What the h...?

[uli]

Was reading on the www.ccfa.org web about diet and nutrition and was astonished to read the following :

Is IBD caused by allergy to food?
No. Although some people do have allergic reactions to certain foods, neither Crohn's disease nor ulcerative colitis is related to food allergy. People with IBD may think they are allergic to foods because they associate the symptoms of IBD with eating.

Do any specific foods worsen the inflammation of IBD?
No. Although certain foods may aggravate symptoms of these diseases, there is no evidence that the inflammation of the intestine is directly affected

To me this is complete crap as everyone with CD,UC or IBS know we all react one way or the other to certain foods. Im a strong believer that our symptoms/illness are generated by bad food - could even be celiaki related. Its very worrying that this issue wont be taken seriously and it makes me mad.
But of course if we all went on a diet to become well they wouldn't sell any medication which is what this is all about.

 

[kenny]

yep. It is the easy way out, to try and assign acute problems to a specific food, but the disease is not an acute reaction to food. Those reactions are a symptom, not a cause. I didn't get Crohn's all of a sudden one day from eating a hamburger with fries. But if I ate that today for lunch I might crap my pants before getting home and would feel terrible at work tomorrow.

 

[My Butt Hurts]

Yeah, I see what you're saying. I think that because people react differently to different foods, they can't call it a cause.
I can eat almost anything when I am remission, but almost everything bothers me when I am flaring. I eat very carefully when I am semi-flaring.

 

[Agent X20]

I can eat almost anything when I am remission, but almost everything bothers me when I am flaring. I eat very carefully when I am semi-flaring.

Yep... that's me too...
I presume what the CCFA are saying is that the food doesn't make the inflammation any worse... but it may make you FEEL worse. It's a bit confusing to me

 

[Pirate]

I know that there are times that I can eat one type of food like spagetti and not have a bit of problem and than eat it a couple of weeks later and I will be in horrible pain. This happens with just about anything I eat. There are a few foods that are totally safe like scrambled eggs, fish and baked chicken.

 

[Ashley]

I actually agree with this statement for me.
When I am well, I can eat anything pretty much. When I am in flare though, basically everything hurts me.

 

[uli]

I totally disagree. Why do the pipes get faulty ? Years of mistreating them ofcourse they need fixing and thats why I'm talking about the reason for it all to start. None of us know why we get the disease but most of us must at one point or another have asked ourselves, why me? I'm pretty sure that the food plays a major role here but not all has been aware of it till they hit a flare-up. We mostly focus on what we eat when we are in a flare (obviously) but when we are in remission we are back eating everything. What if thats a contributing cause to get right back into a flare ? Just a thought from a gluten free diet guy who hasn't felt this good in 4 years

 

[Creepy Lurker]

I totally disagree. Why do the pipes get faulty ? Years of mistreating them ofcourse they need fixing and thats why I'm talking about the reason for it all to start. None of us know why we get the disease but most of us must at one point or another have asked ourselves, why me? I'm pretty sure that the food plays a major role here but not all has been aware of it till they hit a flare-up. We mostly focus on what we eat when we are in a flare (obviously) but when we are in remission we are back eating everything. What if thats a contributing cause to get right back into a flare ? Just a thought from a gluten free diet guy who hasn't felt this good in 4 years

If this were the case then everyone with a bad diet would have Crohn's. We are born with a genetic abnormality. Something environmental triggers it.

Using Erazer's analogy it's like installing weakened pipes then giving the a good kicking after a few years.

 

[uli]

Hmmmm.....tricky!

 

[Jennjenn]

I totally disagree. Why do the pipes get faulty ? Years of mistreating them ofcourse they need fixing and thats why I'm talking about the reason for it all to start. None of us know why we get the disease but most of us must at one point or another have asked ourselves, why me? I'm pretty sure that the food plays a major role here but not all has been aware of it till they hit a flare-up. We mostly focus on what we eat when we are in a flare (obviously) but when we are in remission we are back eating everything. What if thats a contributing cause to get right back into a flare ? Just a thought from a gluten free diet guy who hasn't felt this good in 4 years

I kind of disagree with you! Like Pirate, I could eat something one day and be ok (something as simple as baked or steamed chicken, and rice) and then eat it again the next week or a few days later and that meal that was ok the time before will turn into an emptying clearing out nightmare. I am not a horrible eater and have a lot of problems, flare or no flare, even sticking with the simplest food sometimes. It bothers me when other people who dont know what a person is really experiencing to say it must be the food your eating. Every person is really alone in what they are truly feeling and experiencing. Another individual can only listen and give advice then empathize and sympathize with someone. Thats my opinion.

 

[gibby]

yeah i kinda feel the same, there is a genetic predisposition to this disease and also mixed up faulty genes that turn into this. it has only a little bearing on location, weight, gender or diet...but so do most diseases...the wonders of statistics...

but sure, if i am flaring then i will get irritated by different foods, sometimes i'm good, sometimes i am bad.
i can eat cheese some of the time, other times it cramps me..

