# Crohn's and ketogenic diet



## Ermis.t

I have Crohn's disease and I'm thinking of trying the ketogenic diet, has anyone tried it, if yes, has it worked for you?


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## Jer

I am revisiting this type diet now.

For the past 4-5 years, I've run a keto diet for late spring through summer.  I can't recall being as sick as I get every winter when I'm eating carbs.   So, I've gone to a Paleo diet and will see how things go.


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## PsychoJane

I don't know much about that type of diet but I am curious as to what people have to say about it and hear about their experiences.


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## David

Welcome to the community  

I'm not familiar with the diet either.  Would anyone with experience like to give a quick synopsis?


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## Beach

I've seen in the Success Stories section, member InstantCoffee is following a keto diet and finding relief from his IBD.  His thread can be read at:  

http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?t=46018

A ketogenic diet is probably best know as the diet epileptics eat.  It is where large amounts of fats are eaten (coconut oil, cheese, cream, bacon etc.) and used for energy while few carbohydrates and moderate amounts of protein are consumed.  

Popular dietary podcaster Jimmy Moore has been doing a keto experiment, writing up how he feels, along with testing different health parameters as he goes.  He seems to be enjoying the diet.  His latest writing from the other day can be seen at:

"Jimmy Moore’s n=1 Experiments: Nutritional Ketosis Day 241-270"

http://livinlavidalowcarb.com/blog/jimmy-moores-n1-experiments-nutritional-ketosis-day-241-270/17905


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## wildbill_52280

a ketogenic diet, according to wikipedia, is a high fat,adequate protein, low carbohydrate diet.



in my opinion a high fat diet is something to steer clear from with IBD due to the oxidative stress we are under which damages fats easily. i would shoot for getting 300 calories a day from fat which is a low fat diet. avoid animal fats, nuts tend to have alot more antioxidants then animal fat, and are a good source of minerals and some fiber.

since we are generally in a catabolic state, a slightly higher protein intake would be beneficial, our intestines need repairing much more often then normal people, but the main mechanism for catabolic state(tissue breakdown) is the oxidative stress, as well as chronic diarrhea/malabsorption. A couple  studies have demonstrated benefits for higher protein and supplementing with glutamine and or arginine.

Lastly, carbs i think are important, but we must differentiate between complex and simple carbs, complex carb sources tend to contain high amounts of soluble and insoluble fiber, which are great for intestinal health. soluble fiber feed good bacteria the will ferment and lower intestinal ph to inhibit pathogens from growing, this is a good thing. Simple carbs, like lactose and sucrose, have long been connected to the worsening of symptoms of IBD, keeping those as low as possible will reduce diarrhea.


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## Ya noy

This is actually one of the many variations of the Adkins diet, possibly one of the most restrictive of all low carbohydrate diets, but they work on the same basic principle. --  once the body is starved of carbohydrates, rather than manufacturing glucose for energy, the body converts fat to fatty acids and ketones instead, entering into a state called "ketosis."  You can buy paper strips at drug stores to test your urine for ketones to ensure your body has entered and is maintaining this state. 

In a ketogenic diet for epilepsy, the goal is to achieve a fat to protein ratio of 4:1, meaning that for every of 1 ounce of protein, you consume 4 ounces of fat. Carbohydrates are either eliminated completely or minimal, as part of the protein ratio.  To acheive this ratio, children with epilepsy on this diet will drink oil, mixed with small quantities of milk.  

No veggies, no fruits, no grains (breads) no starches (pastas, potatoes, rice, etc) and instead, you consume as much meat and fat as you want.  You can eat a dozen eggs fried in a pound of butter, along with a pound of bacon for breakfast, and still lose weight!   Without carbs., your body will only digest and absorb just so many calories from fats and proteins per day.  That's not entirely true, but to a certain extent, it is.  I have gone on several variations of this diet. And no matter how many calories I consume, the pounds just roll off.  

It's been proven effective for epilepsy, especially for children suffering certain types, and is also being used to treat a number of other conditions, including diabetes and cancer, but lets not go there. 

