Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory, ulcerative,
chronic disease
of the colon in which ulcers form on the walls of the colon. It
sometimes slips into remission (the patient does not feel the
symptoms) and mimics
IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), a totally
unrelated motor disorder.
It affects about 5-6 people in a 100 thousand, and is
slightly more
common in women than men. The disease usually peaks between the ages
of 20 and 25 years. The severity and duration of the active disease
varies between patients but it is seen that almost 60% of the
sufferers have only a mild form of the disease while 30% may require
even surgery to remove the affected part or whole of the colon. A
high percentage, around 98%, of sufferers though is likely to have a
relapse at least once in ten years.
Ulcerative colitis causes inflammation and sores in the
top layers
of the lining of the large intestine. The inflammation usually
occurs (in 75% of the cases) in the lower part of the colon
(descending colon which is on the left side) or rectum and is
present throughout the colon in the rest 25% cases.
There are mild, moderate and severe degrees of ulcerative colitis.
Mild form can be easily treated with certain medications and diet
control. Moderate form might give you hemorrhage and perforation. In
severe cases, where the entire colon is affected, one might develop
cancer. In effect, people who have had ulcerative colitis for more
than a decade have a very high chance of developing colon cancer.
No exact cause or causes of the disease are known. Even
the vulnerability of certain people than others is
unaccounted for.
·
Although certain specific abnormalities pertaining to
the immune system have been found in people with
ulcerative colitis, it is not known whether these are the
causes or results of the disease.
·
Certain conditions are thought to either ‘cause’,
trigger or exacerbate symptoms, especially irritation.
Most important one is constipation. The hard fecal
matter generally doesn’t get disposed of easily and also
increases the irritation by rubbing rather harshly with
the colon walls. Purgatives don’t help much; in effect,
they
have the tendency to increase the irritation.
·
A set of foods that also help in increasing the bowel
irritation are cereals and other carbohydrate rich
foods, which have roughage that is not properly
digested. This undigested roughage again irritates the
colon lining.
·
Antibiotics or over use of them has also been
linked with colitis.
·
Good intake of animal fat and other foods rich in
dietary cholesterol have been shown in preliminary
studies to increase the risk of ulcerative colitis.
·
Same holds true for the typical fast food diet of the
Western world. It is said that eating fast food a couple
of times in a week on a regular basis may develop UC.
The
treatment of colitis generally depends on the cause and the severity
of the condition. In mild cases of diarrhea, drink lots of clear
fluids like water, tea, lemonade or soup. Anti-diarrhea agents may
be recommended to reduce the number of bowel movements and relieve
rectal urgency.
For more serious episodes of colitis, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory
medication, or steroids may be prescribed. However, these
prescription medications may also come with other side effects. As
your symptoms improve, eat low-fiber foods and avoid dairy products
and greasy foods for a few days.
Often severe attacks of inflammatory bowel disease require hospital
admission and supportive care which includes bowel rest, IV fluids,
and correction of any electrolyte imbalance. Surgery may also be
required and can involve the removal of the affected portion of
colon and bowel, but is usually a last resort.
Natural Remedies
Natural
treatments can provide an effective, gentle alternative to
conventional medicine, without the side effects commonly
associated with prescription drugs. For a balanced approach, use
a combination of therapeutic herbs to improve digestive health and
reduce symptoms.
A medicinal herb called Matricaria recutita (German Chamomile) acts
as an anti-inflammatory with anti-spasmodic and calming properties.
Filipendula ulmaria (Meadowsweet) is also an anti-inflammatory, and
helps to protect the digestive tract and reduce stomach acid
secretions. Other effective herbs include Ulmus fulva and Slippery
Elm, which reduce digestive pain and irritation. Sutherlandia
frutescens has been used for thousands of years by the indigenous
people of South Africa to treat chronic and acute digestive
complaints.
