Fluid Diets And Crohn's Disease

For a short time following surgery, while experiencing obstructive symptoms, or during a flare, you may need to follow a fluid diet to relieve your symptoms by eliminating most indigestible food matter (also called residue). You might also be asked to follow a liquid-only diet if you have a fistula.

 

Even though you don't have much of an appetite under these conditions, you may find that you are able to drink fluids. However, while on a fluid diet, it may be difficult to consume enough calories to maintain your weight.

 

 

Unfortunately, clear fluids are not a balanced source of nutrition, especially lacking in calories and protein. A clear fluid diet should generally be limited to no longer than several days. On this diet, you can easily develop taste fatigue and boredom with the lack of variety, texture, smell, and taste.

 

Examples of clear fluids are strained vegetable or meat broths, tea, coffee, clear popsicles, Jell-O, clear juices or cocktails, such as apple or cranberry, fruit punch, and other sweetened drinks, soda pop, and specially prepared nutritional products, such as Resource Fruit Beverage. Clear fluids flavored or sweetened with strained lemon juice, honey, sugar, or artificial sweeteners are considered to be fine.

 

 

Slightly more nutritious is the full fluid diet because of the addition of some dairy products or alternatives, such as soy milk for lactose intolerant individuals or vegans (when all animal products are avoided). Still, it is difficult to meet protein requirements on the full fluid diet.

 

Examples of full fluids are milk, cream, soy milk, strained hot cereals (oatmeal, cream of wheat), puddings, custard, ice cream, sorbet, gelato, strained cream soups, fruit juices, vegetable juice, and nutritional products that are 'creamier' in texture (for example, Ensure, Boost, Resource, and pharmacy house brands).

 

 

The more fluid you lose in stool, the more likely you are to experience dehydration. If you have had your colon removed (where fluid and electrolytes are primarily absorbed), your small intestine will partially adapt to take over this function, but this takes time, and the stool will become pasty at best. When passing frequent liquid stool, be sure that you are getting adequate fluids and replacing electrolytes.

 

 

Fluids that are best absorbed match the concentration or osmolality of your body fluids. This allows for the best absorption or transfer of fluid across the cell membranes in your intestine. An example of a good replacement fluid would be Gastrolyte for adults or Pedialyte for children. Milk, juices, and sports drinks (for example, Gatorade) are not absorbed as well due to their higher sugar content and consequent higher osmolality (a measure of the concentration of molecules dissolved in water).

 

Water may be better absorbed than the sugary drinks, such as juices. When there is a high sugar concentration in a fluid, drinking it results in fluid shifting into the intestine from the tissues, instead of out of the intestine into the tissues and the bloodstream, thereby leading to more watery stool. You can try diluting concentrated sugar sources, such as juices and sports drinks, and sip them slowly in order to avoid the problem of increased diarrhea. There also are some reduced sugar sports drinks available; these are sweetened with artificial sweeteners instead of sugar.

 

Also beware of fluids that are known to increase urine production and loss of water from the body — otherwise known as a diuretic effect. Examples of these fluids include caffeinated beverages and alcohol. There is even a combination of these two diuretics — a new kind of beer on the market that has added caffeine. Caffeinated beverages include dark colas (Coke, Pepsi, house-brand colas, root beer) and clear soft drinks (Mountain Dew), coffee, tea (including green tea), chocolate (and hot chocolate). Some medications, such as over-the-counter cold and flu remedies, also contain caffeine.

 

 

Sodium and potassium are two electrolytes critical for regulation and balance of body fluids. They can be found in many foods in small amounts, but it is best to target higher sources on a regular basis if there is any concern with dehydration risk.