Is Intermittent Fasting Safe With Ulcerative Colitis?
Digestive HealthUlcerative Colitis

Is Intermittent Fasting Safe for People With Ulcerative Colitis?

Is Intermittent Fasting Safe for People With Ulcerative Colitis?
Everyday Health
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Published on February 23, 2026
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Intermittent fasting (IF) is a pattern of eating where you consume food only during a set time period each day.

 The eating window is “feasting,” while the non-eating window is “fasting.”

 Common schedules are 16/8 — meaning, you fast for 16 hours and eat during the following 8-hour window — and 14/10, though there are other schedules as well.

There are a variety of reasons people might choose to follow IF for ulcerative colitis (UC) management. Social media sites are filled with people asking questions about the potential benefits of IF for UC. Those who advocate IF say they do it to give their bodies a rest from digestion, lessen pain and other symptoms, or reduce the number of trips they take to the bathroom each day.

Apart from anecdotal evidence, can IF effectively relieve UC symptoms? Experts say there may be a role for the eating pattern, but it has limitations.

“Intermittent fasting is not something that will help cure UC, and it is not meant to replace UC treatment,” says Priya Sehgal, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of gastroenterology and hepatology at Thomas Jefferson University’s Sidney Kimmel Medical College in Philadelphia. “It’s not a tool that’s meant for everyone, but I think there may be a subset of the population that may benefit,” she says.

Intermittent Fasting Safety for People With UC

IF has potential risks that are important to consider before you try it.

  • Possible increased risk of nutrient deficiencies or malnutrition. Malnutrition puts people at risk of a poor prognosis, says Stacey Collins, RDN, a registered dietitian-nutritionist who specializes in IBD nutrition in Denver.

  • Eating disorders, such as binge eating. Research has found people with IBD are more likely to engage in disordered eating behaviors, compared with the general population. The deprivation of fasting may lead to bingeing, and the cycle may not only prevent you from taking in adequate nutrition, but overeating can cause painful symptoms, too.

  • Medication side effects. Taking steroids on an empty stomach can cause irritation, says Dr. Sehgal.

Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Try IF

With IF, one of the best indicators of whether you’re a good candidate or not is the current status of your UC. If you are in an active UC flare, Sehgal does not advise using IF. “You’re already going to the bathroom a lot, increasing your risk of dehydration. During a flare, maintaining a good quality of nutrition is more important than timed eating.”

IF may be a useful tool alongside recommended medical care for someone who has both UC and has metabolic syndrome, says Sehgal. Metabolic syndrome is a constellation of conditions that raise heart disease, diabetes, and stroke risk, including a large waistline, high blood pressure, blood sugar, or triglyceride levels, and low “good” HDL cholesterol.

 A time-restricted pattern of eating can encourage weight loss, including abdominal (visceral) fat that promotes inflammation.
“We may see improvement in those parameters that may indirectly reduce systemic levels of inflammation,” she says.

 Theoretically, reducing systemic inflammation throughout the body may also lessen localized inflammation associated with UC.

One study that looked at the impact of IF in 80 people with IBD while fasting during Ramadan, a holy month on the Muslim calendar, found that overall, after fasting, participants experienced worsened symptoms and doctors rated their disease as more severe than before fasting. Participants older than 30 who also had higher baseline levels of calprotectin, a chemical marker of inflammation, in their stool, saw the biggest increase in symptoms and severity ratings. Participants didn’t see an increase in inflammatory markers after fasting, however.

 Personalizing diet is crucial in UC — otherwise, time-restricted eating could be risky.

Sehgal says prolonged bowel rest should be reserved for severe and acute cases of UC in preparation for surgery, not a routine strategy.

This is something Collins agrees with. “It’s normal to want to control the disease by doing everything you possibly can. That can sometimes manifest with food restriction, but this is a disease of the microbiome, and it does require exposure to food as fertilizer. Healing from a flare often requires more — not less,” says Collins.

Not a Good Fit for IF

Sehgal says that IF may be a poor choice if any of these describe you.

  • You are in an active flare.

  • You are taking steroids.

  • You have underlying nutrient deficiencies.

  • Your body mass index (BMI) is less than 20.

Potential Candidates for IF

Sehgal says you might want to give IF a try if you meet the following criteria.

  • You also have metabolic syndrome.

  • Your UC is stable and the number of bowel movements you have per day is your “normal.”

  • You’ve been cleared by a gastroenterologist or IBD-specialist registered dietitian.

Potential Alternatives to Intermittent Fasting

  • Try the Mediterranean diet. Modifying this eating pattern in UC-friendly ways can help you get the nutrition your body needs in an easier-to-digest format, especially if you’re in an active flare. “Continuing to eat fiber is important for the health of your microbiome and decreasing inflammation,” says Collins. She recommends Mediterranean-style foods that have fiber that’s already partially broken down, such as smoothies and hummus.

  • Consider using a prescription GLP-1 medication if you have metabolic syndrome. “We’re seeing that there may be a more pronounced and faster anti-inflammatory effect with the GLP[-1] medication than [there] is for intermittent fasting,” says Sehgal.

How to Try IF Safely if You Have UC

The above guidelines are generalized — you’ll need to get the okay from your gastroenterologist or registered dietitian who specializes in IBD before trying IF. Once you have the go-ahead, Sehgal recommends using a shorter fasting window. “I would not be aggressive with it,” she says. She recommends a 12- to 14-hour fasting window. This means a 12- or 10-hour eating window, respectively.

IF is all about when you eat, but the quality of the food you eat is also important. “We recommend avoiding ultra-processed food as much as possible,” says Sehgal. Focusing on fresh, minimally processed foods will help maximize nutrition. Make sure that you’re also hitting the protein targets your healthcare team recommends. Finally, focus on staying hydrated throughout the day.

The Takeaway

  • Intermittent fasting (IF) is an eating pattern that alternates a period of not eating (fasting) with a period of eating; common schedules include 14/10, in which a 14-hour fast is followed by a 10-hour window during which you eat.
  • There isn’t enough research to prove whether IF can lessen inflammation in UC.
  • People who are not in an active flare, whose UC is stable, and those who have metabolic syndrome may benefit from trying IF if they get the okay from their doctor or registered dietitian.
  • If you are in an active flare, taking steroids, have underlying nutrient deficiencies, or your BMI is less than 20, you shouldn’t try IF.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
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Resources
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Yuying Luo, MD

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Yuying Luo, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine at Mount Sinai West and Morningside in New York City. She aims to deliver evidence-based, patient-centered, and holistic care for her patients.

Her clinical and research focus includes patients with disorders of gut-brain interaction such as irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia; patients with lower gastrointestinal motility (constipation) disorders and defecatory and anorectal disorders (such as dyssynergic defecation); and women’s gastrointestinal health.

She graduated from Harvard with a bachelor's degree in molecular and cellular biology and received her MD from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She completed her residency in internal medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she was also chief resident. She completed her gastroenterology fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital and was also chief fellow.

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