How a Dietitian Can Help You Dial In Your IBD Diet

Trying to match symptoms of Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis to specific foods can be overwhelming. A dietitian can help you find the right diet — and stick to it.

Most people who have either Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis — both forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — notice that they feel better when they eat certain foods and avoid others.

But some people find it hard to track symptoms and correlate them to specific foods. To make it even more difficult, the foods your body tolerates can change depending on the severity of your disease and whether you’re in a flare. These variables can make deciphering and sticking to dietary choices feel overwhelming.

That’s why working with a dietitian can help. Since having IBD puts you at risk for malnutrition, a dietitian can help ensure that you’re getting the nutrients your body needs. Eating the right foods can also help relieve symptoms and may help you reach remission faster (along with your medical treatment).

It gets even better, though: A recent research review found that people who followed anti-inflammatory diets such as the autoimmune protocol diet, Mediterranean diet, and high fiber diet by working with a dietitian reported significant improvements in quality of life — a measure of well-being that includes physical, mental, and social factors.

In other words, making dietary changes under the supervision of a dietitian can boost many aspects of health and well-being.

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What is a dietitian?

A registered dietitian (RD), sometimes also called a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN), is a credentialed medical professional trained in assessing nutritional needs and providing dietary counseling to promote health.

An RD is not the same as a nutritionist. The term “nutritionist” usually refers to someone who provides dietary advice but is not licensed or trained to provide medical advice. If you have IBD, it’s important to seek dietary guidance from an RD.

The best way to find an RD is to ask your gastroenterologist for recommendations. An RD who specializes in IBD can be especially helpful.

Why work with a dietitian?

It may be tempting to try making dietary changes on your own — and you certainly can — but it’s better to have the support of a professional for the following reasons:

• Expert advice: Your gastroenterologist may not be knowledgeable about nutrition. An RD is an expert on what kind of dietary changes are best for specific medical needs.
• Personalized plan: An RD can tailor a diet so it meets your nutritional needs and digestive tolerances and your preferences and lifestyle. An RD can also help you work through any unhealthy thoughts or fears you may have about food.
• Nutritional support: An RD will consider your medical history and current health status to determine what foods and supplements can best support your body.
• Improved symptoms: An RD can help you track your symptoms and make appropriate changes.
• Ongoing support: We’ve all tried to make healthy changes only to quickly give up (hello, New Year’s resolutions). Having someone who can help you stay the course can make a big difference in improving your health.

Therapeutic diet options

An RD can draw from a variety of dietary approaches to help you treat IBD.

If you have Crohn’s disease, you may have heard of exclusive enteral nutrition and the Crohn’s disease exclusion diet (CDED). These diets have been shown to help people with Crohn’s enter remission and manage flares.

The specific carbohydrate diet (SCD) or modified SCD has been used to help people with both Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. The low FODMAP diet, the Mediterranean diet, and other anti-inflammatory diets are also popular for helping with gut issues. Keep in mind that dietary advice will vary based on your condition.

In general, therapeutic diets for IBD help you avoid foods that increase inflammation and encourage eating whole foods that strengthen your gut microbiome. Following one of these diets will help you stay away from things like additives, emulsifiers, and highly processed foods, which can irritate your gut.

The diets that RDs typically recommend focus on whole foods such as lean meats and fruits and vegetables.

If you try to follow one of these diets, you’ll find yourself eating a lot of high fiber foods. This is important because high fiber foods such as fruits and vegetables are known to help your body produce short-chain fatty acids in the lining of your intestines.

These fatty acids maintain balance in your gut, help protect your gut from inflammation, and help you absorb food. This can lead to symptom relief and better gut health.

When my son was diagnosed with Crohn’s, he worked with an RD to follow the CDED. The dietitian helped us understand what my son could and couldn’t eat, made sure he was getting the nutrients he needed, and even provided recipe ideas.

Having guidance and support from the dietitian made these big dietary changes so much easier to implement. She was there to answer questions and provide personalized advice.

My son chose to follow the guidelines strictly until he felt better. Along with his medical treatment, the dietary changes helped him reach remission within a few months. Now that he feels better most of the time, he doesn’t have to follow the diet as closely. But he has found that the dietary guidelines are still helpful, especially when he has a symptom flare.

The takeaway

When you have IBD, making dietary changes can sometimes be confusing or overwhelming. But with the help of an RD, you can find a dietary plan that works for your needs. A personalized plan may help you manage your symptoms, get into remission, and improve your overall health. And with better overall health comes a better quality of life!