I could see how this might be beneficial, particularly to those whose systems can not tolerate fiber, and who may be overweight, particularly from long term use of steroids.  Not much fiber on this diet, but many with Crohns and other related disorders can't tolerate much fiber.  

It also tends to cause constipation, so may be helpful for diarrhea.   

But for those who are underweight already, I don't know if this would be a good diet, not without adding sufficient carbs to assisting  digesting and absorbing nutrients and calories from food--in which case, I would think the SCD would make more sense.  


Added:
If you do go on this diet, it would be great if you would post your journey in the supplement section so we can follow your experience.  I personally have been exploring and experimenting with the effect of dietary changes, so I would be interested in following yours.  

I wish you the best!


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## InstantCoffee

wildbill_52280 said:


> a ketogenic diet, according to wikipedia, is a high fat,adequate protein, low carbohydrate diet.
> 
> 
> 
> in my opinion a high fat diet is something to steer clear from with IBD due to the oxidative stress we are under which damages fats easily. i would shoot for getting 300 calories a day from fat which is a low fat diet. avoid animal fats, nuts tend to have alot more antioxidants then animal fat, and are a good source of minerals and some fiber.
> 
> since we are generally in a catabolic state, a slightly higher protein intake would be beneficial, our intestines need repairing much more often then normal people, but the main mechanism for catabolic state(tissue breakdown) is the oxidative stress, as well as chronic diarrhea/malabsorption. A couple  studies have demonstrated benefits for higher protein and supplementing with glutamine and or arginine.
> 
> Lastly, carbs i think are important, but we must differentiate between complex and simple carbs, complex carb sources tend to contain high amounts of soluble and insoluble fiber, which are great for intestinal health. soluble fiber feed good bacteria the will ferment and lower intestinal ph to inhibit pathogens from growing, this is a good thing. Simple carbs, like lactose and sucrose, have long been connected to the worsening of symptoms of IBD, keeping those as low as possible will reduce diarrhea.


To clarify in my case the any problems digesting anything were caused by the foods I cut which led me to the keto diet. 

After being on it for several months I've begun introducing fibers back into my diet that I previously could not tolerate such as melon, strawberries, and spinach. 

Some things to be aware of with keto is constipation being likely, especially in my case. Coconut oil helped with this but I seemed to adjust to it to where it was no longer effective.

Re-introducing fibers lead to some side effects. Gas, not entirely unwelcomed loosening of stool (it wasn't like a flare, but not something you'd like to experience without a bathroom close at hand.) In time I've been able to double my daily fiber intake with minimal side effects (though I'm still only eating about half to 3/4 a cup of diced melon a day). 

Someone mentioned Glutamine I would suggest researching your brand's contents, the type I have contains Maltodextrin which has been shown to promote growth of E.Coli in the intestines, I had what seemed to be a flare after consuming a bag of it.


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## Jer

The Ketogenic diet that I've always eaten......well, every summer for the past 5 or so years, has always been high protien and mod-high HEALTHY FATS.
I eat lean protiens and add in healthy fats like avocado, walnuts and oil, almonds and oil, mac nut oil........things like that.

I never saw the point of going on using a diet for health purposes and then justify eating foods like bacon in high amounts.   Seems kinda counter intuitive, trading one health issue for another.


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## skaag

I wonder if any of you suffering from constipation have tried to take enzymatic supplements together with the meats? My wife's mom pushed this product to us: "Health E Totalzyme". It contains the following blend in a 1500mg gelatin pill:

- Bromelain (Pineapple Enzyme)
- Papain (Papaya Enzyme, also a well known by cooks as an excellent meat tenderizer)
- Yeast (as Saccharomyces Cerevisiae)
- Inulin
- Amylase (Enzyme)
- Lipase (Enzyme)
- Soybean Extract (I guess this is maybe just a filler)

Both me and my mom are experiencing no constipation when we take it. It's enough that I forget to take it for a few days that I get reminded why I totally need to take it...


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