Lactose, Dairy and/or Gluten free
Removing certain elements from your diet can relieve symptoms of Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis.
About Lactose, Dairy and/or Gluten free
Gluten-free diets (GFD) are required in celiac disease and are becoming more widely utilized in non-celiac gluten sensitivity, found to be present in 30% of people with IBD1 . Animal studies show gluten may promote intestinal inflammation and increase intestinal permeability, known to be adversely increased in IBD2 . Although research for GFD is very limited in IBD, consideration is warranted, as an improvement of GI symptoms with a GFD is reported by Herfath3, and many people with IBD opt for a GFD based on self-reported symptoms. In one survey, only gluten-free bread was found to be tolerated by people with IBD4 . When choosing a GFD, it is important to eat a well-balanced diet, as many unhealthy processed foods are now available as gluten-free options.
A lactose-free diet may improve symptoms in patients who do not digest lactose fully. Approximately 30% of people with IBD are lactose intolerant or have lactose malabsorption, which is similar to the general population5.
Dairy is among the top dietary antigens, and some patients who do not find relief with a lactose-free diet may find improvement with a dairy-free diet. Approximately 30% of people with IBD adopt a dairy-free diet6.
Other options for persistent symptom relief are the Low-FODMAP diet and avoiding trigger foods.
References
1: Aziz, I., Branchi, F., Pearson, K., Priest, J., & Sanders, D. S. (2015). A Study Evaluating the Bidirectional Relationship Between Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Self-reported Non-celiac Gluten Sensitivity: Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 21(4), 847–853. https://doi.org/10.1097/MIB.0000000000000335
2: Mehandru, S., & Colombel, J.-F. (2021). The intestinal barrier, an arbitrator turned provocateur in IBD. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 18(2), 83–84. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-020-00399-w
3: Herfarth, H. H., Martin, C. F., Sandler, R. S., Kappelman, M. D., & Long, M. D. (2014). Prevalence of a Gluten-free Diet and Improvement of Clinical Symptoms in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 20(7), 1194–1197. https://doi.org/10.1097/MIB.0000000000000077
4: Morton, H., Pedley, K. C., Stewart, R. J. C., & Coad, J. (2020). Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Are Symptoms and Diet Linked? Nutrients, 12(10), 2975. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12102975
5: Jasielska, M., & Grzybowska-Chlebowczyk, U. (2019). Lactose Malabsorption and Lactose Intolerance in Children with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Gastroenterology Research and Practice, 2019, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/2507242
6: Guida, L., Di Giorgio, F. M., Busacca, A., Carrozza, L., Ciminnisi, S., Almasio, P. L., Di Marco, V., & Cappello, M. (2021). Perception of the Role of Food and Dietary Modifications in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Impact on Lifestyle. Nutrients, 13(3), 759. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13030759
Delicious and Nutritious Recipes
Explore all recipesOur recipe section offers the option to filter on excluding certain food-elements like lactose, dairy in general or gluten. Explore our Lactose-free, Dairy-Free and/or Gluten-free recipes.
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