IBD Friend

Information about living a good life with IBD based on latest science.

Tag: crohns disease

  • Psyllium Husks for Crohn’s Disease

    Psyllium Husks for Crohn’s Disease

    What are Psyllium Husks?

    Psyllium Husks are as the name implies the husks of psyllium seeds. Psyllium seeds are most often harvested from the Plantago afra plant but they can also be harvested from other plants from the genus and they are most often from India.

    What do Psyllium Husks do?

    When they are eaten, either mixed in water or juice, or stirred into something like a yogurt they absorb a lot of water and swell up to a multitude of their original volume (like 10 to 40 times). This binding of water produces a light laxative effect and makes everything go a bit smoother through the gastrointestinal tract, making it helpful for constipation.

    It coats other foods and the intestinal walls with it’s gooey texture thereby making everything better to digest. This is especially important because when you have Crohn’s disease your intestinal walls are very likely to be inflamed and irritated. So the psyllium husks first coat the intestinal wall and then make the food go past easier by enclosing it.

    Also psyllium husks have a lot of water soluble fibre that feeds the positive bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. A healthy microbiome is important for everyone not just Crohn’s patients but for Crohn’s patients the microbiome is often out of balance and psyllium husks can help to restore this balance.

    Plantago afra in Kavo Gkreko, Cyprus, Krzysztof Ziarnek, 23 March 2017

    How much Psyllium Husks to take?

    Regular people should start with no more than a tea spoon per day dissolved in big glass of water. The dosage can then be increased up to 3-4 tea spoons over the course of a few months.
    Do not start with a too high dosage, especially if you can not drink a lot of water at once. If you do not drink enough water the psyllium husks can be too dry and can create a blockage in your intestines or create constipation!

    Dosage recommendation:

    • 1-2 weeks: 1 teaspoon psyllium husks with one big glass of water (300ml+)
    • 3-6 weeks: 2 teaspoon psyllium husks with one and a half big glasses of water (450ml+)
    • 6+ weeks: 3 teaspoon psyllium husks with two big glasses of water (600ml+)

    Where can I buy Psyllium Husks?

    You can buy psyllium husks online from the big e-commerce shops like Otto (EU), Amazon, Walmart (US). Or you can also buy in the a online pharmacy like DocMorris (EU) or Walgreens (US). Otherwise it is also often available in drug stores like DM (EU) or Rossmann (EU).
    The brand is not important, it is best to buy organic psyllium husks, just find one that fits your taste, as there are finer and more coarse ones, some with a aroma and without.

  • How running could improve your Crohn’s disease

    How running could improve your Crohn’s disease

    We all know the importance of physical exercise by now, especially for people with chronic illnesses. But it’s special for people with Crohn’s disease because we might feel that we are not able to move 22 out of 24 hours of the day. So we have to do it right so that it benefits us the most.

    Positive effects of running

    • Better cardiovascular health, meaning it can strengthen the heart muscle, lower blood pressure and increase blood circulation.
    • Improves bone health, meaning it can increase bone density and thereby reduce the risk for osteoporosis, something Crohn’s disease people are more prone to.
    • More weight management, meaning it can reduce your weight, this could be interesting for people with Crohn’s disease who are in a long remission and gained some extra kilos.
    • Reducing risk for other chronic disease, meaning it might lower the chance that you get additional chronic disease that you have to deal with.

    Running with Crohn’s

    Running for people with Crohn’s is not as easy as for regular people. Many Crohn’s suffers can not just go on a run that easily, which means you have to start small and take it easy. However just because your start might be harder or you can not run for hours on end does not mean you should not try it.

    Running can have profound benefits for you when you have Crohn’s:

    • Improves gut motility, meaning it might aid your digestion and reduce constipation
    • Reduces stress and anxiety, which can cause flare-up for many
    • Enhances immune regulation, meaning a flare might be lower in strength or will not take place
    • Encourages a sense of control, probably the best thing about it, you’re in control of your legs and how they move.

    Example running plan for Crohn’s

    1. Easy Plan – Beginner During Flare

    Goal: Maintain light activity without triggering more symptoms

    Weekly Plan:

    • Frequency: 2-3 days/week (non-consecutive)
    • Intensity: Very light
    • Session Outline (30–40 min):
      • 5 min warm-up walk
      • 5–10 min light jog (or brisk walk if symptoms worsen)
      • 10–15 min walk
      • 5–10 min cool down and gentle stretches

    2. Easy Plan – Beginner Without Flare

    Goal: Build endurance and aerobic base safely

    Weekly Plan:

    • Frequency: 2-3 days/week (non-consecutive)
    • Intensity: Light
    • Session Outline (30–40 min):
      • 5 min warm-up brisk walk
      • 20–30 min moderate jog (should be able to talk)
      • 5–10 min cool down and gentle stretches

    3. Medium Plan – Advanced Without Flare

    Goal: Build aerobic capacity with moderate intensity while minimizing Crohn’s-related stress

    Weekly Plan:

    • Frequency: 3-4 days/week
    • Intensity: Moderate
    • Session Outline (45–70 minutes):
      • 5 min warm-up jog
      • 45-60 min moderate jog (should be able to talk)
      • 10 min cooldown jog

    Have fun running!