·
Mentha piperita is one of the most effective of
the mint herbs, has been used for centuries to relieve
indigestion, nausea and heartburn. Modern research has
demonstrated its effectiveness in soothing the symptoms
of diverticulosis, IBS and other digestive disorders.
Mentha piperita is widely cultivated for medicinal uses
and also has anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic
properties. It relaxes the muscles of the digestive
tract and stimulates the flow of natural digestive
juices and bile, thereby assisting healthy digestion.
·
Sutherlandia frutescens ('Cancer Bush' or 'Kankerbossie')
is a medicinal herb exclusively found in Southern Africa
and has been used by indigenous people for thousands of
years to treat chronic and acute digestive complaints,internal cancers and as a powerful tonic. Recent
research has confirmed its adaptogenic properties.
Sutherlandia contains a number of highly active
compounds, including pinitol, L-canavanine and the amino
acid, GABA. L-canavanine is a strong L-argine antagonist
that has documented anti-cancer and anti-viral activity.
·
Pelargoneum graveolens ('maagpyn bossie' or
stomach pain bush) is a traditional medicinal herb used by
indigenous people of South Africa. It has a wide variety
of uses and is an effective calmative and anti-spasmodic
herb, reducing stomach cramps and pain.
·
Matricaria recutita (German Chamomile) - With its
daisy like flowers throwing aromatic scents everywhere,
this wild herb is found throughout Europe. The essential
oil of German chamomile flower contains bisabols,
flavonoids and azulenes that give this herb its
anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and muscle relaxing
properties. This makes it an excellent remedy for
digestive disorders. Bisabol which gives German
chamomile anti-inflammatory properties, helps relieve
inflammation on the mucous membranes and promotes
healing. It’s a good remedy for stomach pains and
flatulence.
·
Filipendula ulmaria (Meadowsweet) is an
anti-inflammatory, soothing digestive remedy which helps
to protect the digestive tract and reduce stomach acid
secretions. It is also effective in reducing the pain of
digestive disorders and ulcers and is similar in
structure to the synthetic drug called acetylsalicylate,
or aspirin - without the side effects commonly
associated with aspirin.
·
Ulmus fulva (Slippery Elm) is one of the most
effective herbs used in reducing digestive pain and
irritation, and also protects and soothes the lining of
the stomach and digestive tract due to its high mucilage
content.
Diet
alone cannot cure ulcerative colitis, although the symptoms can be
reduced to tolerable levels by minor adjustments to the diet. Diet
along with proper treatment can of course do wonders for the
sufferer and some may not have symptoms for years to come.
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Soluble fiber – A diet rich in soluble fiber soothes the
irritation by making the stools pass easily and
preventing constipation. Soluble fiber absorbs water,
swells and increases the surface area of the mass. This
in turn increases the contact between the food mass and
enzymes and hence digestion improves.
Insoluble fiber has to be avoided as it stimulates bowel
contraction, i.e. rhythmic movement of the
gastrointestinal tract, and increasing chances of
diarrhea. Irritation also increases due to this
roughage. The levels of minerals such as iron and
calcium absorbed by the body is reduced when they
combine with some form of insoluble fiber like wheat
bran and brown rice, which contain phytic acid. For this
reason also, insoluble fiber has to be avoided.
- Foods rich in soluble fiber are pulses, most fruits
and vegetables, legumes, breakfast oats and rye bread.
- Foods to avoid because of higher insoluble fiber
content are nuts, bran, strawberries, seeds, sweet corn
and whole wheat.
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Adequate nutrition is extremely important in colitis,
especially as the food intake in all probability goes
down. Below given are some of the nutrients and their
respective food resources that are important and should
be incorporated in your diet. But remember one thing-eat
as wide a variety of foods as possible without
aggravating the inflammation by eating only one type of
food.
Proteins: proteins consist of chains of amino acids.
