Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that affects the inner lining of the colon and rectum. Colitis develops along the lining in open blisters or tissue damage, which is very painful. Ulcerative colitis is an autoimmune condition, meaning it’s triggered when the body’s defence against infection goes wrong and mistakenly attacks healthy tissues. Ulcerative colitis can lead to severe life-threatening complications if not managed and treated under the care of a physician, often using medications like entyvio, stelara, and simponi.

Certain foods should be avoided as they can significantly trigger ulcerative colitis symptoms, such as:

1. Carbonated beverages

Carbonated drinks contain carbonic acid which irritates the digestive system. One should avoid beer and carbonated soda and drinks because most of these have caffeine too.

2. Corn

Ulcerative colitis patients find it hard to digest corn as corn kernels often stay whole throughout the digestive process, hence, causing irritation and diarrhea.

3. Coffee or caffeine

Tea, coffee, energy drinks, and chocolate accelerate the colon causing frequent trips to the washrooms.

4. Butter or margarine

Margarine that is polyunsaturated and cooking oil especially corn and sunflower oils are examples of foods that contain linoleic acid, produced during digestion which transforms and gets into the membranes of the cells within the colon. This provides a source of pro-inflammatory molecules that may cause ulcerative colitis.

5. Dairy products

Lactose is the sugar found in milk and dairy products. Lactose intolerance prevents one from digesting lactose. When lactose is unavailable in the small intestines, one may experience severe abdominal pain and diarrhea. Dairy can trigger ulcerative colitis symptoms. It is possible to ease and prevent flares by observing a diet plan or keeping a journal of trigger foods.

Stress too may trigger flares so it is important to manage stress by either adopting relaxing activities or therapy. There is some medication for treating bowel movement but should be taken only with a doctor’s prescription. Some worst cases may result in surgery if dietary changes and treatments are not working or more complications have occurred. Surgery is usually the last resort.