“A complete and balanced diet certainly plays a preventive role but also modulates the activity” of the pathology in the case of Crohn’s disease and guarantees “a normal life”. Nutrition in fact, “in addition to being one of the factors that can contribute to the onset” of the pathology, “can also be considered a parallel therapy to both the medical and surgical management of chronic inflammatory intestinal diseases (IBD)”. This was stated Camilla Fiorindi, dietician-nutritionist at the Careggi University Hospital in Florence, Author of ‘Faq: Nutrition and Crohn’s Disease’, the book which collects the answers to the most frequently asked doubts and questions of patients, created on the occasion of the awareness campaign ‘Crohnviviamo’, promoted by Nestlé Health Science in collaboration with Amici onlusthe Inflammatory Bowel Disease Association.
Surely Choosing what to eat can be a real challenge for people with Crohn’s disease. “For this reason – adds the expert – it is necessary to provide clear information on those foods that should be limited or more recommended based on the disease activity as well as the personal clinical history of the disease itself, including any previous surgical interventions, as well as the symptoms. If clear answers are provided, the search for information via the web or channels that are not scientifically correct is avoided, but it also makes people more autonomous in their food choices”.
In general, as also reported in the text available for free, in digital format, on the website of Nestlé Health Science“to maintain a state of well-being – Fiorindi emphasizes – the diet should be characterized by the intake of a fair amount of fiber for a greater production of short-chain fatty acids by the intestinal microbiota and the production of bioactive compounds that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action. However, during a flare-up phase – he specifies – the diet should often be modified based on any symptoms and on the surgical history. It may be necessary to avoid or limit certain foods that should then be gradually introduced during periods of remission”.
When the disease is in the “active phase” and therefore we have intestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal swelling or complications such as intestinal stenosis, the intake of fiber should be limited because it could worsen the present symptoms – warns Fiorindi – However, foods with a higher content of saturated fats such as sausages, and foods rich in simple sugars that can worsen the symptom during the disease activity phase, but also alter the composition of the bacterial flora during remission and, therefore, possibly favor what is a relapse of the disease itself should be limited”.
In the remission phase “the consumption of seasonal, fresh and unprocessed foods should be recommended, favoring those rich in fiber, fresh fish and meat, lower-fat cheeses, legumes as a second course several times a week, but also dried fruit, especially walnuts, which can be richer in omega 3. The person with Crohn’s disease can “have a practically normal life, considering that the extent and frequency of flare-ups can vary from individual to individual. Nutrition education is therefore essential to make them more aware and independent in their diet in order to also improve their quality of life. Moreover – he concludes – international guidelines recommend offering nutritional counseling to all individuals with Crohn’s disease”.
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