Eating certain foods won’t cause ulcerative colitis in someone who doesn’t have it, but some foods may exacerbate symptoms in people who already have the condition. Keeping a food diary can help you determine if your symptoms worsen or improve depending on what you eat. “I generally recommend that people eat a soft diet during flare-ups of ulcerative colitis,” says Deborah Proctor, M.D., professor of medicine and medical director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Program at Yale University. “Stick with rice, chicken noodle soup, baked meats (as opposed to fried) and other foods that are easy on the digestive tract.” You may want to avoid dairy products and very high-fiber foods as well as fried foods, she advises.

—Laura Flynn McCarthy
Reviewed by Vikram Tarugu, M.D.

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