Crohn’s And Colitis: Could Processed Food Be The Real Trigger?

If you’re grappling with Crohn’s disease, colitis, or any other digestive woes, you know that it can feel like a rollercoaster ride when it comes to your digestion – some days you feel great while others have you doubled over in discomfort or rushing off to the bathroom. Sometimes these ups and downs can leave you frustrated, exhausted, and disheartened – unsure of how to find relief.

But the good news is, you may have a secret weapon when it comes to fighting back against these complex digestive disorders. What is this secret weapon? Your diet.

In this blog post, we’ll explore what exactly Crohn's and colitis are, how a diet high in processed foods can be a major player when it comes to the development and progression of these disorders, and most importantly – how you can tweak your diet and lifestyle to fight back against these digestive disruptions. Let’s dive in.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Defined: What’s the Difference Between Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis Anyways? 

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may sound like a single condition, but it's actually a group of disorders characterized by persistent – and often substantial – inflammation within your digestive tract. Among these disorders are two main players: Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.1

While both disorders are closely related, they are primarily differentiated by which part of your digestive tract they affect. You see, Crohn’s disease can wreak havoc anywhere along your gastrointestinal system (from your mouth down to your rectum) while ulcerative colitis tends to stick to the large intestine. Both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis share similar symptoms, which can ebb and flow, alternating between periods of normalcy and frustrating flare-ups. These symptoms may include:2

• Abdominal pain or discomfort, often accompanied by bloating and gas
• Digestive disturbances like diarrhea and/or constipation, which may switch back and forth
• Bloody or mucousy bowel movements
• Urgent bowel movements, where the need strikes suddenly
• Unexplained weight loss and loss of appetite
• Persistent fatigue and feelings of lethargy
• Fever
• Additional symptoms like joint pain, skin rashes, or vision issues

So what on earth can cause this runaway inflammation in your digestive system?

What Causes Crohn’s and Colitis? 

There isn’t one singular factor that causes Crohn’s and colitis. Rather, these conditions likely result from a complex interplay of different factors that all add up to trigger a massive inflammatory response within your gut. While the underlying causes might look a little different for each person, some of the most potent underlying factors might include:3,4,5

• Genetics
• Epigenetic changes
• Lifestyle factors (like smoking and alcohol intake)
• Obesity and a sedentary lifestyle
• An elevated toxic burden
• A dysregulated immune system
• Stress and lack of sleep

But there’s one particularly powerful factor that not only has a direct influence on your gut health but can also have a domino effect – triggering and amplifying some of the other risk factors listed above. This factor I’m referring to is your diet – and more specifically a diet high in processed foods.

How Processed Foods Impact Crohn’s and Colitis

Before we dive into how processed food can impact the development of Crohn’s and colitis, let’s first get on the same page by defining what exactly processed food even is. Processed foods are foods that have undergone various mechanical or chemical alterations during manufacturing to change their original form, taste, texture, or shelf life. These alterations often involve adding preservatives, flavor enhancers, colorings, or other additives and can occur at any stage of food production – from harvesting and storage to packaging and preparation.

These alterations to food, mean our bodies are not entirely equipped to properly digest and utilize these ultra-processed nutrients. And this inability to properly understand these nutrients can have a domino effect that can spell trouble for your gut health – sparking the inflammation seen in Crohn’s and colitis through various pathways such as:6,7,8,9

Epigenetic Changes: 

Epigenetic changes refer to modifications in how genes are turned on or off without altering the underlying DNA sequence. Processed foods, high in additives and artificial ingredients, can induce epigenetic changes – leading to dysregulation of genes related to inflammation and immune function and ultimately contributing to the development and progression of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Immune System Dysfunction:

Immune system dysfunction occurs when your body's defense system (designed to protect you from harmful invaders like bacteria and viruses) becomes overactive or makes mistakes – leading to inappropriate inflammation and tissue damage. Processed foods lacking essential nutrients and antioxidants can compromise immune function, promoting chronic low-grade inflammation.

In addition to sparking inflammation, additives, and preservatives found in processed foods may act as antigens – aka a foreign invader that triggers an immune reaction and further exacerbates the inflammatory response. 

Gut Dysbiosis:

Your gut microbiome is composed of trillions of microscopic microbes that collectively create an ecosystem designed to keep your gut functioning properly. These microbes that inhabit your gut play a pivotal role in things like:

• Breaking down nutrients
• Keeping your gut barrier strong (more on that in a minute)
• Maintaining a balanced immune response
• Combating inflammation
• And much more

When this delicate ecosystem gets thrown out of balance, it’s known as gut dysbiosis. When gut dysbiosis occurs, beneficial microbes are crowded out by an overgrowth of harmful microbes – skyrocketing inflammation, degrading the integrity of your gut barrier, and confusing your immune system – all adding up to an inflamed, imbalanced gut. 

