Fiber????? I'm confused...

[Domesticated_Primate]

Should I be eating more or less fiber??? My CD is located in my large intestine and I am currently still in recovery from a pretty bad flare. I am generally symptom free right now except for battling fissures and abscesses/fistula.


I have read so many conflicting opinions/articles on how much fiber I should be eating. Perhaps it's time for me to keep a very detailed food journal? I had a couple of days where I was extremely proud and happy with my BMs, but today it was loose and somewhat painful again. I have cut most gluten and lactose from my diet already with some improvement - although with all the medications I'm on, I'm not too sure. Thoughts?



Thanks for your time.

 

[Justanothercp]

I have stricturing Crohns. So, personally I do better with low fiber and soluble fiber. But I imagine people can differ depending on where the Crohns is and what type.

 

[Domesticated_Primate]

Would a nutritionist or GI Dr. be better suited to talk to about the correlation between diet and CD?

Or did many of you just kind of figure out on your own what works and what doesn't? Like I said, I'm just confused at the changes in my BMs given the lack of major change in diet. Those couple of days with the very healthy stools I was eating a good amount of gluten free bread, but I've always been a fat boy and don't want to gain too much weight back.

Last year, I was 240lbs. Last month, I was 185. When I got out of the hospital a couple of weeks ago I was 155. I am now back up to 170. At 5'10 and 26yrs old with my body type, I think 175lbs with a balanced diet is my best bet that I would ideally like to maintain. The prednisone is giving me a crazy appetite though.

 

[Justanothercp]

I think a nutritionist would be good go get some knowledge, but a lot of it is probably going to be self discovery, because everyone reacts different.
Also, I think sometimes the changes in bowel movements isn't necessarily directly related to your diet, as in "you ate something wrong". The disease is just going to rear it's ugly head at times.

 

[hugh]

not all fibre is the same, and it's only a small part of the whole picture........
Fibre from whole foods seems to be beneficial but adding fibre to foods does not replicate the benefits, suggesting that whole foods are healthier than processed foods with added fibre.
A reduction in fibre may be a good thing as part of the process of eliminating harmful bacteria and then re-establishing healthy gut bacteria.

the fibre in sweet potatoes is different to the fibre in wheat, is different to the fibre in broccoli, is different to the fibre in lentils ect.

An elimination diet like GAPS, SCD, FODMAPS or Paleo AI protocol with the staged reintroduction and testing will let you know what effects each food has on your digestion, and, as things improve more foods can be added.

Bowel Disease, Part II: Healing the Gut By Eliminating Food Toxins
-read part one as it gives an overview of (his theory) of gut disease, then part two about particular foods.
"Softer soluble fibers from fruits and some vegetables are much more likely to help than wheat bran, but even they may be a good thing only in moderation, or only in a healthy bowel. Fiber feeds pathogenic bacteria as well as probiotic bacteria, and increases the populations of both. When the gut is damaged and leaky, more bacteria mean more bacterial toxins and more pathogens infiltrating the body. A low-fiber diet, leading to reduced bacterial populations in the gut, may be desirable for bowel disease patients."
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2010/0...i-healing-the-gut-by-eliminating-food-toxins/
Myths and Truths About Fiber
"Ideally, dietary fiber should be coming from whole food plant sources. Many foods in the Paleo diet are great sources of both soluble and insoluble fiber, such as yams and sweet potatoes, green leafy vegetables, carrots and other root vegetables, fruits with an edible peel (like apples and pears), berries, seeds, and nuts. Interestingly, butyrate itself is also found in high-fat dairy products such as butter and cheese, and can also be provided by the bacteria found in fermented foods."
http://chriskresser.com/myths-and-truths-about-fiber

 

[UnXmas]

I've always done better on low fibre.

If you're trying to work out which foods affect you, you need to remember that just because you get symptoms after eating something, it doesn't mean the symptoms were triggered by what you ate. I also think it's more helpful to consider your diet as a whole rather than trying to pinpoint individual foods as the causes of symptoms. To figure out if you do better with less fibre, eat a low-fibre diet for a couple of weeks, and see if there is a consistent improvement in your symptoms.

 

[birdman]

I've wondered the same thing. After yesterday's colon scope, the doc said all he found was unusual amount of sharp kinks in the colon and a small polyp - said to eat more fiber.

About 5 years ago, a hernia repair doc said Benefiber would be good for my symptoms. I took it a year or more and when i stopped, i noticed i felt better.

 

[UnXmas]

What symptoms are you getting at the moment, birdman?

 

[birdman]

What symptoms are you getting at the moment, birdman?

Almost 3 months ago i started probiotics and that's been a huge benefit to me - nearly back to normal now. 2 weeks ago i started a round of anti-biotics after testing positive for h pylori - so that med is bound to help some too. They have me taking Prevacid for 4 weeks now, to see how that helps.

I'm really in better shape now than i was all of last year - just wonder about the more fiber / less fiber thing. Last year my tummy hurt all the time except would feel a little better after i eat anything ... and would feel better when i lay down for a long while.

I've been gluten free 6 weeks - going back to gluten to see if that makes a difference.

 

[UnXmas]

So you're not really getting any symptoms at the moment, you're "nearly back to normal"? In that case, what would you be hoping to achieve by changing the amount of fibre you have? The general guidelines for good health recommend a diet high in fibre, but often that advice can't be followed by people with Crohn's, as fibre often worsens symptoms. See what you can tolerate. But remember if you're changing lots of factors at the same time (adding gluten, taking medication, changing fibre content), it will be very hard to know which help, which hurt, and which make no difference.

 

[birdman]

See what you can tolerate. But remember if you're changing lots of factors at the same time (adding gluten, taking medication, changing fibre content), it will be very hard to know which help, which hurt, and which make no difference.

Excellent point! Thanks! We will see how it goes. Best to you!