Researchers have shown that a vegetarian or at least plant-based diet can reduce inflammation in Crohn’s disease and massively extend the symptom-free period.
Crohn’s disease: Vegetarian diet relieves inflammation
The chronic inflammatory bowel disease Crohn’s is classified as an autoimmune disease in which the body’s own immune system attacks the intestines. But even if it is said that a cure for autoimmune diseases is almost impossible and that the best you can do is try to prolong the phases between attacks with medication, there are a number of factors in diet and lifestyle that can have a strong influence on autoimmune diseases, including Crohn’s disease.
The cortisone that is usually prescribed—often in high doses—can bring rapid relief, but (depending on the duration and frequency of use) also has serious side effects. Taking immunosuppressants (medications that suppress the immune system) is just as stressful, not to mention operations that remove parts of the intestine. It is therefore ideal to use as many alternative measures as possible that can have a positive effect on Crohn’s disease—without side effects.
Since the disease is accompanied by strong inflammatory processes, it is obvious to design a diet in such a way that it does not have additional inflammatory properties but rather has an anti-inflammatory effect. A plant-based diet is one such diet.
Vegetarian diet has anti-inflammatory effects
Researchers from the Max Rubner Institute at the University of Karlsruhe reported ( 2 ) on the anti-inflammatory effects of plant foods and their ingredients. They wrote in the International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research:
Chronic inflammation is associated with many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)) – which also includes Crohn’s disease. Inflammation markers are also always elevated in people who are overweight, because it is known that fatty tissue, especially that in the abdominal cavity, produces inflammatory factors. This is one of the reasons why being overweight is also a risk factor for many chronic diseases, all of which are associated with chronic inflammation.
According to the Karlsruhe researchers, diet also influences inflammatory processes in the body, according to epidemiological data. For example, we know that inflammation occurs less frequently the more fruit, vegetables and whole grain products a person eats. Intervention studies also suggest that plant-based foods have anti-inflammatory potential.
In particular, secondary plant substances such as carotenoids and flavonoids appear to be able to significantly calm inflammatory and immunological processes, so corresponding foods should also be included in the diet for people with Crohn’s disease.
Vegetarians have lower inflammatory markers
A list of case-control studies ( 1 ) demonstrate how well a plant-based diet can inhibit inflammation.
As early as 1999, for example, one of these studies found that a vegetarian diet led to significantly better results for rheumatoid arthritis – an inflammatory joint disease – than an omnivorous diet.
The patients in this study first fasted for 7 to 10 days, then lived vegan and gluten-free for 3.5 months before eating a lacto-vegetarian diet for 9 months. A control group continued to eat normally. The vegetarians experienced a much greater improvement in their disease than the omnivores, as their inflammation had significantly reduced.
In 2007, the blood values of vegetarians and omnivores were also examined. Here, too, the vegetarians had significantly lower inflammatory markers (and also lower uric acid levels) in their blood than the omnivores.
And three years later, researchers showed in a study (published in the American Journal of Cardiology) of 47 people that the vegan-eating participants had significantly lower CRP levels (an inflammation marker) than the “omnivores.”
Vegetarian Diet for Crohn’s Disease
Although Crohn’s disease is a highly inflammatory disease, a specific diet is rarely recommended. During a flare-up, the motto is: eat a light diet and only eat what the individual knows he or she can tolerate well.
Outside of flare-ups, it would be a good idea to eat in such a way that the flare-ups become less frequent and the intervals between them become longer. Of course, you should also avoid those foods or behaviors that – in your own experience – have led to flare-ups in the past.
Scientific studies have shown that a plant-based diet in particular has been shown to be helpful in treating Crohn’s disease, while consuming a lot of animal protein has been shown to be harmful to the intestines.
Animal protein increases risk of Crohn’s disease
The World Journal of Gastroenterology (4) reported that excessive consumption of red meat and cheese may increase the risk of Crohn’s disease, while excessive consumption of margarine has been linked to an increased risk of ulcerative colitis, another chronic inflammatory bowel disease.
In the same year, the American Journal of Gastroenterology published a study (3) that found that consuming large amounts of animal protein is particularly harmful to the intestines. This study examined over 67,000 people and found that those who ate a lot of animal protein (meat and fish) were particularly likely to develop inflammatory bowel disease .
What about a low-meat or vegetarian, or vegan diet? Can this possibly prevent Crohn’s disease or lead to attacks becoming less frequent?
For Crohn’s disease: Longer without flare-ups with a vegetarian diet
In May 2010, an interesting study was published on Crohn’s disease patients who were in a remission phase thanks to surgery or medication. In other words, they were largely free of symptoms (5).
They were divided into two groups. One group was to eat and behave normally for the next two years, while the other group was to eat a semi-vegetarian diet and, if possible, not to smoke or drink alcohol .
Semi-vegetarian means that one portion of meat was allowed every two weeks and one portion of fish once a week. Otherwise, the subjects ate vegetarian food (fruit, vegetables, rice, yogurt, miso soup, potatoes, pulses, etc.).
After one year, 100 percent of the semi-vegetarians were still free of relapses. In the omnivorous (i.e. normal eating) group, 67 percent had already suffered a relapse.
After two years, 92 percent of the semi-vegetarians were still in remission, meaning they had not yet suffered a new attack. In the omnivorous group, however, only 25 percent were still without an attack. 75 percent were already back in the usual spiral of medication and surgery.
The researchers wrote: This is the best result to date in terms of relapse prevention in Crohn’s disease.
A predominantly vegetarian diet therefore seems to be a highly recommended diet for Crohn’s disease and is definitely worth a try.
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