Vegan with LC
Moderators: Rosie, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
Vegan with LC
Hi! I was diagnosed last year with LC. It came on suddenly after I had a fall and broke my foot and wrist. Three days after the fall I had uncontrolled d and very bad cramping and abdominal pain. It went on for over a month and then I had a colonoscopy with biopsies. I was also tested for celiac and came back negative. I was told by my gastro that I can eat whatever I like unless, of course, it caused me problems. A very generic statement. Well, I’m very happy to have found this site. I’m currently in a flare that is difficult for me to leave the bathroom. I have three jobs, so you can see the frustration I’m up against. Reading these entries I’m starting to understand the importance of diet. But, I’m very nervous. What the hell can I eat? I’m vegan! Soy is a big part of my diet. Same with legumes and nuts. Ugh! I could use some help. Thank you so much.
Hello Sunny,
Welcome to the group. You ask a very good question and the answer is generally bad news. LC/MC is tough on everyone, but it's especially cruel to vegans because healing the intestines requires higher than normal amounts of protein, and as you realize, that's impossible on a vegan diet if you have to avoid soy, nuts, and legumes. But wait, you may not be sensitive to soy, nuts, and legumes. This is a low percentage chance, but it's still a possibility because we are all different.
I would suggest the stool tests offered by EnteroLab, as we have found that they are the most accurate way available for pinpointing food sensitivities. Normally, I would suggest the A2 and C2 panels. But since virtually all of us are sensitive to gluten and oats, you can probably safely assume that you're also sensitive to gluten and oats. We have many vegan and vegetarian members, and I believe all of them are sensitive to gluten and oats. We're often sensitive to certain proteins that have been a prominent part of our diet for years. That leaves the C2 panel as the best choice.
https://www.enterolab.com/StaticPages/T ... px#PanelC2
It certainly helps to know for sure which foods are a problem for us individually. If soy, nuts, and legumes are out, you may have to consider foods such as oysters, mussels, clams, shrimp, prawns and other shellfish. They're usually safe sources of protein for anyone who wasn't originally allergic to them. For some people, certain species of fish are also an option.
None of us asked for this disease, but once we have it, it demands our undivided attention.
Sorry about the bad news, but I hope that this is helpful.
Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything.
Tex
Welcome to the group. You ask a very good question and the answer is generally bad news. LC/MC is tough on everyone, but it's especially cruel to vegans because healing the intestines requires higher than normal amounts of protein, and as you realize, that's impossible on a vegan diet if you have to avoid soy, nuts, and legumes. But wait, you may not be sensitive to soy, nuts, and legumes. This is a low percentage chance, but it's still a possibility because we are all different.
I would suggest the stool tests offered by EnteroLab, as we have found that they are the most accurate way available for pinpointing food sensitivities. Normally, I would suggest the A2 and C2 panels. But since virtually all of us are sensitive to gluten and oats, you can probably safely assume that you're also sensitive to gluten and oats. We have many vegan and vegetarian members, and I believe all of them are sensitive to gluten and oats. We're often sensitive to certain proteins that have been a prominent part of our diet for years. That leaves the C2 panel as the best choice.
https://www.enterolab.com/StaticPages/T ... px#PanelC2
It certainly helps to know for sure which foods are a problem for us individually. If soy, nuts, and legumes are out, you may have to consider foods such as oysters, mussels, clams, shrimp, prawns and other shellfish. They're usually safe sources of protein for anyone who wasn't originally allergic to them. For some people, certain species of fish are also an option.
None of us asked for this disease, but once we have it, it demands our undivided attention.
Sorry about the bad news, but I hope that this is helpful.
Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Well, if the protein powders are derived from soy or gluten-based sources (or animal-based proteins for that matter) they are going to be just as inflammatory as the original food, with the added probability of a reaction from the processing itself. Highly processed foods with more than 5 or 6 ingredients usually cause us to react, even if all the individual ingredients are safe for us. I don't see how you are going to be able to find a safe protein powder. I'm not an expert on protein powders though. Maybe some other members who have tried protein powders will see your post and respond with their own experience and insight.