...i am in no doubt that diet plays a huge role in health and wellbeing,and people may feel awesome when omitting certain foods or starting new diets. and i am sure that there is a lot that can be done with diet to help gut motility and health.
but don t yet feel there is anything in food that specifically triggers the inflammatory process to attack our own bodies..otherwise entire families eating the same food and sharing the same household would get sick.

i just feel that a disorder like ours cannot be blamed simply on diet, or a ploy for the drug manufacturers to make money. i take drugs, i get better, i get stressed, i get sick.

thats just me though, i am aware everyone on here is different and everyone has different triggers for their disease, so its good to discuss and find these dfferent things out. interesting topic nonetheless though....thanks

 

[Jennjenn]

what do u all think about food being microwaved in plastic containers......do u think it is toxic, like some claim??

I cannot think of the last thing I microwaved in a plastic container! But that is an interesting thought. hmm I dont know. If I put things in the microwave its usually in a pyrex dish or bowl. Or just my regular dishware.

 

[KiwiJo]

I was part of a study here in NZ to try and identify a genetic marker for Crohn's. and guess what! they found one, and I carry it in my DNA. (which makes sense as my grandfather and first cousin also have it) So i guess that means I probably had it long before I ate anything, i just didnt have the symptoms (although apparantly I had terrible colic as a baby and polyps under my tongue as a child). Im the same as most of you above. When im well i can eat ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. when Im in a flare anything and everything I eat causes me pain. Ive tried all sorts of diets and none of them have worked for me. From what i understand the issue is in our immune systems, so unless something happens to fix them, we are stuck with this disease and can only alleviate the symptoms with diet. Thats my two cents on the matter.

 

[crazycanuck]

I agree with the statement. Food definately is not a cause of the disease however.... yes if you constantly give it a certain food which consistenly give you problems then yes I can see things possibly getting worse. However that statement is right on there I believe.

Uli I'll also have to disagree that food started my Crohn's. My doctor had told me the general focus of research right now is on the idea that something in your environment triggers a gene or set of genes to have our immune system start attacking itself. Food cannot change or alter genes to do that, food can just trigger symptoms. I tend to believe this theory is on the right track.

 

[uli]

Thanks all for contributing to the thread, I see that I might only have a fragment of truth in my statement - and being fairly new to the issue I really appreciate the different responses and points of view. Its more complex than I ever thought possible and........evil :ybatty:
Glad we got this straight

 

[Rob]

Ok I'm not exactly the worlds smartest guy so my dr could of been jus sayin this but.....

What he said is there is bacteria in the bowel thousands of diff types some we know others we don't
what happens is that some ppl ( us cd suffers) hav a genetic problem where our immune system detects one of these unknown bacteria (which may or may not be harmless) an goes into over drive trying too kill it, but in doin so it does other damage too our bowel
this is why we are givin drugs too suppress our immune system

makes sense - but could jus be garbage too put me at ease lol

 

[pb4]

There are ALOT of health nuts that have/do eat healthy their entire lives and still end up with IBD...there is evidence that CDers are prone to eating foods high in sugar and over consume processed foods and fast-foods....it's our immune system that causes the disease to attack our intestines. A poor diet can contribute to our immune system to whack out, genetics are also involved, which is likely why even those that have eaten healthy their entire lives can still end up with an IBD. There are many possible triggers and one known trigger is smoking, including second-hand smoke...other possible triggers besides the things I've mentioned below are toothpaste and birth control pills, those are also associated to likely triggering IBD, it's one thing to be predisposed to getting an IBD, it still needs to be triggered.

I can eat anything I want to but I have chosen to eat healthy (last 4 yrs) based on the fact that it's know according to research that fast-foods, processed foods/beverages, coffee, refined sugar, artificial sweetners, animal fats and caffeine can all exacerbate symptoms of IBD.

The CCFC has not ruled out food/diet as a possible trigger for IBD.

 

[Misty-Eyed]

I remember my mum telling me when I was very young that if I didn't eat all my veggies, I'd end up with stomach problems. Needless to say I very reluctantly shoveled them down only to end up with Crohn's when I was 8 lol. Wish I'd never bothered with those veggies now lol.

But yeah, I completely agree with the CCFA, sorry!

 

[pb4]

A poor diet will have a negative effect on anyone's health, although diet alone may not be the only cause of IBD since afterall, It’s a defect in innate immune handling of intestinal bacteria that leads to an inflammatory response that may lead to an autoimmune condition,” that certainly doesn't mean that a poor diet has no effect on IBD,afterall, a poor diet will affect the immune system and that's really where the effects of IBD stem from.

 

[pb4]

Yes Erazer, I'm well aware of that, to clarify, for those that are predisposed to getting an IBD, diet may have more of an impact on them compared to those that are not predisposed to getting an IBD.

It's also been recently noted that the rate of pediactric IBD is on a very fast and furious rate more now than ever before, so IBD is on the rise more so now than ever before. Before long, it won't only be a few that have IBD.

 

[fenway1971]

A poor diet will have a negative effect on anyone's health, although diet alone may not be the only cause of IBD since afterall, It’s a defect in innate immune handling of intestinal bacteria that leads to an inflammatory response that may lead to an autoimmune condition,” that certainly doesn't mean that a poor diet has no effect on IBD,afterall, a poor diet will affect the immune system and that's really where the effects of IBD stem from.

I agree with this. I read the SCD book and the Omnivore's Dilemma. Both caused me to reflect on my own diet. I've adopted principles from each and have felt the healthiest I've ever felt.

The only thing that touches our intestines is what we eat or by products of what we ingest.