Plant-Based Diets: Can They Help Treat Crohn's Disease?
Digestive HealthCrohn's Disease

Can a Plant-Based Diet Help Treat Crohn’s Disease?

Can a Plant-Based Diet Help Treat Crohn’s Disease?
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Updated on March 31, 2026
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Crohn’s disease, a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), plays a big role in what you can or cannot eat. Unfortunately, certain foods, such as red meat and raw leafy greens, which provide helpful vitamins and minerals, may aggravate the gut.

Interest in eating a plant-based diet to help treat Crohn’s has grown in the past few years, as research shows that foods high in sugar, animal fat, and animal protein may increase the risk of developing Crohn’s disease in the first place. Although there are few studies on the specific effect of veganism on Crohn’s disease, research points to the health benefits of a plant-based diet — a diet that de-emphasizes, but still includes, meat as a protein source — for reducing the odds of experiencing active symptoms in patients with Crohn’s.

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What Does the Science Say?

When it comes to healthy eating for people with IBD, the best diet seems to be one that nourishes your gut bacteria. The gut microbiome contains trillions of microorganisms with multiple roles in the body — from helping with digestion to reducing inflammation.

In one research review, one type of plant-based diet, the Mediterranean diet, was linked to an abundant richness of beneficial bacteria, as was a semi-vegetarian diet that included fish once a week and meat every two weeks.

Mitsuru Chiba, MD, PhD, chief of the inflammatory bowel disease section at Akita City Hospital in Japan, says the beneficial and harmful bacteria in the gut can become unbalanced (dysbiosis) when eating a Westernized diet loaded with meat and sugar.

Other research has found that eating plant-based foods helps your microbiome use nutrients more effectively than foods that come from animals.

 The paper's authors also noted that previous research showed that plant-based diets could help manage IBD by reducing inflammation and altering the gut microbiome. They found that plant-based diets were associated with a lower risk of IBD-related surgery. More large-scale studies are needed, however.
Another research review found that Western diets form a gut microbiome with bacteria that limits the production of short-chain fatty acids — these are made after “good” gut bacteria ferment fiber in the colon and are involved in regulating immunity and reducing inflammation. Other researchers note that dietary fiber from plants is essential for the production of short-chain fatty acids.

Although there is little research on vegan diets for Crohn’s disease, one study found that a plant-based diet with low intake of animal proteins is associated with lower odds of active symptoms in Crohn’s.

Should We Be Skeptical?

With its potential to promote healthy gut bacteria, a plant-based diet holds promise for patients with IBD. But more extensive studies and clinical trials are needed before recommending plant-based diets to all people living with Crohn’s.

“Most information that presents as inflammatory or noninflammatory diets are based on personal experience, or anecdotal research that is not in depth. And most of the research being done in depth fails to show a specific form of a diet as anti-inflammatory, or end up aggravating the situation of Crohn's and inflammation,” says Ashkan Farhadi, MD, a gastroenterologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California.

In fact, some plant-based foods may worsen your risk of Crohn’s disease. One study found that unhealthy plant-based foods — including refined grains, sugar-sweetened beverages, sweets, and desserts — increased the risk of developing Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis in women.

The different conclusions drawn by studies may further suggest that diet’s role in Crohn’s is complicated. As Kelly Kennedy, RD, a registered dietitian at Bousquet Sport in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, who was previously on staff at Everyday Health, says, “The foods that affect people with Crohn’s disease vary from person to person and, in time, can even change for the same person.”

What may benefit your body could trigger a flare for someone else, meaning that no one diet will be suitable for every individual.

How to Safely Incorporate More Plant-Based Foods Into Your Diet

If you’re considering a plant-based diet, be it semi-vegetarian, vegetarian, or vegan, here are some tips for eating mindfully and making the transition as smooth and simple as possible.

Go Slow and Give Yourself Time

Whenever you make significant dietary changes, it’s always smart to make them slowly so your body has time to adjust to a new way of eating. With this in mind, be kind to yourself when you change your eating habits and don’t beat yourself up when you make mistakes. Crohn’s is different for everyone, and some people might be more tolerant to certain foods than others.

