Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s, and Spicy Food: What’s Safe? | MyCrohnsAndColitisTeam (2024)

Keeping a close eye on your diet and identifying triggers can be crucial if you have an inflammatory bowel disease like ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn’s disease. Spicy foods tend to be high on the list of culinary culprits, making diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain, or other Crohn’s and UC symptoms worse.

MyCrohnsAndColitisTeam members often discuss cutting spice from their diets. “I’m sad I can’t eat hot foods, since they irritate my intestines,” one member shared.

Each person with IBD has their own experience with foods, and the ones that seem better or worse for others might not have the same effects on you. Must you entirely avoid hot foods if you have Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, or is there a safer way to eat them? Read on to learn what research and MyCrohnsAndColitisTeam members say about spicy foods and IBD.

How Does Spiciness Affect Inflammatory Bowel Disease?

Studies show that spicy foods can worsen symptoms for people with IBD. Capsaicin, the compound responsible for the heat in chili peppers, irritates the lining of the small intestine and causes inflammation. For someone living with IBD, this could trigger a Crohn’s or UC flare.

Many researchers have assessed the effects of diet on quality of life and severity of symptoms in people living with Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis.

• Spicy foods made the list of top dietary triggers in a 2013 survey of more than 2,300 people with Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis.
• Almost half of 75 children and adolescents with IBD interviewed for a 2022 study said that what they ate affected their IBD symptoms, and most named spicy foods as a main trigger.
• Spicy foods were the type most avoided by 50 people in remission (free of symptoms) for ulcerative colitis, the results of another 2022 survey showed. About three-quarters of the respondents said they steered clear of a spicy diet even when not experiencing symptoms.

Spicy foods may have negative gastrointestinal (GI) effects even on people without IBD. One study found that healthy people who consumed spicy foods at least 10 times a week were nearly twice as likely to develop irritable bowel syndrome as those who consumed such foods less often.

Is It the Spiciness or the Beans, Cheese, and Deep-Frying?

The way an already spicy food is prepared, such as being fried or processed, can worsen its effects. Adding ingredients such as dairy products, fried foods, or high-fiber foods (especially with insoluble fiber) can make spicy fare even more triggering for your IBD.

For example, a bowl of spicy chili with beans and cheese may have a worse effect than a version using slightly different ingredients, such as lean ground chicken or turkey instead of full-fat red meat, chopped veggies instead of beans, and dairy-free toppings. Using a light hand with spices in home-cooked meals will usually lead to safer alternatives to ultraspicy, greasy takeout.

One member shared, “Got a flare-up of my colitis since I had spicy fried chicken four days ago. I’m paying for it now with bad stomach pain and nonstop diarrhea." Another said, “I had to eat some pizza with spices on it at a party last night because it was my only option."

It’s essential to consider everything that goes into — or on top of — your food when determining if it’s safe for you to consume.

Tips on Safely Eating Spicy Food

Not everyone with IBD is affected in the same way by spicy foods. Some people may be able to tolerate small amounts of spice, whereas others may find they need to avoid spicy foods altogether. “When I have no active flare, I’m still not able to eat spicy or acidic foods,” said one MyCrohnsAndColitisTeam member. “They even cause pain with mild inflammation.”

Sprinkle Just a Little To Start

If you want to try spicing up your diet, take care to do it safely. For example, start by using just small amounts of potentially triggering seasonings. Negative effects on the GI tract depend on how much of a spice is consumed, so small doses may lead to fewer problems.

Cook at Home for More Control

Preparing your own food allows you to experiment with adding a little bit of spice to foods that are easy to digest. “I only eat a small amount of spice in my food,” shared one member. “For example, when making chili, I add a few jalapeno peppers.” Another member wrote, “I strain most of the seeds from my homemade salsa, but not all!”

Time It Right

Experiment with adding spices when you are in remission, and pay attention to your gastrointestinal symptoms afterward. Spread out your spice consumption over time, and gradually increase amounts if you don’t have worsening symptoms. “I still eat some spicy food at least once a month,” one MyCrohnsAndColitisTeam member shared. Another said, “If I’m doing really really good and no flare-ups, then I’m going to eat something spicy. And I mean really spicy.”

Track What You Eat

Keeping a food journal can be helpful for identifying trigger foods and determining the level of spice you can tolerate. You can keep a journal on paper or choose one of the many apps designed to track diet and symptoms. After trying a spicy food, take note of what you ate, including how spicy it was and its possibly irritating ingredients (such as chili pepper, red pepper flakes, jalapenos, or hot sauce). Also describe your symptoms and bowel movements in the days following. Watch out for worsening symptoms such as:

• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Cramping
• Blood in your stool

Over time, you’ll start to see patterns in your diet and symptoms.

Take Preventive Steps

Ask your doctor if you should try taking a symptom-management medication, such as an over-the-counter (OTC) antidiarrheal remedy, before eating spicy foods. That strategy worked for one MyCrohnsAndColitisTeam member, who said, “I love eating spicy foods. I take medication right before I eat it."

Not all OTC options may be safe or effective, and some may even make problems worse. Always check with your doctor before using a new remedy.

Redefine “Spice”

Not all spices add potentially triggering heat — and some herbs and spices may add benefits as well as flavor to an IBD diet. Used in moderation, healthful herbs and spices such as ginger, oregano, turmeric, and cumin might not irritate your GI tract. Although they may not provide the “spicy” flavor that you might crave, they can boost the flavor and nutrition of an otherwise bland meal.

Speak With Your Health Care Team

Consider contacting your gastroenterologist, registered dietitian, or another member of your health care team for help in creating a meal plan to live well with IBD. However, a gut-friendly, balanced diet alone is not a treatment for IBD. It’s important to keep taking your disease-modifying medications as prescribed and see your doctor regularly to keep your symptoms under control. If you’re living with Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis, a combination of medical and lifestyle changes may help you achieve — or remain in — remission and improve your quality of life.

Talk With Others Who Understand

MyCrohnsAndColitisTeam is the social network for people with IBD and their loved ones. On MyCrohnsAndColitisTeam, more than 170,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.

Can you eat hot or spicy foods while living with IBD? How do different spices affect your Crohn’s or UC symptoms? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.