Ulcerative Colitis and the Benefits of Oatmeal

Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory disease of the colon (large intestine). It causes abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, fever, weight loss and other symptoms that can make one's life constrained. One of the biggest lifestyle changes a person with Ulcerative colitis has to make is modifying their diet. Some will find that certain foods exacerbate their symptoms while other foods will actually help control their symptoms. In interviewing patients I found that oatmeal was a very popular food choice among those that could not eat because of symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. Most found it easy to ingest, easy to digest and also found it "filling" as to take away hunger pains and thus additional abdominal discomfort.

People with inflammatory bowel disease generally have a harder time absorbing nutrients into their body. From personal experience I have found that oatmeal is a food that is not only nutritionally significant but also valuable in its chemical properties. Oats are made up of two different types of fibers, insoluble and soluble fibers. Soluble fibers increase the guts activity and will help to relieve constipation. If someone with ulcerative colitis is suffering from a flare-up and has persistent diarrhea oatmeal could potentially exacerbate his or her symptoms. However, oatmeal also consists of insoluble fibers, which make the stool heavier and will aid in relieving diarrhea. In addition, soluble fibers help to reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol while maintaining HDL (good) cholesterol. It has also been shown that the phytochemicals found in oatmeal have cancer-fighting properties. The risks of acquiring colon cancer are greater for those with Ulcerative colitis than that of the general population.

In my interviews I also found that patients were careful in preparing their oatmeal by using other ingredients that were also natural or organic. In place of table sugar most preferred stevia as a sweetener. Stevia is an herb that is also known as "sweet leaf" or "sugar leaf." It is the only naturally occurring sweetener that has zero calories and is beneficial in fighting obesity. Most patients also switched from using regular cow milk to soy milk. Because soy milk is made from beans, it has a higher fiber content that may be useful to those who are suffering from symptoms such as diarrhea. Butter that is made from soy can also be consumed in place of regular butter. If you find soy distasteful, a low-fat milk should be used in making your oatmeal and butter instead of margarine. Butter has been shown to have cancer-fighting properties and has specifically been studied in relation to its benefits in the colon.

Sources:
Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America
The Ulcerative Colitis File: Center for Current Research
Web MD