If you have ulcerative colitis (UC), you’ll experience flares and remission periods. Your dietary recommendations will depend on whether you’re in a flare or in remission. Certain grains should be avoided during each phase.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a form of irritable bowel disease. It can lead to painful inflammation, sores, and ulcers throughout the lining of your colon (also called your large intestine).

People living with UC experience flares of the condition and periods of remission.

Symptoms of a flare includeTrusted Source pain, bloody stools, diarrhea (with blood or mucus), weight loss, and fatigue. During remission, those symptoms recede.

Diet recommendations for UC differ depending on whether you’re in a flare or in remission. One prominent difference is in the types of grains and carbs you should or should not eat during each phase.

This article dives into whether you can eat couscous if you have UC, suggests carbs to eat and avoid, and explores whether you should use a low FODMAP diet to manage your symptoms.

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Grains, including couscous, are not inherently off-limits for people with UC.

While couscous may resemble rice, it is a type of pasta. It is a small, round, processed grain made from semolina flour from durum wheat.

Couscous is high in gluten and is therefore not safe for people with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity to consume.

However, because of its low fiber content, couscous may be a particularly good carbohydrate choice during a UC flare for those who can consume gluten.

One cup of cooked couscous providesTrusted Source:

  • Calories: 176
  • Carbohydrates: 36.4 grams
  • Fiber: 2.2 grams

Fiber is not broken down or absorbed in your digestive tract. Insoluble fiber, which is found primarily in whole grains such as wheat, makes up the bulk of the stool and can have a laxative effectTrusted Source.

If you’re already experiencing abdominal pain and diarrhea, these are undesirable qualities.

In addition, your colon may be especially inflamed during a flare-up, and this inflammation can restrict its diameter. In that case, an increase in stool volume could potentially lead to a blockage in your colon.

Therefore, the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation recommends avoiding insoluble fiber during flares and choosing refined, processed grains instead. Couscous is one option.

Once the flare passes, you can slowly add insoluble fiber back into your diet. And, if you want to, you can also continue eating couscous during remission.

Summary

Couscous may be a good low fiber grain choice to consume during a UC flare. Once a flare passes, you may begin slowly adding some forms of fiber back into your diet.

While health professionals generally advise eating primarily whole grains, that doesn’t apply when you’re going through a UC flare.

Choosing refined grains over whole grains can help manage symptoms and soothe intestinal distress during a UC flare because refined grains contain less fiber.

There are three components to a grain kernel:

  • germ
  • bran
  • endosperm

Whole grain products contain intact kernels with all three components. Most of a grain’s insoluble fiber is in the fibrous bran, and the germ is rich in vitamins and minerals.

Refined grains have been processedTrusted Source and milled to remove the bran and germ, leaving only the starchy (carb-rich) endosperm. At that point, refined grains are fortified with some of the nutrients that were lost during the milling process, such as B vitamins, magnesium, and iron.

In addition to couscous, other good carbohydrate sources to eat during a UC flare include:

  • white pasta
  • white bread (no seeds)
  • sourdough bread
  • potato bread
  • French bread
  • cornmeal
  • oatmeal

While oatmeal is considered a fiber-rich food, it contains mainly soluble fiber. Soluble fiberTrusted Source forms a gel-like consistency in your gut and slows the passage of food through your digestive tract rather than speeding it along.

Summary

Refined carbohydrate foods that are low in fiber, such as white rice, white pasta, and sourdough bread, are recommended over whole grains during a UC flare.

During active UC flares, you should avoid carbs that are high in insoluble fiber to avoid aggravating your symptoms.

Even during some remission periods, your doctor may recommend that you avoid concentrated sources of insoluble fiber, such as whole grains, in favor of more digestible fiber choices.

More digestible optionsTrusted Source include foods high in soluble fiber and fruits and vegetables (possibly cooked and with the skin removed).

You may want to avoid these sources of carbohydrates during UC flares:

  • whole grain bread
  • whole grain pasta
  • brown rice
  • millet
  • bulgur
  • quinoa
  • wheat bran
  • wheat berries
  • spelt flour
Summary

Whole grains and carbs that are high in insoluble fiber may worsen UC symptoms. A low fiber diet is not recommended for periods of remission, but some doctors may recommend maintaining a diet that’s low in insoluble fiber for longer.

Carbs can be high or low in FODMAPsTrusted Source (fermentable oligo-, di-, and monosaccharides and polyols). Foods high in FODMAPs may increase watery stools and gas production.

FODMAPs may be difficult to absorb for some people — particularly those with compromised digestive tracts. A low FODMAP diet cuts back on these potentially poorly absorbed sugars.

A low FODMAP diet eliminates:

  • Fructans: garlic, barley, broccoli, onions, wheat products
  • Lactose: dairy products
  • Fructose: honey, apricots, high fructose corn syrup
  • Oligosaccharides: nuts, seeds, beans, asparagus tips, kale
  • Polyols: sugar alcohols (sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, maltitol), which are often found in products such as sugarless gum and ice cream

Because couscous is a wheat product, you cannot consume it while on a low FODMAP diet.

Some research indicates that a low FODMAP diet may be beneficial in managing symptoms during a flare in people with irritable bowel disease, including UC, although it may not decrease inflammation in the colon.

However, it is not a long-term solution. A low FODMAP diet usually lasts only 4 to 8 weeks before you begin adding the removed foods back into your diet one at a time to see how you tolerate them.

If you want to try a low FODMAP diet, you should seek advice and guidance from a registered dietitian or a medical professional.

Treatment plans for UC typically involve medications and diet changes. Your care team may want to track your symptoms when you make a change.

Summary

A low FODMAP diet may be an appropriate short-term approach to help manage UC symptoms during a flare with support from a dietitian or medical care team. Couscous does not fit into a low FODMAP diet.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to managing UC symptoms. Foods that work for you may irritate someone else’s inflamed digestive tract.

You can eat couscous if you have UC, but you should avoid it if you can’t consume gluten or if you’re following a low FODMAP diet.

During a UC flare, you should avoid foods that are high in insoluble fiber, such as whole grains. Couscous contains very little fiber per serving, which means it’s a good option to eat during a flare. You can also consume couscous while your UC is in remission.

Just one thing

Try this today: Navigating safe foods during a flare can be daunting. Check out this piece for recommended foods to eat during a flare and this article for what foods to avoid.