Diet and Health FAQ

Tagged As: Diet For Crohns

Question:
My father in law was diagnosed with crohn's just a few weeks ago.  He asked me to find (on the net) a diet for crohn's.  Is there such a thing as The Crohn's Diet?  A book or just some helpful hints would probably help him.

Answer:
Unfortunately, it seems that every sufferer of Crohn's reacts well to different foods. Many people find that a low-lactose diet makes them feel better.  Personally, I can drink all the milk and eat all the cheese I want, and I still feel fine. For the most part, I'd suggest eating as normal and keeping a food diary, and slowly noting what foods make his condition worse, then avoiding them.  You'll find that the most mysterious things make him feel bad (like myself: raw carrots and green apple skins give me acidy heartburn. odd!)  But for the most part, you'll probably discover that diet is nowhere near as important a factor in maintaining remission as you think.  I hardly have food issues at all, but stress... now that's something that makes me flare.  And lack of a full night's sleep.  At this point of disease research, unfortunately, you'll have to do most of the food research yourself. If he's really feeling poorly and wants relief, you might try a low residue diet, with lots of bland foods like plain white rice, applesauce, and plain toast. His GI can most likely give him a list of low res foods to stick with.