Ulcerative Colitis

How to treat colitis naturally? Ulcerative colitis is a health condition caused by inflammation of the colon and rectum. Inflammation is the body’s immune response to damage meaning that something is causing the inflammation in this area.

Small ulcers can develop along the colon lining, which may cause pus and bleeding.

Symptoms will usually include abdominal pain, loose stools and the urgency to pass stools, cramping and bloating. Sometimes there may even be some blood in diarrhoea.

What causes colitis?

Inflammation of the colon and the rectum causes the symptoms of the condition, but as inflammation is the body’s natural response to damage, we must consider what is the root cause. Bacteria can be the cause of many health conditions, and as we know the microbiome of the gut lives in the large intestine, then it would make sense that this could extend back to a microbe problem.

According to MedicineNet, a number of different infections can cause colitis. Bacteria that can cause colitis include Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, Clostridium difficile, Escherichia coli, Yersinia, Chlamydia, Neisseria, and tuberculosis. <1>

More research is needed in this area to explore the effects of harmful bacteria in the gut and other diseases.

Acute treatment for colitis

Your doctor should prescribe a course of antibiotics to rule out a bacteria infection. However, it’s important to remember that whilst antibiotics can kill off the infection, antibiotics will not help anything else going on in your body.

Immune responses can flare up other problems in the body as well, and if your body is not able to pass stools properly, then it’s likely you will have toxic overload and your liver might become sluggish. Check here for the signs of a sluggish liver.

Therefore, taking an approach to long-term health is important here and will require dietary and lifestyle changes.

Long-term health treatment for colitis

Whether you have recently been diagnosed with colitis, or have been suffering for a long time, there is no denying that you will need to take an all or nothing approach to manage your symptoms. It is possible to reduce symptoms of colitis, but this means you will have to take good care of your diet and watch what you eat making note of any food that causes irritation.

Start off with looking after your gut bacteria

Probiotics

Probiotics are supplements taken to help increase and diversify the bacteria in your gut. Diet, pharmaceutical drugs, and stress all play a big part in the development and maintenance of your gut flora. It’s so important to consider your gut flora and how happy it is. Your gut bacteria have a direct communication link with brain neurons, so when your gut is unhappy, so will your mind be too.

New science is telling us that digestive problems are the result of poor gut health. Any disease in the gut area is likely the cause of something you have eaten or ingested in some way. 70% of your immune system also resides in your gut, when your gut isn’t functioning properly then your immune system is likely to be weakened, as a result, it’s much easier to become unwell.

Take a high-strength probiotic supplement that contains 50 billion CFU per tablet. You can buy some on Amazon and you should take them for a minimum of three months every day.

Natural probiotics

Essentially, natural probiotics are fermented foods. You should also include these types of food in your diet too and this should be a long-term change. Natural probiotics are beneficial bacteria that are formed through the process of fermentation. At Boil and Broth, we sell natural probiotics, you can find them in our drinks range Bio Alive and our water kefir juice. These drinks are light and refreshing, and a great addition to your regular diet.

Diet

Diet is very important when it comes to all gut health problems. Something you eat could be a trigger for flare-ups, so it’s important to eliminate the foods that cause problems. Keeping a food diary is a great way to monitor this.

There are some simple diet changes you could make to see if you can reduce symptoms.

Bone broth

Including bone broth in your diet could help relieve symptoms of colitis. In natural medicine, bone broth is renowned as a powerful anti-inflammatory food. The proteins in the broth itself have proven results in helping reduce inflammation of the gut. Drinking broth daily could help to improve your digestive function. If you want to know more about bone broth, then please head to our blog.

Eat more plants

If you have colitis, then you may find that cutting back on your meat consumption and eating more plants could really help you. A lot of bacteria can come from meat that has not been cooked properly; at home, when you are out for a meal, or especially if you travel abroad and eat there. Eating more plants is essential for your gut health. Plants, in particular some vegetables, are high in dietary fibre. Dietary fibre is really important for the digestive system because it helps firm up poops, and helps the beneficial bacteria colonise and grow in the large intestine.

Remove dairy and gluten

Dairy can be a trigger for flare-ups for some people, so removing dairy completely can help reduce symptoms. It’s important to ensure you still get calcium from your diet, so eating foods rich in calcium such as leafy green vegetables. If you are unsure that you are not getting enough, then supplement for a while with a calcium supplement.