Processed foods, low in fiber and beneficial nutrients and chock full of artificial ingredients can disrupt the balance of gut microbes, promoting dysbiosis and contributing to the intestinal inflammation characteristic of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Increased Gut Permeability:

Your gut has a tricky job – it has to digest and absorb nutrients while simultaneously keeping bacteria, toxins, and waste sealed up tight so they can be excreted when you go to the bathroom. To accomplish this, your gut is lined with a layer of cells linked tightly together with proteins known as tight junctions designed to selectively allow nutrients to pass. But if this barrier of cells becomes compromised, toxins, bacteria, and undigested food particles can begin to “leak” into the bloodstream. 

This condition is known as increased gut permeability or leaky gut and it can wreak havoc on your gut health. As your body rushes to try to repair this barrier and protect you from harmful invaders flowing into your bloodstream your immune system jumps into action – spiking inflammation and creating a vicious cycle that throws your gut further and further off-kilter.

Processed foods high in refined sugars, unhealthy fats, and artificial ingredients your body can’t properly break down are notorious for causing increased gut permeability, promoting intestinal inflammation, and exacerbating immune responses in the gut – all contributing to the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Decreased Ability To Detox

Your body has various detox pathways in place to help you properly process and eliminate toxic compounds that inevitably sneak their way into your body. But if the amount of toxins flowing in exceeds your body's ability to detox, these compounds can accumulate – overwhelming your immune system, triggering widespread inflammation, and causing oxidative damage to your tissues.

Processed foods can essentially “clog up” your detox pathways in a couple of ways. Firstly, processed foods often contain a plethora of artificial additives, preservatives, and other chemicals that can burn out your body's detoxification pathways and lead to an increased toxic burden. Secondly, processed foods lacking essential nutrients and fiber can contribute to constipation and sluggish bowel movements – meaning all those toxins that are meant to be excreted end up hanging out in your gut and being recirculated. 

This decreased ability to detox can be a major factor in the development and progression of inflammatory bowel conditions like Crohn’s and colitis.

Nervous System Dysregulation

Your brain and your gut are intricately intertwined via a channel known as the gut-brain axis. The gut-brain axis plays a crucial role in regulating various physiological processes – including gut motility, immune function, and inflammation.

Dysregulation of the gut-brain axis has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, as alterations in gut-brain communication can exacerbate intestinal inflammation and contribute to disease flares. And processed food is a well-known disruptor of this communication channel – causing nervous system dysregulation and interfering with gut-brain signaling. 

So, What Foods Should I Avoid If I Have Crohn’s Or Colitis? 

While you certainly don’t have to avoid processed foods 100% of the time, minimizing your intake of these gut-disrupting foods can have a monumental impact on your gut health – especially if you're grappling with Crohn’s or colitis. It’s best to minimize your intake of processed foods like:

• Fast food
• Pre-packaged meals
• Refined oils
• Sugary beverages
• Processed sugar
• Artificial sweeteners
• Packaged snacks

A good rule of thumb is to read the ingredient label on anything you plan to eat. If it has more than a handful of ingredients or contains ingredients you can’t pronounce or understand, it’s probably considered processed food. 

With so many foods to avoid, you’re probably wondering what you should eat if you have Crohn’s or colitis. 

What Is the Best Diet For Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis? 

The good news is that there are still plenty of delicious foods you can enjoy if you do have Crohn’s or colitis. And while there’s not necessarily one singular “best” diet when it comes to these conditions, there is one dietary protocol that has been found to have a dramatically positive impact when it comes to healing the root cause of inflammatory bowel disorders. This gut-healing diet is known as the specific carbohydrate diet or the SCD.  

The theory behind the specific carbohydrate diet is this: Certain carbohydrates, when undigested, fuel the overgrowth of harmful microorganisms in the gut. By restricting these specific carbohydrates, the diet aims to starve these gut-disrupting microbes, restore gut balance, and alleviate symptoms associated with gastrointestinal conditions. 

So, What Can I Eat On The Specific Carbohydrate Diet?

