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.