Gluten is often another trigger for digestive flare-ups. Gluten is also closely linked to leaky gut syndrome, so removing gluten from your diet could help. However, be mindful not to eat gluten-free substitutes. Try sticking to a natural diet of foods sourced locally to you.

Alcohol

Be careful what you drink. Avoid sugary, gassy drinks such as ale, beer, cider and other carbonated drinks. Stick to drinking a glass or two of red wine 3-4 times a week.

Supplements

It would be worth taking the following supplements:

  • Probiotic tablet – 50billion CFU or more per tablet per day for 3 months
  • Milk thistle tablets – liver support (3 x tablets per day for 3 months)
  • Digestive enzyme tablets – digestive support (1 tablet with each main meal for 3 months)
  • Woodworm tablets – to ensure there is no parasite (1 tablet per day for 7 days)

Stress

Stress is closely linked with many digestive diseases. Stress causes discomfort and problems with the digestive system due to the communication link between the gut and the brain. What you feel in your gut is felt in your mind, and vice versa. Most of your serotonin is also produced in the gut, so choosing happy foods can help to boost your mood and your gut health. Check out some mood-boosting foods here.

The chart opposite shows an average diversity score before and after bone broth. As you can see there was an overall average increase before and after bone broth for 4 weeks.

This chart shows us the average number of species in 32 dogs before and after 4 weeks of bone broth. Again you can see there was an increase taking the average number of species to nearly 500 which is considered better for dogs. Lower than 400 species can show as digestive problems in your dog.

The chart on the right shows the average helicobacter making up the total % of the canine gut microbiome. Anything above 1% can show as digestive discomfort and inflammation.

As you can see that after 4 weeks of bone broth, the average total % of the canines on the study fell to 1.36%

The chart on the left shows the average Clostridium making up the total % of the canine gut microbiome. Anything above 0.5% can show as gastrointestinal disorders.

After only 4 weeks of bone broth, the average total % of Clostridium in canines on the study fell to 1.50%

This % is still above normal levels, but the question must be would broth for a longer time reduce this further?

The chart on the right shows the average Bifidobacterium making up the total % of the canine gut microbiome. Anything below 1-2% can lower the immune system, disrupt nutrient absorption, and cause inflammation. Above 1-2% and the gut improves in function and can have a positive improvement on the canine overall wellbeing.

After only 4 weeks of bone broth, the average total % of Bifidobacterium in canines rose from an alarming less 0.54% to an incredible 2.33% putting all dogs in a better gut health position when it comes to beneficial bacteria.

Dr Carol Hughes Microbiologist - Biome4Pets

"We analysed the microbiome and chose three important species (genus level) of bacteria. There are multiple other beneficial changes to the microbial community but these three were chosen because two are commonly associated with gastric discomfort/disease/diarrhoea and the third is associated with good health. Helicobacter associated with leaky gut, gut wall integrity and itchiness in dogs. Clostridium sensu stricto, and a species of bacteria associated with good gut/ overall health and immune response Bifidobacteria. We have seen remarkable results with bone broth and this is because of the high amino acid count in the bone broth, which seems to behave as a prebiotic feeding the good bacteria."

Rachel Down Founder | Managing Director | BSc Health Science Yr 2 Student - Boil and Broth. 

“We’re thrilled to see scientific evidence supporting the quality of our bone broths. My personal health journey began seven years ago, when I reversed a chronic condition in just 12 weeks and lost six stone over two years. This experience sparked my passion for bone broth’s science—so much so that I even pursued a degree. When I met Carol, I suggested this study as a way to demonstrate our products' true benefits. The results have been fascinating, especially as many of the dogs had skin issues, which have since improved with bone broth supplementation. We’re excited not only for what this means for broth but also for our brand. We believe in our products so deeply that we were willing to put them to the test—how many brands can say that?”

Anna Webb - Canine Nutritionist and Behaviour Expert

“It has been so exciting to confirm that bone broth delivers so many remarkable changes to these dog’s gut microbial environments. It’s as if the broth is naturally restoring homeostasis or balance, which is the key to optimum wellness. In my study at the College of Integrated Veterinary Studies (CIVT), I learnt how this age-old remedy was noted as a fundamental ingredient for boosting the immune system, which science now concurs resides in our gut lining.  Science also now supports that the relationship between the gut and the brain are inextricably linked, so behaviourally, the addition of broth could help dogs’ cognition and learning through their life stages. Not least in their senior years, but also in the first seven weeks of their lives, when many environmental factors, including nutrition, can impact positively or negatively for a lifetime”.