That said, quinoa is theoretically safe, since it's gluten-free. For some reason though, most of us who have tried it seem to react to quinoa. I'm not sure why — it could be because quinoa is notorious for being cross-contaminated with gluten, or it might be because we are sensitive to the quinoa itself. As far as I know, no one has published any research demonstrating that any peptides resulting from the digestion of quinoa exhibit any inflammatory characteristics similar to the digestion of wheat, rye, or barley (for which several hundred inflammatory peptides have been documented. Perhaps the fiber is the problem. We have to minimize fiber in our diet during recovery.
True, quinoa is a relatively high protein food and it contains all 9 essential amino acids, but it also contains over twice as much fiber as the cereal grains. I suspect that trying to get enough protein from quinoa would involve the consumption of far too much fiber. Too much fiber will keep the gut irritated and perpetuate the inflammation.
Still, it might be an option if you have no better choice. If you choose to try a recovery program based on something of this sort I surely hope that you will keep us informed on your progress because as far as I know, this will be the first successful attempt (hopefully) to control MC by diet without using any animal-based protein. I hope that you will be successful.
Tex
That said, quinoa is theoretically safe, since it's gluten-free. For some reason though, most of us who have tried it seem to react to quinoa. I'm not sure why — it could be because quinoa is notorious for being cross-contaminated with gluten, or it might be because we are sensitive to the quinoa itself. As far as I know, no one has published any research demonstrating that any peptides resulting from the digestion of quinoa exhibit any inflammatory characteristics similar to the digestion of wheat, rye, or barley (for which several hundred inflammatory peptides have been documented. Perhaps the fiber is the problem. We have to minimize fiber in our diet during recovery.
True, quinoa is a relatively high protein food and it contains all 9 essential amino acids, but it also contains over twice as much fiber as the cereal grains. I suspect that trying to get enough protein from quinoa would involve the consumption of far too much fiber. Too much fiber will keep the gut irritated and perpetuate the inflammation.
Still, it might be an option if you have no better choice. If you choose to try a recovery program based on something of this sort I surely hope that you will keep us informed on your progress because as far as I know, this will be the first successful attempt (hopefully) to control MC by diet without using any animal-based protein. I hope that you will be successful.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Thank you, Tex. This is all very scary for me - the possibility that I would have to start eating animal protein to eventually go into remission. I ordered my EnteroLab test today - so this will show a wider picture of what’s going on in my gut. I also made an appointment with my naturopathic doctor. Years ago her diet and supplement plan put my rheumatoid arthritis in remission. I’m hoping for the same miracle here. I find this support site invaluable. Thank you for all you do.
Great! The test results should allow you to reliably select a safe diet, and the results should be available to you a few days after they receive the sample at the lab.
You're very welcome.
Tex
You're very welcome.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Hi Sunny!
Wow, that's great! I'm glad you are able to eat soy and legumes.
Unfortunately I'm not able to be vegan or vegetarian. I have hypoglycemia as well as MC and Celiac, so not having animal protein causes my blood sugar to plummet and I faint. I've tried several times to remove meat from my diet and each time it has resulted in my health deteriorating. It doesn't help that I am intolerant of all grains (including a slight reaction to rice), beans and lentils. I'm getting tested for soy intolerance.
All of this, along with the fiber involved in a vegetarian diet, really precludes me from it. I do my best, however, to eat cruelty-free and free-range meats as I am aware of the horrid way we (especially in the US) treat animals.
I hope you are feeling better and doing well.
Wow, that's great! I'm glad you are able to eat soy and legumes.
Unfortunately I'm not able to be vegan or vegetarian. I have hypoglycemia as well as MC and Celiac, so not having animal protein causes my blood sugar to plummet and I faint. I've tried several times to remove meat from my diet and each time it has resulted in my health deteriorating. It doesn't help that I am intolerant of all grains (including a slight reaction to rice), beans and lentils. I'm getting tested for soy intolerance.
All of this, along with the fiber involved in a vegetarian diet, really precludes me from it. I do my best, however, to eat cruelty-free and free-range meats as I am aware of the horrid way we (especially in the US) treat animals.
I hope you are feeling better and doing well.
Kind Thoughts,
Liz
Liz