Does a diet to prevent inflammation really work?

I know I have had issues in the past where eating certain foods would cause inflammation in my joints worse and I would stay away from those foods like potatoes. This hasn't happened again since being off Prednisone for so long. Never specifically went on any diet and noticed a difference during UC or jpouch.

Good luck on your search

I have not tried an anti-inflammatory diets. The one area of research that does intrigue me is related to the hygiene hypothesis. . .worms.  whip/hook worms I've read release a chemical that has anti-inflammatory effects (that's the cliff notes version).

Well... Somewhat recently I have applied parts of the FODMAP diet.  Basically I noticed undeniably that avocados upset me.  Avocado is high in polyolys, so I avoided then and found another 'food' high in polyolys (xylitol).  So I had lots of xylitol in peppermint tea and that also upset me... Looking at the list on Monash website it made sense, so I avoid polyolys and notice a definite improvement.

What I will say is not all the polyol foods seem to upset me (at least not in the same way).  Corn and sweet potatoes don't seem too... Then again Apple does.   Fortunately polyolys aren't hard to avoid (the major foods in this group are the ones I listed) so just trying that for a bit.

I realise that is not the way to do fodmap correctly btw.

I just read about fodmap today, but I have not looked into it yet.  I am to the point that I just need to get the research done instead of looking into things that intrigue me for my personal use, but I will check it out soon enough. 

 I was able to control some of my chronic pouchitis  symptoms by eliminating refined sugar and simple carbs.  I would inadvertently eat sugar, perhaps at a restaurant,  and within six hours experience extensive G.I. bleeding. For some strange reason scallops also triggered bleeding. That never made sense to me.  Diet only minimize the symptoms. It never eliminated the pouchitis.

  A year before my J pouch was removed  I developed SIBO and could somewhat control it with the low fodmap diet. It is supposed to be an elimination diet, but I was on it for the entire year, until I had the k pouch surgery.

  perhaps you are already aware of this diet/ research – – it’s called breaking the vicious cycle. You can download the entire book from the Internet. The research is old, but I think it is still valuable.   i’m delighted to know you are researching diet and auto immune diseases. It’s such valuable information. Hopefully doctors pay attention to it also. Janet

I have not heard of the book and will look into it.  I don't want to change my diet, but if I have to I will.  It just seems like food is such a simply pleasure (and big part of a person's life) that I don't want to change mine. 

Breaking the Vicious Cycle advocates a diet called the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD). That’s not the same as a low FODMAPs diet. There’s enough variation from person to person that no particular diet works broadly enough to become a general recommendation. Some folks do seem do get a lot of benefit from a diet they work out for themselves, though. I’ve personally tried several and haven’t seen any benefit. As MCH says, giving up a pleasurable diet is a big deal, so it needs to have a substantial benefit to be worth doing.

The only diet that has actually been developed by medical professionals specifically for persons with inflammatory bowel disease is the UMass Medical School’s AID-IBD diet which has been discussed in other threads and is based on the SCD diet:

https://www.umassmed.edu/nutrition/ibd/ibdaid/

I do agree that the one size fits all approach of this and other diets largely doesn’t work and adaptation is necessary and essential through trial and error. 

I also think none of these diets work well or noticeably unless there is long term commitment meaning many months or a year. The tendency of many is to expect instant results and lose patience when it doesn’t happen right away, and this has to be resisted. 

This is not a professional opinion but...

I eat a 'fit for life' diet. It is not just what I eat but when. I only eat fruits, fresh fruit juices, water, coffee and meds in the mornings til noon. Then at noon it is usually a protein and a vegetable (work days it is Greek yogurt and cherry tomatoes and radishes for simplicity sake). At home, it can be grilled meats or chicken and a salad and artichoke.

Ditto for dinner or a bowl of pasta with no proteins. 

Last Thursday...I decided to go on a massive croissant binge on the way to work. I hit 3 different bakeries to try their croissants...1 from each (I threw out the worst one). Within 1/2hr of eating them my knees hurt, my body felt 'heavy' and slow and I was sleepy, crampy, cranky, achy, gassy, bubbly, bloaty (all 7 dwarfs). 

I hadn't done that in years...So although not a scientific study, I got my answer. 

FIt for life has worked for me since 1991. It gave me back the control of my life and my pouch, reduce my pouchitis and saved me years of misery.

But that is me...not necessarily for everyone

Sharon

Hi there, it is a really interesting question. I have been wondering the same for a long time and have just decided to try it. Why not? In Denmark there is two books with a 3 week anti-inflammatory diet. I am going to try one of them and see if it works. Let me know what you have decided. 

Does anybody with JPouch and later diagnosed with Crohn’s has tried a diet that really works? Believe me. I tried pretty much everything and after a while doing good, it’s have been 3 weeks with liquid stools.  The only new item on my diet I changed it was butter.  I’m eating one with Canola Oil on it.  Does anybody knows if Canola Oil cause inflammation on the Jpouch or exacerbate Crohn’s? I’m clueless right now.  
thank you in advance,

Laura L.

Hi!  I posted the original comment about being both an anatomy student and a j-pouch patient.  I still have not changed my diet-I already feel as though it is pretty limited and really do not want to make a change.  Anyway, your question about canola oil made me think of coconut oil.  i own a book recommended by an acquaintance who had colon cancer about all the benefits of using it instead of other oils, and this person (and the authors of the book as well) believes that replacing other oils in your diet with coconut oil will work miracles for your health.  Pat (person I know) said she replaces the butter on her morning toast with it and it has helped tremendously.  That is another thing i have not tried very faithfully because I hate the scent/flavor of it, but if you put jam on top of it, those are hidden pretty well.  You can replace all the oils in your diet with it as well, but you must fry things at a much lower temperature when using it.  I suggest buying a small container (if you can find one) at your pharmacy in the vitamin/supplement section and giving it a try.  If eating it doesn't work for you,  it is an excellent moisturizer for the body and hair.  I will try to find the name of the book if you are interested.  Has anyone else tried replacing other fats with coconut oil?

Hi, Laura Lee.

You could also try replacing all butters with fresh ripe avocado. Use a ripe avocado as a spread on toast or bagel. I use it in sandwiches in place of mayonnaise. Avocado has lots of potassium, and if you let it sit on your counter (don't try to ripen it in the fridge) for a day or so, it will be perfectly ripe for easy spreading. Some grocery stores now sell frozen chunks of avocado in a bag, already peeled and cubed for you, and ready for smoothies or defrosted for salads, and they stay fresh forever. If you use the frozen kind, take some out the day before you plan to use it and it will defrost easily. My defrosting cubes went lightly brown at the edges, natural, like apples, but it does not change the favour. I tried to root the avocado pit but the weather was not right (remember childhood projects using toothpicks to balance its bottom in water to get it to sprout roots?). There is also 100% avocado oil in bottles, next to the olive oils, for salad dressing, cooking, frying. As MCH suggested, buy the smallest quantity of whatever, and try it. I hope it works.

Hi MCH and Winterberry,

Thank you for your responses.  Unfortunately I have tried coconut oil in the past because I read all the benefits for the body but for some reason my system didn’t process it well.  Make nauseous and cramping every time I tried it.  I finally  gave up and give the rest to a friend who has no stomach issues.

I’ll try the avocado idea to see how well I tolerate it.  Besides all my issues, I also have fatty liver, so I have problems digesting some foods, but it worth to try.  I’ll do that and tell you how was it.

Again thank you for taking the time to help me with your ideas! 
Happy Easter! 

Laura