Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory condition that can cause intense abdominal pain, fatigue, and a whole host of uncomfortable gut symptoms. It can severely impact a person’s quality of life, especially if you’ve been unable to get flare-ups under control.

While conventional medicine generally focuses on symptom control through medications and, if the disease progresses, surgery, functional medicine offers a more holistic approach.

By addressing the root causes of symptoms like gut health, diet, and lifestyle, you can see an improvement in your condition and a more sustainable path to managing Crohn’s long-term.

Functional Over Conventional

Functional medicine emphasizes the root causes of a condition and bio-individuality over symptom management. When it comes to managing Crohn’s, a combination of lifestyle, diet, and functional therapies can improve overall gut health and restore balance.

Conventional treatments generally focus on addressing flare-ups through anti-inflammatory drugs, immunosuppressants, or even surgery, despite the fact Crohn’s is a recurring condition.

While there’s certainly a time and place for medication and conventional therapies, Crohn’s is a multifaceted disease influenced by environmental factors, diet, and microbiome imbalances.

Doctors who fail to take a holistic wellness approach to Crohn’s disease aren’t recognizing that every person reacts to interventions differently. This sets patients up for more side effects and flare-ups.

Helping a patient feel better in the short term without a plan for long-term gut health isn’t a sound approach, either. Functional medicine practitioners emphasize the idea that there is no one solution to how you go about healing your gut.

By focusing on the whole person and promoting self-awareness, functional medicine empowers patients to manage Crohn’s in a sustainable way and improve their quality of life.

In-Depth Lab Testing

There is no single test to diagnose Crohn’s, so an integrative, functional medicine approach always includes in-depth lab work before making an official diagnosis.

This includes blood work to check inflammatory markers and signs of nutrient deficiencies, food intolerances, and anemia. You may also need a comprehensive stool analysis to evaluate digestive function and rule out infection.

From there, your doctor may order X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, and procedures like a colonoscopy or endoscopy to get a bigger picture of the condition’s effects on your intestinal and colon health.

The goal is to individualize treatment based on those results and rule out other underlying issues that may be exacerbating your condition, such as gut dysbiosis or nutrient deficiencies.

I’ve watched patients experience dramatic changes to their overall health by addressing leaky gut or malabsorption issues that conventional testing missed. In functional medicine, testing isn’t just a diagnostic tool but a way to uncover the root causes of your condition.

LISTEN: Autoimmune-Inflammation: Top Causes, Functional Medicine Labs, Diet + Lifestyle Factors, The Nervous System Component & Exactly How To Heal

Crohn’s Diet Plan

The American diet is full of potential triggers for Crohn’s and intestinal inflammation. If you’ve been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, you may have already noticed that certain foods trigger your symptoms while other foods don’t.

While every person’s trigger foods are slightly different, almost all Crohn’s patients benefit from reducing their intake of the following foods:

• Lectin-containing foods like beans and legumes
• Nuts and seeds
• Gluten-containing grains
• Processed foods (e.g. microwave popcorn and processed meats like bacon)
• Raw vegetables
• Caffeine
• Sorbitol, xylitol, or other sugar alcohols
• Alcohol
• Soda
• Spicy foods
• Raw fruits

This doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a morning cappuccino or popcorn at the movies. I recommend reducing these foods as much as possible, especially in the first few months. Watch your symptoms. Once symptoms improve, you may be able to be more flexible with your Crohn’s diet.

An elimination diet can help you get to the bottom of your food triggers and intolerances. In this diet, you remove foods from your dietary patterns that you suspect cause your gut issues, then reintroduce them one by one to monitor your reactions. A food diary can help you keep track.

Some people with Crohn’s also have lactose intolerance, for example. (1) While a serving of probiotic-rich yogurt can be great for settling inflammation in the gut, it won’t do you any good if you’re sensitive to dairy.

For any gut health concerns, following an anti-inflammatory diet is always recommended. This diet emphasizes whole, unprocessed foods that are rich in nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and probiotics, which promote gut health and support a balanced gut microbiome.

There are lots of delicious foods that can benefit your gut health and reduce inflammation when you’re managing Crohn’s:

• Lean proteins
• Fatty fish
• Cooked, non-cruciferous vegetables (e.g. potatoes and asparagus)
• Low-fiber fruits (e.g. bananas, peaches, honeydew melon)
• Eggs
• Soy products
• Yogurt (unless you’re lactose intolerant)

If you’re experiencing a flareup, be gentle with your diet. Choose foods that are easy to digest, even bland, like white or brown rice, cooked greens, and rice noodles. As a general rule, people with Crohn’s benefit from cooked foods like soups, stews, and stir-fried dishes.

