Probiotic foods like yogurt, kefir, aged cheeses, miso and real sourdough bread can help maintain a healthy gut microbiome, something that is altered in Crohn's disease.
Do: White Bread. Toasted bread or a bagel made with refined white flour are good for breakfast or as a sandwich base. Look for brands with 2 grams of fiber or less per serving. Low-fiber grains are easier to digest when you have Crohn's.
Avoid high-fiber foods.
Fiber is essential to healthy digestion, but some people with Crohn's disease find that high-fiber foods, such as whole-wheat pasta or bread, and beans and other legumes, like chickpeas and lentils, can cause diarrhea and bloating during flares.
Whole-grain bread contains fiber, and for someone in a UC flare, that fiber can cause a lot of discomfort. Sourdough bread is a great alternative because it's made with refined flour that's had most of that fiber stripped away.
The best bread to reduce gut inflammation is bread made from whole grains. Refined grains, such as the grains found in white bread and white pasta, are known to increase inflammation across the whole body. Sourdough bread and rye bread are both good options for an anti-inflammatory diet.
Sourdough contains less gluten than non-fermented bread, and therefore triggers less inflammation, bloating, pain, or other common side effects to gluten-sensitive individuals. Increased amino acid concentrations in sourdough contribute to healthy muscles, and help reduce the risk of stroke, cancer, and heart disease.
Butter, margarine, heavy cream and fried foods are particularly important to avoid. You should also limit dairy, as many people with Crohn's disease find that their symptoms improve when they reduce or eliminate dairy from their diet.
Although there's no firm evidence that any particular foods cause Crohn's disease, certain things seem to aggravate flare-ups. So a food diary can help you identify personal triggers. Beyond that, limit dairy products, eating smaller meals, stay hydrated, and try to avoid caffeine, alcohol, and carbonation.
Improved Digestive Health
According to some studies, sourdough bread acts as a prebiotic, which means that the fiber in the bread helps feed the “good” bacteria in your intestines.
1. Wholemeal Bread. Wholemeal bread (also called whole wheat bread) is made up of grains that are rich in fibre, antioxidants, and vitamins. Whole-grain foods can improve your overall gut health and help you stay regular.
Low-residue diet
Temporarily eating a low-residue or low-fibre diet can sometimes help improve symptoms of ulcerative colitis during a flare-up. These diets are designed to reduce the amount and frequency of the stools you pass. Examples of foods that can be eaten as part of a low-residue diet include: white bread.
Sourdough isn't the only option if you're looking for anti-inflammatory foods but still want to eat bread. The Arthritis Foundation lists rye bread and millet as two varieties that work well for anti-inflammatory diets.
Simon recommends nut-based cheeses such as cashew cheeses and almond-based cheeses, including almond cream cheese. But there are certain cheeses you shouldn't be eating. “I would only advise avoiding cheese where the main ingredient is coconut oil.
Dairy isn't a problem for everyone with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, the two types of IBD. Some people with IBD can consume dairy products in moderation, whereas others don't have any issues with dairy foods.
Contrary to popular belief, many people with Crohn's can actually consume dairy products without grief, Taylor says. But when you have symptoms, whole-fat dairy products (like whole milk, ice cream and sour cream) can be a problem, so step away from the fettuccini alfredo.
Opt for mango and banana during a Crohn's flare, and skip berries with seeds, which might irritate your digestive tract, but feel free to include blueberries. Fluids also keep you hydrated.
Sourdough contains a variety of vitamins and nutrients, making it super beneficial to your day-to-day health. Sourdough bread has small to moderate amounts of: iron, manganese, calcium, B1-B6, B12, folate, zinc, potassium, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, selenium, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamin E.
LAB (including those commonly found in sourdough bread) produce beneficial compounds: antioxidants (7), the cancer-preventive peptide lunasin (8), and anti-allergenic substances, some of which may help in the treatment of auto-immune diseases (9).