In several cases (including in the studies above), healthcare providers have noted that the gluten-free diet improved or resolved inflammatory bowel disease symptoms, even in people who definitely didn't have celiac disease. People with Crohn's disease were especially likely to benefit.
Do: White Bread. Toasted bread or a bagel made with refined white flour are good for breakfast or as a sandwich base. Look for brands with 2 grams of fiber or less per serving. Low-fiber grains are easier to digest when you have Crohn's.
“In my practice I see a lot of people with Crohn's disease who have worse symptoms when they are eating gluten,” Kennedy says. “I suggest people with Crohn's try a gluten-free diet, and if it improves some of their symptoms, continue it.”
Many people with IBD have tried cutting gluten out of their diets. A cross-sectional study3 in the United States in 2014 found “65.6% of all patients, who attempted a gluten-free diet, described an improvement of their gastrointestinal symptoms and 38.3% reported fewer or less severe IBD flares.
If you replace gluten-containing foods with refined, simple gluten-free grains, you aren't reaping any major health benefits. Gluten-free refined snacks and sugars are still likely to cause some inflammation in your gut, and they're unhelpful for anyone trying to lose weight.
Refined grains, such as the grains found in white bread and white pasta, are known to increase inflammation across the whole body. Sourdough bread and rye bread are both good options for an anti-inflammatory diet.
As discussed, many gluten-free products are highly-processed and can be harder to digest, less nutritional, and harmful for the gut microbiome.
Sourdough bread is typically made of flour, water, and salt. It often involves a long fermentation process, which can make it much easier to digest. This may make it especially beneficial for people living with IBD.
“People with Celiac disease need to eliminate all gluten-containing products from their diet, but we're seeing that a gluten-free diet and gluten-free products can actually help people who have various digestive concerns as well, including people who have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or even Crohn's or colitis, which ...
Spicy or greasy foods, whole grains, high-fiber fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, caffeine, and alcohol can all be harder on your body during a flare-up.
Grains: When you're having symptoms, choose bread, pasta, and other carbohydrates made from refined white flour instead of whole grains. 4 White rice is another low-fiber option. Avoid brown rice, wild rice, or rice pilaf.
Probiotic foods like yogurt, kefir, aged cheeses, miso and real sourdough bread can help maintain a healthy gut microbiome, something that is altered in Crohn's disease.
Butter, margarine, heavy cream and fried foods are particularly important to avoid. You should also limit dairy, as many people with Crohn's disease find that their symptoms improve when they reduce or eliminate dairy from their diet.
Potatoes. These starchy veggies can be a lifesaver during a Crohn's flare-up. Just be sure you avoid potato skins, as they are high in fiber and may cause digestive distress. Bake or roast white or sweet potatoes and scoop out the middle for a simple, delicious meal that won't leave you feeling under the weather.
Certain high-fat foods can cause symptoms in some people with Crohn's disease, but you may be able to tolerate higher-fat protein sources like nut butters and whole eggs without issue.
"Let's talk about my favorite bread for digestion and gut health: Sourdough bread. Sourdough is incredible because these microbes are transforming the flour," Dr. Bulsiewicz explains in the Instagram Reel, referring to the way the wild yeasts react with the flour and water in the sourdough starter.
Foods that are high in soluble fibre and that may help reduce diarrhea include: oatmeal, oat bran, legumes (avoid in flare-up period), rice, rice cereals, potatoes, psyllium, squash, turnips, bananas, applesauce, mangoes, turnips, yams, carrots, corn meal, barley, white breads, papayas.
Gluten-free white bread (United States): Per Monash University, a low FODMAP serving of white gluten-free bread is 2 slices or 62 grams. Gluten-free multigrain bread (United States): The low FODMAP serving for multigrain gluten-free bread is 1 slice or 32 grams.
If you have gone gluten-free to better manage your IBS and miss eating bread, you may want to try sourdough. This bread stands out from others because it's missing a key ingredient that tends to aggravate IBS.
Gluten-free white bread
Gluten-free bread only works for a low-FODMAP diet when it doesn't have any added FODMAP ingredients such as apple juice, pear juice, agave, or chicory root. In practice, in the U.S. these are white breads made from corn, tapioca, potato, and rice flours.
In addition, the introduction of the many refined gluten free grains and starches that are in gluten free products are often upsetting to the micro-flora balance in the intestines, causing gas and bloating.
Because gluten is in all wheat products, anyone with digestive problems related to gluten should also avoid wheat products. Some of the benefits of going gluten free and wheat free are better digestion, weight loss, more energy, and a potential reduction in inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia.
Nutritional Deficiencies
Most refined, gluten-free breads, pastas, and breakfast cereals are neither enriched nor fortified, making it difficult to get these important nutrients. People with celiac disease on a strict gluten-free diet were found to have inadequate intakes of fiber, iron and calcium.