What are the best meal replacement shakes for ulcerative colitis?
Written by Jack Schrupp and reviewed by Ella McGonagle, M.S. Nutrition
drink wholesome makes the best meal replacement shakes for ulcerative colitis. They are additive-free, dairy-free, and made with real foods, not protein isolates – 99% of meal replacements fail to meet at least one of these criteria. This makes them perfect for people with gut issues and sensitive stomachs, as well as for people just looking for nutrition without the processing and added junk. If you suffer from ulcerative colitis, or any other digestive disease, order samples to see if our meal replacements are right for you.
★★★★★
“I have a sensitive stomach, so most meal replacement powders leave me with gas, bloating, constipation, and stomach pain, but not this one.” – Shon
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drink wholesome is the best meal replacement for ulcerative colitis.
What is ulcerative colitis?
Are meal replacement shakes good for ulcerative colitis?
What are the best meal replacement shakes for ulcerative colitis?
Why drink wholesome?
What is ulcerative colitis?
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an umbrella term used to describe two conditions characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract: Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Both cause symptoms like diarrhea and stomach pain, and can lead to severe weight loss. Ulcerative colitis develops when your immune system attacks the cells that line your large intestine (colon). This causes inflammation and tiny open sores, or ulcers.
Although ulcerative colitis is not caused by what you eat, doctors and dietitians agree that food plays an important role in managing symptoms. Certain foods can aggravate symptoms, while others can mitigate them and promote healing. Paying attention to what you eat and how your body responds to different foods is therefore an essential part of living with ulcerative colitis.
Are meal replacement shakes good for ulcerative colitis?
During a flare up, you may only be able to stomach liquids, which is where meal replacement shakes come in handy. A good meal replacement shake can help you get the calories and protein you need without causing symptoms. Meal replacement shakes also allow for portion control. It can be difficult for individuals with ulcerative colitis to know how much food their stomach can tolerate at one time. With a meal replacement, you can control exactly how much you eat, reducing the risk of symptoms. That said, not all meal replacement shakes are created equal.
What are the best meal replacement shakes for ulcerative colitis?
The best meal replacement shakes for ulcerative colitis are made with a short list of simple ingredients. The fewer the ingredients, and the more they look like real food, the less likely they will be to cause side effects. Basically, if you cannot find it in nature, it should not be in your meal replacement. Continue reading to learn more.
Why drink wholesome?
drink wholesome is additive-free.
One of the reasons why we make the best meal replacement shakes for ulcerative colitis is that we do not use food additives. Most meal replacements, on the other hand, are filled with additives. Even if they are only present in small amounts, added ingredients like these can cause painful side effects, especially for people with colitis. Common side effects include bloating, flatulence, and stomach pain.
To put it simply, food additives do not look like real food and are hard for your body to break down. As a result, they linger in your gut. In some cases, this can cause your colon to absorb extra water, which can trigger diarrhea. Poorly digested food additives can also feed the bacteria in your gut, which release gas as they eat. Extra gas can make you feel bloated and gassy, cause stomach pain, and lead to constipation.
Here is a list of the most common food additives in meal replacement powder:
acacia gum, acesulfame potassium, artificial flavors, aspartame, carrageenan, cellulose gum, dextrin, dextrose, erythritol, gellan gum, guar gum, gum arabic, inulin, locust bean gum, “natural” flavors, maltodextrin, rice syrup solids, soy lecithin, silica, sucralose, sunflower lecithin, xanthan gum, xylitol
The real reason to avoid food additives stems from their potential long-term impacts. The regular consumption of additives has been shown to disrupt regulatory pathways in your intestines, heightening your risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and various other systemic inflammatory disorders. Food additives, particularly artificial sweeteners, can also disrupt your gut microbiome – the collection of microorganisms that help you digest good. In recent years, gut dysbiosis has emerged as an important driver of inflammation.
the alternative:
SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, CANOLA OIL, MALTODEXTRIN, ISOMALTULOSE, SOLUBLE CORN FIBER, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, VITAMIN AND MINERAL PREMIX, CELLULOSE, NATURAL & ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SOY LECITHIN, SALT, MONO & DIGLYCERIDE, XANTHAN GUM, SUCRALOSE
*This is the actual ingredient list of one of the best-selling meal replacements in the United States.
drink wholesome is dairy-free.
Another reason why we make the best meal replacement shake for ulcerative colitis is that we do not use dairy-based proteins. In contrast, many other meal replacements use whey and/or casein protein, which are byproducts of cheese and yogurt production. These dairy-based proteins can cause digestive discomfort, especially for the millions of people with lactose intolerance. Individuals with lactose intolerance, which is common among people with ulcerative colitis, lack the enzymes needed to break down lactose – the sugar in dairy. As you are now aware, partially digested food can cause painful side effects.
drink wholesome is made with real foods.
A final reason why we make the best meal replacement for ulcerative colitis is that we do not use protein concentrates or isolates. The majority of other meal replacements rely on one or both of these protein sources, which are essentially food stripped down to just their protein content. Instead of being called “peas” or “whey,” they appear on the ingredient list as “pea protein” or “whey protein.
Making protein concentrates and isolates involves significant mechanical and chemical processing. Sometimes, chemical agents like hexane are used to extract the protein. As a result, your meal replacement shake bears little resemblance to real, whole foods.
Your digestive system is made to handle minimally processed or unprocessed real foods, not artificial or heavily-processed alternatives. Consuming anything other than real food can lead to complications, particularly for individuals with existing gut issues. Although research has yet to determine the long-term effects of consuming processed foods such as protein isolates, emerging data suggests that they can upset the balance of the gut microbiome.
Beyond its digestion-related functions, the gut microbiome acts as a vital defense against harmful pathogens, contributes to educating the immune system, and influences various physiological processes. Disrupting the equilibrium of the gut microbiome has thus been linked to the emergence of multiple chronic diseases. Considering this connection, I strongly discourage the utilization of meal replacements designed with protein concentrates and isolates.
Instead of using protein concentrates or isolates, we make the best ulcerative colitis meal replacement drink with whole foods like egg whites and almonds. The egg whites simply undergo pasteurization and dehydration, while the almonds are roasted, pressed (to extract some oil), and ground. These minimally-processed ingredients are a gut-friendly alternative to protein concentrates and isolates.
Unlike protein isolates and concentrates, real foods contain enzymes and digestive aids that facilitate the digestion journey. Moreover, egg whites are low in fiber and FODMAPs, and alkaline, making them particularly easy to digest. Almonds, on the other hand, bring prebiotic benefits to the table, fostering the diversity and constitution of the gut microbiome. They also play a role in promoting regular and healthy bowel movements.
In summary, we make gut-friendly meal replacements by using minimally-processed real food ingredients.
★★★★★
“I was recently diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and have been looking high and low for a safe and easy way to get nutrients into my body. This does the trick and I love the taste.” – Danika
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drink wholesome is the best meal replacement for ulcerative colitis.
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This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. drink wholesome is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.