“One reason people with an active flare of colitis go on a low-residue diet is to reduce symptoms in addition to trying to treat them,” says David T. Rubin, MD, the Joseph B. Kirsner professor of medicine and chief of the section of gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition at The University of Chicago Medicine. “It helps to heal the bowel by reducing the amount of indigestible or poorly digestible fibers. This will reduce trauma to the bowel and, therefore, allow the bowel to heal.”
But Dr. Rubin cautions that dietary changes won’t cure or treat UC. Rather, a low-residue diet can be a supportive tool alongside your prescribed medications to help reduce existing inflammation, calm symptoms, and decrease further irritation.
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“Symptom management is not the same as disease control,” says Rubin. Diet alone isn’t enough to put UC in remission.
He adds that your diet must take into account your body’s nutritional needs. Long-term use of restrictive diets, such as the low-residue diet, can raise the risk of a nutrient deficiency. That happens when you don’t get enough of the nutrients that your body needs for daily functioning.
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