Ulcerative Colitis
What is Ulcerative Colitis?
Ulcerative colitis is the most common type of inflammatory bowel disease. Inflammatory bowel diseases are a group of diseases which affect the gastrointestinal tract.
If you’ve been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, the lining of your colon, rectum, or both become inflamed. In addition to the creation of tiny sores, this inflammation causes your bowels to eliminate waste both frequently and rapidly.
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Over time, the cells in the lining of bowel die off and are replaced by ulcers, which subsequently cause blood and mucus to be present in your stool.
Ulcerative colitis affects people of all ages; however, it typically develops between the ages of 15 and 30. Additionally, men over the age of 50 have a higher likelihood of developing ulcerative colitis or other forms of inflammatory bowel disease.
What can you do to help Ulcerative Colitis symptoms?
Research suggests that ulcerative colitis might develop due to an overactive immune system that mistakenly begins attacking the large intestine. However, the cause for this autoimmune response remains unclear.
Both nutrition and stress management are thought to play a role in symptom flare ups. In addition, these
Probiotics
Probiotics are living microorganisms that promote the growth of healthy bacteria in your gut and digestive track. When these bacteria are healthy, your body is more capable of fighting off inflammation and other symptoms of ulcerative colitis.
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Eating foods rich in probiotics, such as sauerkraut, kombucha, and kimchi, can help to boost the healthy bacteria in your gut. Additionally, you can take probiotic supplements.
Turmeric/Curcumin
Turmeric a spice that originates in India. If you’ve ever had a good curry before, turmeric is the stuff that gives it its distinctive yellow colour.
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Turmeric has many benefits due to its active ingredient, curcumin.
Aside from being an antioxidant, it also has anti inflammatory properties that can help calm your ulcerative colitis symptoms.
History of Infection
Making the following changes to your diet can help to minimize your symptoms and prevent flare ups:
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Eating a low fat diet
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Eating foods high in vitamin C such as kale, spinach, and berries
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Eating fiber during remission, but avoiding it during flare ups
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Drinking plenty of water or electrolyte beverages
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Eating small, frequent meals
Our Approach to Treating Ulcerative Colitis
Most patients who visit our practice have tried eliminating foods from their diets, seen many providers, performed numerous GI tests and still don’t have answers for why they don’t feel well. Ulcerative colitis generally does not start over night.
Our goal is to determine what has brought the patient to this point and understand why this person has developed the symptoms. During an extensive initial patient, we will cover a thorough timeline of health history, evaluate past health records, document treatments tried and understand who the patient is as a person.
Once we have an understanding of the most likely reason for the symptoms, we create an individualized plan that may include a variety of treatments, lifestyle changes and more.
