Camomile, Green Tea, Fish Oil

[imation]

Hi All.

Posted on another thread ... recently diagnosed with very mild Crohn's. Very few symptoms .... actually had a colonoscopy because I had convinced myself I had colon cancer (I tend to assume the worst) .... fortunately, no polyps. A few small areas of minor inflammation which the biopsy showed were "indicative of Crohn's."

So it looks like I'm one of the fortunate ones that has gotten diagnosed early. So now I find myself in the position of trying to take advantage of that, educate myself a little bit and stay ahead of the disease (if that's possible).

I agree with the kind individuals who responded to my first post ... I don't want to do anything to "rock the boat." I'm currently in a state of "remission", feeling pretty normal and I don't want to mess that up.

However, I have read that there are a few dietary options that have been helpful for some people. Things like fish oil pills to get that Omega-3, Green Tea, Chamomile tea ... stuff that certainly can't hurt but might help. I've already started taking the fish oil pills as they are said to have a pretty broad range of health benefits (again, no idea if it will do anything for me in the way of Crohn's but it certainly can't hurt). I've also read about the benefits of Chamomile tea and Green tea.

So I was wondering about everyone's personal dietary regime. Specifically in regard to supplements, tea, etc. I certainly could stand to have a cup of tea ever evening (would be a pleasant habit to develop, regardless of the crohn's). What do you guys do? Any specific brands of tea, fish oil pills, vitamins, snacks, etc.?

 

[soupdragon69]

Hi Matt,

I just make sure I use "pure" teas like peppermint and camomile. Also use rooibosh (sp?) which is a 100% naturally caffeine free tea.

Have a think or keep a diary of what you are eating that MAY be irritating you for instance. I noticed you said in your other post you didnt have diahorrea but sounds like you go the other way with constipation? That can be Crohn's too and some of the guys here in the same position might be able to give you some ideas on foods and supplements they have found to help...

Good thing bout here Matt is you can ask whatever you like knowing we will understand and empathise no matter how embarrassing or unsocialable it is!! ;-)

Caffeine can be an irritant and so can sorbitol which tends to be in chewing gum and drink machine drinks like drinking chocolate etc.

Just some thoughts...

Hope they help a little

 

[imation]

Absolutely! I'll have to take it easy on the soda ...... although I've already given that up almost entirely as I think the sugar content is pretty disgusting. You're right, I do get a bit of constipation. However, I've noticed that a cup of coffee each morning actually helps quite a bit with that (not to mention helps me be productive at work). Maybe I should consider decaf to avoid the caffeine..........

If anyone has any remedy's for mild constipation related to Crohn's that they'd like to share, I'd be MOST obliged!

 

[Jeff D.]

For fish oil I would try to take it in oil form instead of pill form because you get more for what you take. It is hard to get it down but it has a lemony flavor. Green tea knocks constipation right out of you and so does chamomile and especially if you spike it with some miraloax.

 

[Kev]

Hi Matt.. Diet considerations can be a pretty specific thing. If you can arrange for a consult with a nutritionist experienced with IBD diets, it should prove very beneficial.
Personally, I'm on a low fat, low residue, low fibre, low lactose, hi protein diet. Thats due mostly to the major involvement of my colon, and other issues affecting pancreas and liver (which may or may not be due to crohns). I was the guy who warned about not rocking the boat. Anyway, even if a consult isn't in the cards, try adopting a diet that is healthy and balanced. Watch your fat intake, and try to limit or avoid the red meat common to the North American or Western cultures. If you've kept abreast of recent medical news, people who've survived colon cancer but continued a diet heavy in fat & red meat are 3 times as likely to have it recur.
You need to consult with someone as to the state of your colon or disease. If they advise limiting fibre, or fresh fruits & veggies, then you'll have to tailor your diet to reflect that. food manufacturers really jumped on the fibre bandwagon, and have incorporated it into a lot of foodstuffs ... which is ok for those with a healthy colon, but less so for those whose colon is enflamed. Too much fibre in an enflamed area is not good.. Same goes for food stuffs that leave a lot of residue or undigestable material in the colon... watch for seeds, pips, stones, skins, peels, complex fibres or what have you. For example, I am lactose intolerant, to a very high degree. My body can't break down milk sugar... In me, it causes severe cramping & diarhea.
Gassy foods (certain green veggies, etc..) or carbonated beverages. may be worth avoiding or limiting... Like, how much gas/carbonation do you want in an enflamed colon.. or adding to spontaneous diarrhea, etc., etc.? It's a whole learning curve. Keep a food diary, and a daily journal of how your body reacts to food and meds.. In a 'healthy' person, what they eat may take 18 hours to travel thru & affect the digestive system.. In someone with IBD, it could be spontaneous, or take twice as long... wanna rely on your memory to try to decipher what caused pain or issues a day and a half or more later? Anyway, for those of us with worse case scenarios it's a matter of determining what our 'trigger' items are, and developing 'longterm' coping strategies... or 'livable' diets, etc., to deal with our particular disease/case.
Everyone is unique, and it usually involves experimentation and record keeping.

 

[Mazen]

Hi

for great scientific advice on diet, you can try some books written by certified dieticins especially for IBD. (e.g. What to Eat with IBD; it's written by a nutrionist who has Crohn's)

From my side I mainly follow a low residue diet, and take fish oil and multivitamin. I found that the enteric coated fish oil is the best, but it's not always available. so now I'm using one from GNC. I also drink lot's of teas (try to get them organic).

I also suffer from constipation and sometimes rosehip tea helps for this.

 

[AbstractDonut]

From what I've read on the internet the fish pills that actually helped were all enteric coated. Which stinks because all the pills that I have seen with the coating also have glycerin in them, which makes me have diarrhea.