GI nutrition is in support of your gut health, which helps regulate your stomach, intestines, liver and pancreas. Understanding nutritional needs in patients with any GI considerations, therefore, plays a critical role in the management of the patient, as this is where healing is facilitated, nutrition is maintained, and the complications are averted.
The more frequent GI disorders are IBD, IBS, GERD, celiac disease, and pancreatitis. For each of these conditions there are various dietary strategies. For example, IBD patients may need high protein, nutrient dense foods to avoid malnutrition, or those with GERD may benefit from small, low fat meals to reduce reflux.
Hydration, fiber manipulation, micronutrient supplementation, and energy balance remain important aspects of nutrition delivery for the GI patient. Micronutrient deficiencies of vitamin B12, iron and fat-soluble vitamins are commonly encountered with malabsorption and should be regularly screened through the healthcare professionals.
Therapeutic management consists of ONS, enteral feeding or parenteral nutrition tailored to the stage of the disease. Patient education in food choices, portion control, and symptom monitoring are key to long-term management.
Gastroenterology Clinicians may be able to modify GI function, quality of life, and prevent complications of a disease in a variety of GI disorders utilizing evidence based nutrition intervention.
