Ulcerative Colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation and ulceration in the lining of the large intestine or colon and rectum. The most common symptoms of ulcerative colitis are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, rectal bleeding, fever, and loss of appetite.

However, the exact cause of UC is unknown, but the experts of Gastroenterology says that it can be caused due to the virus or the immune system attack on normal gut bacteria. Also, it is important to know that there are certain foods that can trigger colitis flare-ups.

Are you suffering from Ulcerative Colitis?

Then, you should definitely follow a customized colitis diet plan. Because, by avoiding the foods that can make the disease worse, you can manage the ulcerative colitis symptoms to a great extent.

Your food choices can affect your digestive tract. Here are some foods to avoid with colitis

If you are lactose intolerant, eating dairy products such as milk, butter, and cheese can cause symptoms similar to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). However, not everyone with ulcerative colitis is lactose intolerant, dairy products can trigger symptoms only in some people says the best gastroenterologists at SMILES.

Legumes and beans are rich in fiber which can increase bowel movements, cause gas and abdominal cramping. Besides, these fiber-rich foods take longer to digest and add bulk to stools which might cause irritation to the lining of the colon and thereby leading to the aggravation of symptoms of colitis flare.

If you are suffering from colitis flare-ups stay away from consuming alcohol. Alcohol is a potential trigger for diarrhea and ulcerative colitis flares. Alcohol can highly irritate the innermost lining of your colon and cause gas, bloating and inflammation which can further lead to Inflammatory bowel diseases.

Caffeine found in coffee, tea, and energy drinks acts as a stimulant which increases the transit time through the colon, thereby causing irritation to the lining of the colon. So, people with active ulcerative colitis symptoms or those who are worried about having them should consider skipping the coffee and other caffeinated drinks.

When you are suffering from ulcerative colitis, you should strictly avoid consuming fatty meats as excess fat may not be properly absorbed during a flare, which may make symptoms worse. Red meat can be high in sulfate, which can cause gas. Choose leaner cuts of meat and chicken to get protein to get rid of colitis flare-ups.

Refined sugar is also a big no for people with ulcerative colitis, Chron’s disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. It pulls in water and reduces the transit time of the food, thereby making you prone to diarrhea and inflammation of the colon wall. Colitis patients can substitute refined sugar with jaggery.

Gluten found in oats, wheat, flour, barley, and rye, etc can worsen the symptoms of ulcerative colitis in people who are gluten sensitive. If you suspect gluten may be a symptom trigger for you, consume a gluten-free diet including grains, cereals, and baked foods for six months to reduce the inflammation of colon lining.

Chocolates contain sugar and caffeine, both of which can contribute cramping and increase stool frequency that can highly irritate the digestive tract. As mentioned earlier, sugar aggravates diarrhea and caffeine increases the transit time through the colon. Therefore, avoid eating chocolates as both these ingredients can make ulcerative colitis symptoms worse.

Like fruits, vegetables are also rich in fiber that can be hard to digest, cause bloating, gas and abdominal cramps. This is particularly true for stringy (hard to chew) vegetables such as broccoli, celery, cabbage, onions, and Brussels sprouts. Instead, add only cooked vegetables in your colitis diet rather than raw or uncooked vegetables, including corn and mushrooms.

We at SMILES understand that ulcerative colitis is painful, recurrent and stressful. Use this ulcerative colitis diet chart to help you recover from the colitis symptoms. If you notice the symptoms are persistent schedule an appointment with the best gastroenterologist in Bangalore for a better colitis treatment.