The SCD focuses on building a diet high in whole, unprocessed foods. Foods permitted and encouraged on the specific carbohydrate diet include:

• Specific legumes such as navy beans, lentils, split peas, lima beans, raw cashews, and all-natural peanut butter
• Limited dairy options, including hard cheeses like cheddar, Colby, Swiss, and dry curd cottage cheese, as well as homemade yogurt fermented for at least 24 hours
• Fresh, unprocessed animal products such as meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, and eggs
• Fruit without added sugar
• Honey
• Most oils, teas, coffee, mustard, cider or white vinegar, and juices with no additives
• Nuts and nut flour
• Various vegetables and string beans, whether fresh, frozen, raw, or cooked

In addition to avoiding processed and pre-packaged foods, you’ll also want to avoid the following foods when it comes to the specific carbohydrate diet:

• All grains, including corn, wheat, wheat germ, barley, oats, and rice, along with all baked goods that may include these grain-based flours
• Any milk products high in lactose, like commercial yogurt, cream, sour cream, and ice cream
• Canned and processed meats
• Canned vegetables with added ingredients
• Canola oil and commercial mayonnaise
• Legumes not mentioned above
• Processed sugar, high fructose corn syrup, molasses, and maple syrup
• Seaweed and seaweed by-products
• Starchy tubers like potatoes, sweet potatoes, and turnips
• Sweets, desserts, and products that contain specific carbohydrates known as fructooligosaccharides

If you need help incorporating more of these healthy, whole foods into your diet, be sure to head over and check out my recipe library – it’s full of healthy and delicious recipes that make it easy to incorporate more of these healing, gut-boosting foods.

Are There Any Other Ways I Can Naturally Heal My Crohn’s Or Colitis?

Your diet is undoubtedly the foundation when it comes to supporting your body in managing Crohn’s or colitis. But there are some other strategies that can drastically reduce overall inflammation and give your gut a boost when it comes to fighting back against these digestive disorders. I recommend starting with what’s been dubbed The 5 R Program which includes the following steps:

1. Remove: Eliminate triggers and factors that contribute to gut issues, such as processed foods, allergens, and toxins. While following the SCD will eliminate processed foods, it can also be helpful to incorporate steps like filtering your air, purifying your water, and making low-tox swaps to limit exposure to environmental toxins and allergens.
2. Replace: Introduce digestive aids and nutrients to support optimal digestion and absorption. I recommend Digestzyme Complete – a full-spectrum enzyme strategically designed to support each phase of digestion.
3. Reinoculate: Replenish the gut with beneficial bacteria. For optimal diversity, consider combining traditional Probiotic Essentials with Spore-Based Probiotics. I also recommend adding in some Prebiotics to ensure these microbes have plenty of food to thrive.
4. Repair: Provide your gut with the necessary nutrients to repair and build a strong barrier. It can be helpful to integrate nutrients like Gut Shield, Collagen, and Gut Calm into your routine to fortify and maintain a resilient gut.
5. Rebalance: Ensure long-term gut health by integrating lifestyle adjustments, such as managing stress, prioritizing restful sleep, engaging in regular physical activity, and continuing to consume a diverse, whole-foods-based diet. These measures promote gut balance and overall well-being over time.

Incorporating these strategies alongside a healthy diet full of unprocessed foods can have a dramatically positive impact on Crohn’s and colitis.

Are You Struggling With Crohn’s, Colitis, Or Any Other Digestive Troubles?

While Crohn’s and colitis may be gut-based conditions, managing and healing these disorders requires a big-picture, whole-life approach. Our bodies are complex, interconnected, and intelligent – meaning if you’re looking to heal an ongoing diagnosis (like Crohn’s or colitis), get to the root of unexplained digestive symptoms, or just take your health up a notch, you must take a holistic approach.

Tapping into your body’s innate desire to heal and flourish requires giving it the tools and support it needs. It requires addressing your well-being from every angle – from your diet and exercise, to your environment and from your relationships to your inner dialogue. If you’re looking for more ways to heal and support your health at the source, I’ve got you covered. 

The best place to start is by downloading my Resource Roadmap. It’ll help you connect with the resources, products, and information that are most useful for you – wherever you’re at in your unique journey. And the best part is – it’s yours for free. Just click here to download your Resource Roadmap today!

Resources:

1. Learn About Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis | Crohn’s and Colitis (crohnsandcolitis.com)
2. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) | Johns Hopkins Medicine
3. Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Symptoms, Treatment & Diagnosis (clevelandclinic.org)
4. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic
5. What is inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)? | IBD (cdc.gov)
6. Processed Food as a Risk Factor for the Development and Perpetuation of Crohn’s Disease—The ENIGMA Study – PMC (nih.gov)
7. Intake of Ultra-processed Foods Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Crohn's Disease: A Cross-sectional and Prospective Analysis of 187 154 Participants in the UK Biobank – PubMed (nih.gov)
8. Association of ultra-processed food intake with risk of inflammatory bowel disease: prospective cohort study | The BMJ
9. Food Processing and Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis – ScienceDirect
10. Food Processing and Risk of Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis: A European Prospective Cohort Study – Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology (cghjournal.org)

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The product mentioned in this article are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.   The information in this article is not intended to replace any recommendations or relationship with your physician.  Please review references sited at end of article for scientific support of any claims made.