Non vegetarian foods such as meat, poultry, seafood and
eggs provide complete protein. Besides soyabeans, most
of the plants only provide some of the amino acids and
not all, but a whole variety of vegetarian foods in your
diet shall take care of the proteins. Rich sources
suitable in your condition are dairy products, pulses
and legumes.
Folic acid: green leafy vegetables (broccoli,
Brussels sprouts, leeks, silverbeet), liver, pulses,
cooked asparagus, breakfast cereal, orange juice. Folic
acid deficiency is linked with increased chances of
colon cancer. Usually, one has folic acid deficiency
while suffering from colitis.
Vitamin A: vitamin A is only found in its native form
in animal foods such as liver, fish, egg yolk and dairy
products like full cream milk. It is found as
beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, in
dark green leafy vegetables (spinach, coriander,
drumsticks) and orange-yellow fruits such as papaya,
mango and pumpkin. Vitamin A deficiency has been
associated with iron deficiency type of anemia. Hence it
plays an important role in fighting out anemia in
colitis.
Vitamin B12: liver, fish, milk, lean meat, poultry,
seafood, eggs, fortified Soya drink. It is very
important for the normal functioning of gastrointestinal
cells and avoiding anemia. Remember, folic acid
supplements may hide deficiency of vitamin B12 and hence
you better get yourself checked for its deficiency if
your folate intake is good enough.
Vitamin C: citrus fruits, blackcurrant, vegetables
(broccoli, potatoes), red capsicums and chillies,
strawberry, kiwifruit, rockmelon. Vitamin C also helps
in absorbing iron which is required to prevent or treat
anemia arising due to blood loss.
Vitamin D: dairy products, fish such as salmon,
sardines, herring
Calcium: green leafy vegetables, dairy products, fish
like sardines and salmons, almonds, tofu,
calcium-fortified Soya drink, prawns
Iron: green leafy vegetables, oily fish, offal
(heart, liver), red meat, eggs. Dietary iron is
extremely important to replenish iron loss (blood loss)
from the ulcers.
Omega -3 fatty acids have excellent anti-inflammatory
properties and therefore diet containing foods rich in
them has been seen to drastically reduce the symptoms in
many a cases. Omega-3 fatty acids are primarily found in
seafood; fish such as salmon (especially Atlantic and
red, canned in brine), sardines (canned in water),
mackerel (canned in brine), mullet, tuna etc., and
pecans and trevally. Walnuts are also an extremely good
source of omega-3.
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Carrots - Carrots contain Vitamin B-complex which
strengthens the digestive system and cures colitis.
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High potency multivitamin-mineral supplements are also
prescribed in UC, but they should be taken only under
medical supervision. Natural nutrients are definitely
easier to absorb and they obviously serve the basic
purpose of fulfilling your appetite also. In effect,
with proper care and attention of your diet, you might
totally eliminate the need to take any conventional
medications or supplements.
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Fluids – Fluids intake should be increased to avoid
dehydration as there is considerable water loss due to
diarrhea in most of the cases. Tender coconut is
extremely useful as it soothes the tender mucous
membranes of the colon.
·
Your meals should be more in frequency and less in
quantity. Steamed vegetables, dalia, porridge along with
yoghurt looks like an ideal vegetarian meal, which is
light yet nutritive. Banana is also a very good fruit
which is naturally smooth, easily digestible and mildly
laxative.
Strangely, people who smoke have somehow been known to
be less susceptible to ulcerative colitis. In fact, to
induce remissions (periods of disease inactivity),
nicotine patches have been used. Still, it is widely
believed that smoking has so many harmful effects on the
body, including the gastrointestinal tract, that
quitting it is more beneficial.
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Warm water enema, followed by buttermilk enema have
been found to be quite soothing to the colon.
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It is widely believed that psychological and emotional
support from the doctors and family is vital to keep the
symptoms of UC to the minimal. Stress
may not be a cause
of colitis but it definitely comes up due to it. So,
de-stress yourself and well, ask others not to give you
unnecessary tension!!
