuts
- Whole grains
- Eggs
- Fish.
Whilst Crohn’s disease is more common in people who smoke, if you have a family member with Crohn’s disease, you are more likely to develop the condition yourself.
One of the main symptoms that may show up when you develop Crohn’s disease will be noticed when you go to the toilet.
Having diarrhoea is arguably the most common way of spotting early stages of Crohn’s disease. repeated diarrhoea should not be ignored – treating the disease late will damage the chances of repressing the condition.
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