Books

Can you guys recommend any up-to-date books on intestinal diets for protitis/colitis.

I agree with Gary's distrust of diet books. Often the point seems more to make a buck on a fad, than helping people with reasoned advice.

While difficult reading, I think it would help to read some medical research. At least then you would know if some diet's reasoning is consistent or inconsistent with what research is able to support regarding diet.

It must be kept in mind that some research focuses on dietary factors leading to UC while other research focuses on modulating UC. For example one article (below) found high vegetable intake lowered risk of getting UC. However, once you have UC those same vegetables may have too much roughge for the tender colon, or cause too much gas (not good at all in combination with bloody mucus. Ugh.)

Here are abstracts of two articles. Your GI might be able to get copies if you cannot. You should be able to get them if you visit a good university library.

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Hou, J. K., et al. (2011). "Dietary Intake and Risk of Developing Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Systematic Review of the Literature." American Journal of Gastroenterology 106(4): 563-573.
OBJECTIVES: The incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing. Dietary factors such as the spread of the "Western" diet, high in fat and protein but low in fruits and vegetables, may be associated with the increase. Although many studies have evaluated the association between diet and IBD risk, there has been no systematic review. METHODS: We performed a systematic review using guideline-recommended methodology to evaluate the association between pre-illness intake of nutrients (fats, carbohydrates, protein) and food groups (fruits, vegetables, meats) and the risk of subsequent IBD diagnosis. Eligible studies were identified via structured keyword searches in PubMed and Google Scholar and manual searches. RESULTS: Nineteen studies were included, encompassing 2,609 IBD patients (1,269 Crohn's disease (CD) and 1,340 ulcerative colitis (UC) patients) and over 4,000 controls. Studies reported a positive association between high intake of saturated fats, monounsaturated fatty acids, total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), total omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids, mono-and disaccharides, and meat and increased subsequent CD risk. Studies reported a negative association between dietary fiber and fruits and subsequent CD risk. High intakes of total fats, total PUFAs, omega-6 fatty acids, and meat were associated with an increased risk of UC. High vegetable intake was associated with a decreased risk of UC. CONCLUSIONS: High dietary intakes of total fats, PUFAs, omega-6 fatty acids, and meat were associated with an increased risk of CD and UC. High fiber and fruit intakes were associated with decreased CD risk, and high vegetable intake was associated with decreased UC risk.

Ioannidis, O., et al. (2011). "Nutritional Modulation of the Inflammatory Bowel Response." Digestion 84(2): 89-101.
Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis represent distinct phenotypic forms of inflammatory bowel disease and continue to be a common cause of morbidity. The corticosteroids and the immunomodulatory drugs, which are the basis of treatment for the inflammatory bowel diseases, do not assure always satisfactory outcomes. Nutrition has been used in order to modify the inflammatory response of various chronic inflammatory diseases, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. In the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases, the intestinal microflora and the intestinal mucosal disorders play a crucial role. Also, the release of reactive oxygen species is a significant factor of initiation and preservation of the inflammatory reaction in these diseases. The advantages of the nutritional treatment derive from the sequestration of intraluminal agents which may promote the inflammatory bowel response or, alternatively, nutrition is able to modify the immune response, reducing the uncontrolled inflammatory reaction. Furthermore, nutrition can enhance the mucosal barrier function and consists a significant source of antioxidants. This review focuses on certain nutritional components that modulate the inflammatory response of the bowel and aims to present a rational thesis regarding the use of nutritional agents in the management of inflammatory bowel diseases. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel

I can see people preying on us which is why I wanted to post here before I bought anything. I always believed diet had no factor but I want to understand more about the digestive tract and how food effects it. Thanks guys.