Living With Inflammatory Bowel Disease; Should You Try A Low-Residue Diet?

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) refers to disorders involving the chronic inflammation of an individual’s digestive tract. The two most common types of IBD are ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Those with IBD often find themselves having to make significant dietary and lifestyle changes to better cope with their painful and life-interrupting symptoms.

Some doctors recommend those with IBD try a low-residue diet. Essentially, a low-residue diet involves eating easy-to-digest foods that allow the individual to have a few small bowel movements each day. This means cutting out high-fiber foods the human digestive system is not able to easily process, such as nuts and grains. Continue reading for information on low-residue diets and how they can help IBD.

Limitations On High-Fiber Food Intake

While everyone needs to get enough fiber to stay healthy, there is such thing as getting too much fiber, especially for those with IBD. The body cannot easily break down high-fiber foods and absorb them into the bloodstream. Even those who do not have an inflammatory bowel disease can become bloated and feel gassy when they consume too much high-fiber food at once. While patients with IBD do not necessarily need to avoid all high-fiber food, it is important to moderate the consumption of these foods. When picking food with fiber, look for soluble fiber, as this helps with controlling blood sugar and cholesterol levels.