Ulcerative Colitis Diet

While planning ulcerative colitis diet, a balanced amount of nutritive foods are added, while foods that aggravate abdominal discomfort symptoms and diarrhea are avoided. Following diet for ulcerative colitis and making healthy lifestyle habits help in effective management of the symptoms.

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic health condition, characterized by presence of ulcers in the inner walls of the colon and rectum. A worrying issue with this condition is difficulty in diagnosis, as the disease indications mimic other digestive health problems. Noticeable ulcerative colitis symptoms include abdominal pain, rectal bleeding and bloody diarrhea. A patient diagnosed with this condition experiences frequent onset of the discomfort symptoms.

A type of inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis is a serious medical problem that should be treated promptly. If left untreated for an extended period, it can be debilitating, which at times, causes life-threatening medical complications. For diagnosis, imaging tests, blood test and colonoscopy are conducted by the doctors. Being a severe bowel related condition, therapeutic medications in conjunction with ulcerative colitis diet plan are recommended for treating the condition. This article explains the various factors to be considered while planning the diet for ulcerative colitis.

Diet for Ulcerative Colitis: An Overview

As per medical experts, ulcerative colitis causes are not at all related to the person's regular diet plan. Nevertheless, the symptoms of this inflammatory bowel disease exacerbate after having several food items. Thus, understanding ulcerative colitis treatment diet is of utmost importance in successful management of the discomfort conditions and also, in reducing flare-ups. For your understanding, detailed information on ulcerative diet plan is discussed below.

Healthy Diet for Ulcerative Colitis
Besides including healthy food items in the ulcerative colitis diet, good eating habits are also suggested for reducing flare-up incidences. Instead of having larger meals, make a point to serve smaller meals on a frequent basis. It helps in easy digestion and and reduces pressure on the digestive tract. Foods to incorporate in the diet for ulcerative colitis are:

* Lack of nutrients in the body may trigger ulcerative colitis outbreaks. Add foods that are sources of proteins, carbohydrates and good fats in appropriate amounts.
* People with inflammatory bowel diseases have problems in absorbing nutrients from the foods. Thus, adding sufficient amounts of fish, poultry and meat is advisable to get maximum nutrients.
* Easily digestible fruits and vegetables should form the key food items in the diet for ulcerative colitis. In case of having digestive problems with raw foods, one can think of baking and boiling them.
* Drinking plenty of water and healthy juices (free of additives) is helpful to avoid digestive problems, thus indirectly alleviating ulcerative colitis symptoms.
* Dairy products should be included in the ulcerative colitis diet plan. However, if a person has a medical history of lactose intolerance, he or she should limit intake of milk and milk based products.
* In case of nutrient deficiency, one can consider taking nutritional supplements to provide adequate nutrients. The doctor may recommend B complex vitamins, vitamin D supplements and iron tablets.

Ulcerative Colitis Dietary Restrictions
Identify foods that trigger ulcerative colitis or worsens its symptoms, and then avoid them. Strictly following the ulcerative colitis dietary recommendations and making suggested lifestyle changes will definitely help in combating the symptoms. Foods that may aggravate symptoms and should be avoided in the diet for ulcerative colitis include:

* Avoid foods that cause gas and excessive bloating after consumption. They include difficult to digest food items, like cabbage, broccoli, bean, caffeine, carbonated drinks, etc.
* Sugar, artificial sweeteners and food additives. These are triggering food ingredients in some patients with ulcerative colitis. Thus, if a patient suspects the same foods aggravate his discomfort, it is best to avoid them.
* Refrain from coffee and hot beverages that contain caffeine. They are stimulating agents for the digestive tract, which often cause diarrhea in people with bowel problems. Hence, avoiding intake of these drinks is imperative for ulcerative colitis patients.
* Although dietary fiber is a key ingredient for a healthy diet, excess intake causes aggravation of ulcerative colitis by increasing digestive activity. It will be wise to consult the doctor while taking fiber rich foods.
* Other miscellaneous food items that may cause exacerbation of ulcerative colitis condition are dried fruits, nuts, popcorn, spicy foods, greasy foods, hot sauces, sulfur containing foods and alcohol.

Precisely speaking, planning ulcerative colitis diet is attributed to including nutritive and healthy foods, while refraining from problematic ones. I hope these simple-to-follow colitis dietary guidelines are helpful to you. In addition to following diet for ulcerative colitis, the patient should consider stress management, deep breathing techniques and relaxation therapies for achieving prompt results.