Dietary Guidelines for Managing Ulcerative Colitis

Living with ulcerative colitis requires careful attention to dietary choices, as certain foods can either soothe or aggravate symptoms. During flare-ups, it's essential to follow a diet that is mild, soft, easily digestible, and rich in nutrients. Consuming foods with natural detoxifying properties—such as Chinese celery and chrysanthemum greens—can help reduce inflammation. Additionally, foods that support digestive health, like lotus seeds, barley, aged rice, and yam, are highly recommended.

Including moderate amounts of garlic, tea, red beans, cowpeas, black plums, hawthorn, orange peel, and pomegranate peel may also provide benefits. However, patients should follow a low-fat diet, avoiding high-fat foods such as red meat, poultry skin, butter, margarine, mayonnaise, and fried dishes. High-fat intake can worsen digestive discomfort and increase inflammation.

Fiber plays a complex role in managing ulcerative colitis. While fiber-rich foods normally promote healthy digestion, they can irritate the gut during active flare-ups, increasing bowel movements and worsening diarrhea. Therefore, patients should avoid high-fiber foods like celery, radish, whole grains, and leeks, opting instead for liquid or semi-liquid meals with minimal residue. In chronic stages, especially when intestinal fibrosis or narrowing occurs, fiber intake should remain limited.

Cold foods such as raw fish, chilled beverages, seafood, melons, and icy desserts should be minimized, as they can shock the digestive tract. Instead, focusing on protein and vitamin-rich foods helps repair damaged intestinal tissue and prevent nutrient deficiencies. Due to persistent diarrhea and poor absorption, patients often experience low protein levels and vitamin deficiencies, making nutrient-dense food choices even more crucial.

Choosing easily digestible sources of high-quality protein—like fish, eggs, minced meat, tofu, and tender leafy vegetables—can significantly aid recovery. At the same time, spicy and stimulating foods such as chili, onions, pepper, and alcohol should be strictly avoided, as they can intensify internal heat and worsen symptoms. Although dairy products are rich in calcium and protein, they may cause bloating and digestive stress in some individuals with ulcerative colitis, so they should be consumed cautiously or avoided altogether.