Onset of Ulcerative Colitis during a Low-Carbohydrate Weight-Loss Diet and Treatment with a Plant-Based Diet: A Case Report.

[wild_one353]

Perm J. 2016 Winter;20(1):80-4. doi: 10.7812/TPP/15-038.

Onset of Ulcerative Colitis during a Low-Carbohydrate Weight-Loss Diet and Treatment with a Plant-Based Diet: A Case Report.


Abstract
Overweight and obesity are global health concerns. Various effective weight-loss diets have been developed, including the Atkins diet. The Atkins diet is known as an extreme low-carbohydrate diet. This diet reduces body weight and has gained widespread popularity. However, the metabolite profiles of such a diet have been shown to be detrimental to colonic health. Therefore, a concern for the long-term health effects of this diet exists. We encountered a case in which ulcerative colitis developed while the patient was following the Atkins diet.

A man, 172 cm in height and weighing 72 kg, at age 36 years followed a low-carbohydrate weight-loss diet. His weight decreased to 66 kg as desired. Thereafter he noticed bloody stool. Colonoscopy revealed diffuse inflammation limited to the rectum, and he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. He underwent an educational hospitalization for ulcerative colitis. A plant-based/semivegetarian diet was provided during hospitalization. Bloody stool disappeared during hospitalization and he achieved remission without medication for inflammatory bowel disease.This case indicates that an onset of ulcerative colitis can be an adverse event to a low-carbohydrate weight-loss diet.

 

[Lady Organic]

Interesting, thx!
I just read the allowed ingredient of Atkins diet and I am not impressed. Artificial sweeteners, cheeze, heavy cream and butter for instance are allowed and take large part of the proposed recipes, these are ingredients I believe to be pro-inflammatory.
I also believe eating too much meat product is detrimental to the colon, especially if those products are not organic. I could easily imagine a young man eating lots of meat when hungry and lacking ideas for cooking. Young men in general eat a lot more meat than women (well those I know)

Fallowing a strict diet can be a very stressful experience for some people too...

what is interesting is that the patient recovered with a vegetarian diet. SUPER AMAZING intervention by the doctors!!! I am quite impressed by their devotion and capacity to study each patient as a unique entity and offer global treatment.

 

[Eridon2002]

For all we know he could have been eating McDonalds hamburgers and throwing away the bun and eating other highly processed low carbohydrate foods. Doubt he was home cooking grass fed beef. Interesting, but it is anecdotal when you have an n of 1.

 

[kiny]

Chief of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Section at Akita City Hospital in Japan.

We encountered a case in which ulcerative colitis developed while the patient was following the Atkins diet.

diffuse inflammation limited to the rectum

This case indicates that an onset of ulcerative colitis can be an adverse event to a low-carbohydrate weight-loss diet.

How some of these papers from Japanese hospitals make it through is something I'll never understand.

How can you draw conclusions like that. How can you conclude /questionable/ UC is an adverse event of the Atkins diet by singling out one person, out of the millions on the diet.

 

[my little penguin]

I agree with kiny
Just because a single person ate A and got disease B does not make any sense to draw any conclusions that the two are directly related for the general population.
Second thing most studies show red meat in particular is hard on the Gi tract because it's hard to digest regardless whether it's organic or grass fed ( those have other health benefits but not on how hard the actual protiens are to digest )

 

[wild_one353]

For all we know he could have been eating McDonalds hamburgers and throwing away the bun and eating other highly processed low carbohydrate foods. Doubt he was home cooking grass fed beef. Interesting, but it is anecdotal when you have an n of 1.

exactly my thoughts, its hard to know with high degree of certainty exactly what this person was eating. But a very interesting story nonetheless, especially the fact it is coming from actual doctors/scientists. And there is always the possiblity he already had IBD and the diet simply brought on a flare. But what made it interesting is how he responded to the diet they treated the patient with.

