Hi ! 

Thanks to everyone who filled out our patient survey! We will use your thoughtful responses to create useful resources to help you feel better. For those who didn’t have time to complete it, it’s not too late.

take the survey

While carefully reading through every response, we noticed that many of you share similar challenges and questions. We’re hard at work creating useful resources to address these issues. But to better serve you right away, we’re updating the format of our newsletter. 

For the past two years, our newsletter has offered three quick and simple tips and takeaways. They’ve included recipes, handy tips, helpful links and more. With our new format, you’ll still get these useful tidbits, but we’re also going to dive deeper into topics that are most interesting to you.  

Here’s what you can expect from future newsletters:

You’ll continue to receive a weekly newsletter on Sunday mornings. But instead of briefly covering three distinct topics, each newsletter will focus on the same theme for one month. We’ll explore the who, what, where, when and why of topics dear to you in hopes that by the end of the month, you’ll have the information and confidence to make meaningful changes to eat and live better with IBD.

We promise to keep things fun and interesting!

The theme for October is …

Added sugar and IBD!

________

With Halloween 🎃 only a few weeks away, we have sugar on our minds. Even with many Halloween celebrations going virtual, we suspect there will be no shortage of candy and other sugary treats.

Here’s a not-so-fun fact: The average child eats 3 cups of sugar on Halloween. OK, it’s one day, but… for many, Halloween is just the beginning of the holiday sugar season. 

We hate to be party poopers💩, but too much sugar can worsen IBD, among other health conditions. That’s why this month’s newsletter theme is “added sugar”. Over the next four weeks, you’ll learn more about sugar and IBD, how to eat less sugar, our favorite low-sugar tips and more. 

What is “added sugar”? 

“Added sugar” includes sugars and syrups added to foods during processing, preparation or at the table.

There are at least 61 names for added sugar:

Agave nectar, Barbados sugar, Barley malt, Barley malt syrup, Beet sugar, Brown sugar, Buttered syrup, Cane juice, Cane juice crystals, Cane sugar, Caramel, Carob syrup, Castor sugar, Coconut palm sugar, Coconut sugar, Confectioner’s sugar, Corn sweetener, Corn syrup, Corn syrup solids, Date sugar, Dehydrated cane juice, Demerara sugar, Dextrin, Dextrose, Evaporated cane juice, Free-flowing brown sugars, Fructose, Fruit juice, Fruit juice concentrate, Glucose, Glucose solids, Golden sugar, Golden syrup, Grape sugar, HFCS (High-Fructose Corn Syrup), Honey, Icing sugar, Invert sugar, Malt syrup, Maltodextrin, Maltol, Maltose, Mannose, Maple syrup, Molasses, Muscovado, Palm sugar, Panocha, Powdered sugar, Raw sugar, Refiner’s syrup, Rice syrup, Saccharose, Sorghum Syrup, Sucrose, Sugar (granulated), Sweet Sorghum, Syrup, Treacle, Turbinado sugar, Yellow sugar

That’s right! So-called “healthy” sugars, like coconut sugar and maple syrup, are still sugar.

Please don’t confuse added sugar with naturally occurring sugar from fruits, vegetables, milk and yogurt, all of which can be part of a healthy diet. 

Why is too much sugar bad for IBD

Scientific evidence links diets high in sugar to the following health conditions: diabetes, heart disease, obesity, liver disease, depression, inflammation, poor oral health and others. 

But let’s focus on IBD. 

In the long-term, diets high in added sugar weaken the gut barrier, upset the gut microbiota and increase risk of IBD onset and flares.

In the short-term, sugary foods and drinks can lead to diarrhea, bowel urgency, abdominal pain, gas, bloating and fatigue. Sugar-sweetened beverages include soda, lemonade, sweetened iced teas, Ensure and other nutritional supplements, Gatorade and other sports drinks. Don’t let health claims or the fact they’re served at hospitals fool you into thinking they’re good for you.

How much added sugar should you eat ever day?

Added sugar offers zero nutritional benefit, so you need not eat any to survive. But let’s be real. Everyone deserves a treat. Fortunately, small amounts of added sugar seem OK. 

Major health organizations recommend we keep our daily sugar intake under 25 grams per day or 6 teaspoons. That’s what Colleen recommends to most of her patients, although some benefit from less (e.g. those with the J-pouch). 

If we had to guess, we’d bet the average person with IBD eats more than 25 grams per day.

Why People With IBD Might Eat More Sugar Than Others

Here are a few reasons Colleen suspects people with IBD eat more sugar:

• You’re told to avoid fruits, vegetables, nuts and other high-fiber foods. Some of the most common pieces of dietary advice given to patients with Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis include “avoid fresh fruits and vegetables” and “follow a low-fiber diet.” But rarely are you told to avoid cookies, cakes and other sugary foods. A better recommendation is to choose soft fruits, cooked vegetables, soups, smoothies and nut butters vs. whole nuts. 
• You’re told to eat white foods. This is another popular recommendation people with IBD receive from providers. Most white foods are low fiber but high in sugar.
• You want to gain weight. Many of our survey respondents answered “I intentionally eat sugary foods/drinks to gain weight.” I get it, ice cream, cookies, pastries and other sweets are quick sources of calories. However, in my clinical experience, rarely do my patients with IBD, particularly Crohn’s, gain weight from junk food. I suspect this might have to do with poor digestion, malabsorption and an abnormal gut microbiota. See next point.
• You crave sugar. Lots of folks with IBD yearn for sugary foods. When they don’t get their sugar fix, they feel worse. I suspect that’s because your bad gut microbes love to ferment (feed on) sugar, and you crave what they crave.

Coming up later in the month: 

We’ll show you how to identify hidden sources of sugar in your diet, reduce sugar cravings, and we’ll invite you to participate in a low-sugar challenge! 

________

Remember, there’s no one perfect diet for everyone with IBD. If you or anyone you know struggles with what to eat with Crohn's or Ulcerative Colitis, then check out our ebook, Eating with IBD: The Essentials.

Check it out

Do you have a question about these topics, or something else? Just reply with your question to this email and it may appear in an upcoming newsletter.

In good health,

Colleen, Bertina & Scott

This newsletter is for informational purposes only and is in no way intended as medical counseling or medical advice. Results may vary