What to Drink and What Not to Drink With Crohn’s Disease

Even if you don’t mind the taste of diet soda, you might be better off choosing a different beverage to quench your thirst if you have Crohn’s.

One reason: It can cause bloating and abdominal discomfort for many with Crohn’s, says Keith Sultan, MD, the director of the inflammatory bowel disease program at Northwell Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens, New York. “The carbonation and artificial sugars are notorious for causing cramps, bloating, and diarrhea,” he says.

“Don't feel like you need to force yourself,” says Sultan. “There's no specific volume recommendation per patient. We may encourage a [certain] fluid intake depending on the patient's disease status, like flaring or diarrhea.”

“I think it’s fine for people to have their morning coffee,” Dr. Longman says. “I usually recommend hydration of ‘one to one.’ So if you’re going to have one cup of coffee, have at least 8 to 12 ounces [oz] of water to rehydrate from that coffee, since it’s clearly a diuretic.”

"Commercially prepared shakes can be very helpful, either as meal replacements or between meals to increase calorie and protein intake,” says Patsy Catsos, a registered dietitian-nutritionist and author in Portland, Maine. “Make sure the product is free of lactose, fructose, inulin (a type of carbohydrate fiber), and sugar alcohols [sorbitol, maltitol, xylitol].”

“If somebody can't eat real food, we want to get them nutrition,” says Danielle Gaffen, RDN, an IBD dietitian in San Diego County, California. “[We do] whatever we can do to prevent malnutrition through a flare-up, because if someone stops eating, their body doesn't have the nutrients to fight off what's going on.”

“Drinking beverages high in concentrated sugar, like sports drinks, can absolutely make flare-ups worse,” says Gaffen. “Even sugar-free drinks can have additives like aspartame that I would watch out for.”

Gaffen does suggest looking into oral rehydration solutions instead, which has the correct mixture of water, sugar, and salt to keep a person hydrated. There are recipes online for how to make these drinks at home, and you can flavor them with diluted fruit juice if you still need a little juice in your life.

“The most common recommendation, particularly for those who are admitted to the hospital, is that we'll put them on a lactose-free diet,” says Sultan. “But there is no proof that lactose worsens inflammation. In patients who are sick, we find out they either have or are developing lactose intolerance.”

“When we make plant-based swaps for dairy products, we make sure they are fortified with calcium,” says Gaffen. “My oat milk even says that it has 50 percent more calcium in a serving than normal milk — plant-based stuff can be helpful.”

If you need more protein in your diet and are looking for a cow's milk substitute, Gaffen recommends soy milk. Just keep track of what you are drinking and what makes you feel best.

As with coffee, decaffeinated teas and other beverages in general are the way to go, says Gaffen.

That’s because even low-caffeine tea like white tea may cause symptoms. Green tea has anti-inflammatory properties, but can still stimulate the gut because of its caffeine content, she says.

“I typically recommend herbal teas to Crohn’s patients,” she says. “Chamomile tea can be calming. If someone is experiencing nausea as a symptom, an herbal ginger tea might be soothing. Peppermint tea gets two thumbs up.”

As with everything else, it really depends on the person. “If someone's feeling fine, it’s okay to have the white tea or even green tea,” she says. “But for some, why risk it?”

Ultimately, if you choose to drink, listen to your body and drink accordingly. "Limit to one drink per day or less," says Catsos. "Some individuals find that any amount of alcohol irritates their GI tract."

Longman recommends drinking one glass of water for every alcoholic beverage consumed. He also warns that alcohol may interact with certain medications that treat Crohn’s disease, particularly some antibiotics. “It’s important to check your medication list and review with your doctor to make sure that it’s safe to use alcohol,” he says.