Crohns and weight gain

Hi Tony, thanks for your question. As most of what we eat is absorbed in the small intestine, damage to the lining of the small intestine, as in Crohn's, can lead to malabsorption of nutrients and hence cause weight loss or make weight gain difficult. Therefore, it's really important to look at healing the gut lining and a nutrition professional would be able to go through a protocol with you. For example, removing any inflammatory foods, particularly foods which may be inflammatory to you such as dairy and gluten, eating anti-inflammatory foods like oily fish, and including bone broth in your diet, which is full of nutrients which help heal your gut. I would also ensure your levels of vitamin D are within range, as vitamin D deficiency has been shown to negatively impact gut barrier function in Crohn's. Your GP would be able to do a simple blood test to check you haven't got a vitamin D deficiency. Once gut healing is underway it will make the process of gaining weight easier, and then the following will help: eating at least 2000 calories a day; eating healthy fats such as avocado, oily fish, coconut oil; eat more food, more often; find and eat more tolerated wholegrains such as millet, quinoa and oats, and make sure digestion and absorption is optimised with digestive enzymes and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in water before meals. These are just a few ideas and a consultation with a nutrition professional would be of great benefit, as they would be able to devise a bespoke diet for you and recommend appropriate digestive enzymes and a gut healing regimen. I hope this helps Tony, and good luck.

Hi Tony,
As mentioned by Elizabeth, the most important factor in weight gain is the health of your digestive system.
The most common irritants causing damage to the gut lining, which can result in Crohn’s disease, are dairy and gluten, but also other food intolerances. Nuts, eggs, soy, corn and nightshade family of vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, courgettes, aubergine) and other foods could often cause inflammation in the gut and should be tested via elimination diet carried out by a nutritional therapist.

It has been suspected that the toxic burden from pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics eaten in meat or taken via mouth, plastic bottles or canned food, food additives, colours, and preservatives could also contribute to the damage and inflammation in the intestine.

Try to avoid anything that is refined or processed in anyway and eat only natural whole foods. You might benefit from probiotic-rich foods like sauerkraut and kombucha tea and aloe vera drinks to soothe the inflammation. Nutritional therapist would be able to advise you on the best way for you to heal your gut and consequently, gain weight in a healthy way.

Good luck!