I was actually following a similar diet before I was diagnosed, I bought into the belief that grains were unhealthy, and from my bodybuilding past had somehow reasoned protein and meat was like the greatest thing for my body. And since i also had acne i avoid all sugar even in fruits, boy was I on the wrong track 10 years ago, throw in severe vitamin D deficit from working the night shift for three years and a course of antibiotics and BAM, crohn's disease with a severe anxiety disorder. Eventually I got a little more into science and became a better critical thinker, no longer did I just jump on some bandwagon and trust the first thing I heard, its so easy to get the wrong idea about how the human body works with slick advertising for mcdonalds and such, and every other dietary fad out there.

 

[wild_one353]

How some of these papers from Japanese hospitals make it through is something I'll never understand.

How can you draw conclusions like that. How can you conclude /questionable/ UC is an adverse event of the Atkins diet by singling out one person, out of the millions on the diet.

True True. using the word "indicate" is a little tricky and careless on their part. But they did present it as a "case report" and that is correct. this would also mean their conclusions are tentative and a case report is anecdotal and not mean to prove what caused what with any high degree of certainty, but maybe give some general clues. I don't think any good scientist would believe any one study absolutely proves something with absolute certainty, even the best studies have at least some flaws, but it doesn't make the entire effort worthless.

 

[wild_one353]

Interesting, thx!

what is interesting is that the patient recovered with a vegetarian diet. SUPER AMAZING intervention by the doctors!!! I am quite impressed by their devotion and capacity to study each patient as a unique entity and offer global treatment.

yea crazy!only a diet change and no drugs!!
that's probably easier to do with UC then crohn's though.

 

[hugh]

Interesting, thx!
what is interesting is that the patient recovered with a vegetarian diet. SUPER AMAZING intervention by the doctors!!! I am quite impressed by their devotion and capacity to study each patient as a unique entity and offer global treatment.

While i think it is a good demonstration of the importance of diet i am less than impressed with their honesty.

Switching from Aitkins (which does not indicate anything about the quality of the food/food like products) to SVD (avoiding such carnivorous offerings as sugar, carbohydrates, fast foods, cola, chewing gum and chocolate, western foods (bread for breakfast, butter, margarine, cheese, meats, and ham and sausage), and encouraged to eat more fruit and vegetables)

So, to phrase it honestly, the patient was switched to a REAL FOOD diet that included a small amount of meat, and the case study written up to make it look like vegetarianism was the main factor

The SCD or "semi-vegitarian diet" is a misnomer specifically designed to mislead people who don't take the time to read what the diet actually is and then go around saying "vegetarian diet, wow, i knew meat was bad"

Really shit science there......
but i already said that here........
http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?p=738705#post738705

 

[ellie]

A "lateral thinking" wild card to add to this mix...
Have always considered myself plump (BMI 27-29), was aiming for 25, so had attempted to minimise carbs, and added a once a day dose of Xenical (orlistat)
Weight was improving, but what turned out to be a Crohns colitis flare closely after taking Xenical meant that what I'd lost was quickly regained with the prescribed oral prednisone!
Just wondering if anyone else has had issues with orlistat..?

 

[wild_one353]

A "lateral thinking" wild card to add to this mix...
Have always considered myself plump (BMI 27-29), was aiming for 25, so had attempted to minimise carbs, and added a once a day dose of Xenical (orlistat)
Weight was improving, but what turned out to be a Crohns colitis flare closely after taking Xenical meant that what I'd lost was quickly regained with the prescribed oral prednisone!
Just wondering if anyone else has had issues with orlistat..?

if you suspect it triggered a flare maybe its best to stay away from it. at first glance its a drug that prevents the absorption of fats by supposedly inhibiting lipase, I cant think of any immediate way this would affect IBD, but you just never know what else this drug does rarely does any one substance act in such a precise manner as to not affect other processes in the human body hence most drug carry side effects of some sort or another.