Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Irritable bowel disease (IBD)
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a term used for two conditions: Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). These are autoimmune diseases where the body’s immune system causes inflammation in the digestive tract.
Ulcerative colitis affects the colon – large intestine, while Crohn’s disease can affect the whole digestive tract from the mouth to the anus, more often effecting the small bowel. There is no cure for IBD, but people often experience times when symptoms worsen (called flares) and times when symptoms improve or stop (called remission).
Symptoms of IBD may include:
- Excessive wind
- Bloating
- Altered bowel motions – diarrhea or constipation
- Abdominal Pain or anal pain
- Fatigue
- Unintentional weight loss
- Malnutrition
How can a dietitian help me?
A dietitian can support people with IBD by helping them manage symptoms and maintain good nutrition during both flare-ups and remission. They create personalised eating plans to increase food variety while meeting individual nutritional needs, considering current symptoms and any food intolerances.
Lactose intolerance is common in people with Crohn’s disease and can cause symptoms such as nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhoea, bloating, and excess gas, which can be similar to IBD symptoms. A dietitian can help manage this by suggesting simple food swaps, such as choosing lactose-free products, firm cheeses, and other low-lactose dairy options that are easier to tolerate. This may be a temporary change dependant on your individual symptoms.Emerging studies are showing positive results for managing symptoms when not in a flare with a Low FODMAP diet. This diet is lower in, fermentable sugars. Fermentable sugars which can contribute to gastrointestinal upset in some people.
The Crohn’s Disease Exclusion Diet (CDED) is another structured dietary approach designed to reduce inflammation in individuals with Crohn’s disease. By eliminating specific foods that may trigger intestinal inflammation and combining this with partial enteral nutrition in some phases. CDED aims to induce and maintain remission, support a healthy gut microbiome, and improve overall digestive health.
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