If you have Crohn’s disease, you should work closely with your healthcare provider or dietitian and follow their instructions on diet. That said, if they’re not open to dietary or lifestyle changes to help you manage your condition, that’s a huge red flag and a sign to find a new doctor.

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Functional Therapies

Functional therapies for Crohn’s focus on natural, holistic approaches to reducing inflammation while managing symptoms. These alternative therapies work alongside diet and address lifestyle factors that contribute not only to symptoms but also to immune function.

Here are two that I’ve seen success with in my patients battling gut conditions:

• Acupuncture: Clinical trials show promising results that acupuncture could be helpful for Crohn’s. (2) The idea is that the anti-inflammatory practice positively affects an imbalance in gut microbiota and intestinal barrier function.
• Cannabis: A good number of people with Crohn’s are already using cannabis to deal with symptoms, and studies support possible therapeutic benefits. (3) If cannabis is legal in your state, you may want to try experimenting with different doses and ratios.

Supplements

Supplements shouldn’t be treated as a medicine for Crohn's disease, but they can support areas of gut health that exacerbate symptoms. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Fish oil: Omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish and fish oil supplements may reduce underlying inflammation present in Crohn’s. Studies suggest they may keep patients in remission longer, but more research is needed to understand how this works. (4)
• Probiotics: Strains of probiotics like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium help balance gut bacteria and reduce inflammation. (5) Fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, and kefir are also good sources of probiotics if you tolerate them well.
• Prebiotics: Prebiotics are fibers that feed healthy gut bacteria, supporting a balanced microbiome and better digestive health. Bananas, barley, and avocado are good food sources, but as with probiotics, you’ll want to make sure you tolerate them.
• Saffron: This spice has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that may reduce gastrointestinal tract inflammation. Studies show it may also neutralize free radicals that damage sensitive intestinal tissues in cases of intestinal bowel disease (IBD). (6)
• Curcumin: Derived from turmeric, curcumin is a powerful anti-inflammatory that can reduce gut inflammation. Studies show it also has antimicrobial properties for a healthier gut microbiome. (7)
• Boswellia serrata: Boswellia is often recommended to reduce inflammation in gut health conditions and osteoarthritis. (8) Some people do report stomach pain at the start of taking this one, so make sure to keep track of your symptoms as you add new therapies.
• Slippery elm: Slippery elm is a known demulcent that reduces irritation and inflammation in the gut. It’s also a natural prebiotic. I believe in it so much that I incorporate it in my Gut Feelings supplement duo for improved digestive and mental health.

It’s also crucial that you address any vitamin or mineral deficiencies that may be making your symptoms worse, especially if you have persistent intestinal permeability issues.

I’ve seen deficiencies in vitamin D, calcium, vitamin B12, iron, and zinc in patients with Crohn’s. Healthy levels of each are essential for immune function and combating the worst Crohn’s symptoms as you explore your treatment options.

Lifestyle Changes

Diet is an essential piece, but a few additional lifestyle changes are linked to a reduction of flare-ups and improved gut health overall. Let’s start with one that doesn’t just cause gut dysfunction but harms your immune system and hormonal health: stress.

Chronic stress and excess cortisol production can trigger flare-ups and worsen symptoms. (9) If you don't already have set coping strategies, I recommend yoga, meditation, or gratitude practices for stress management. Adequate sleep and a balanced routine also coincide with managing stress.

If you’re a smoker with Crohn’s, take steps to quit today. Smoking worsens inflammation and can trigger not only flare-ups but progression of the disease. (10)

Finally, regular exercise is good for digestive health and combating inflammation. If you’re not feeling your best, be gentle with yourself. I’ve seen success in patients who have adopted yoga for Crohn’s as a way to reduce stress and get some movement into their daily routine.

Getting To The Root Cause Of Crohn’s

Crohn’s disease can be overwhelming, painful, and uncomfortable, but here’s what I tell my patients: You can dramatically improve autoimmune symptoms with individualized treatment. Reversing Crohn's disease may not be possible, but functional interventions can reduce flare-ups.

If you’re ready to tackle Crohn's disease and improve your gut health with a tailored approach, book a consultation. As one of the first functional medicine telehealth clinics in the world, we provide webcam health consultations for people around the globe. 

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