Try keeping a food journal to record your meals and your symptoms, so you can track which foods your body tolerates better than others.

Remember to Stay Hydrated

As you make the switch to a plant-based diet, remember to keep drinking plenty of fluids to help the fiber in plant-based foods move through your digestive system and avoid symptoms like bloating and constipation. Dehydration can cause issues with your bodily functions, including digestion. The risk of dehydration can be greater for people with IBD.

Drinking fluids such as water, broth, or tomato juice, which has a very high water content, until your urine is clear or light yellow is a good indication that you’re well-hydrated.

However, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation advises people with IBD to limit their intake of ice-cold drinks, sugar-sweetened beverages, alcohol, and caffeine. Each can trigger digestive issues: Ice-cold drinks can cause cramps and sugary and caffeinated beverages can increase the risk of diarrhea, while alcohol can have dehydrating effects.

Get Enough Protein

Since meat is such a rich source of protein, you may be concerned about where to get your protein when you limit or remove that food group from your diet. Eggs, fish, milk, yogurt, nut butters, and cottage cheese are all great sources of protein. For plant-based protein, beans, lentils, and chickpeas are good sources, as are soy-based foods like tofu, edamame, and tempeh. Remember to ease into it and go with what your digestive tract can tolerate.

Keep an Eye on Your Iron Levels

Iron deficiency anemia is fairly common for those with Crohn’s, and cutting iron-rich meat out of your diet can further increase that risk. To avoid this, eat foods that contain high amounts of iron, like leafy green vegetables (as long as they’re tolerable), beans, asparagus, and even mushrooms. You can also look to foods fortified with iron, such as breakfast cereals and tofu.

The body has more trouble absorbing this type of iron than the kind found in meats, so to increase absorption Kennedy recommends a source of vitamin C, such as orange juice, at the same meal.

Ease the Impact of High-Fiber Foods

Plant-based diets tend to be high in fiber, which can be difficult for someone with Crohn’s who is trying to avoid foods that can aggravate the bowels. To ease the impact of high-fiber foods, try choosing white bread and pasta over whole grain versions, and peeling and cooking vegetables instead of eating them raw. How much fiber you can tolerate is highly individual, but low-fiber diets aren’t typically recommended unless you have strictures or significant difficulty digesting fiber.

“You can also opt for nutritious and naturally low-fiber foods, such as eggs, dairy, and nut butters, as long as they’re well-tolerated,” Kennedy says.

Think About Vitamin Supplements

Crohn’s disease often limits the amount of vitamins and minerals your body can absorb from foods. People with Crohn’s disease often have low levels of vitamin B12 and vitamin D, and Kennedy says this can be further depleted for those following a semi-vegetarian, vegetarian, or vegan diet. Because meat, poultry, and fish are three main sources of these vitamins, you may need to take supplements to maintain vitamin levels.

If you’re transitioning to a plant-based diet, be aware of these potential deficiencies and talk to your doctor about supplementation. Some supplements may have gastrointestinal side effects such as nausea and diarrhea, however.

Talk to Your Doctor

Remember to consult your doctor or a registered dietitian before making changes to your diet. Choosing the most nutritious foods possible to maximize calories, protein, vitamins, and minerals is particularly important for those with Crohn’s disease, and your healthcare provider can help with that.

The Takeaway

  • Plant-based diets that limit or eliminate meat (including poultry) from the diet have been found to reduce active symptoms of Crohn’s disease in some research.
  • Preliminary studies have found that plant-based diets can improve the balance of beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiome, which may help people with Crohn’s, though more research is needed.
  • If you discuss a plant-based diet with your healthcare provider and decide to try it, slowly add fiber-rich foods you can tolerate and stay well-hydrated to avoid digestive upset, and work with your provider to make sure you’re getting appropriate amounts of protein and micronutrients.

Additional reporting by Jocelyn Solis-Moreira.

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
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