Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are intestinal inflammatory diseases that cause abdominal pain, often bloody diarrhea, and, eventually, malnutrition. Ulcerative colitis involves the large intestine, while Crohn’s disease can affect any portion of the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus. Both can become life-threatening (e.g., colon cancer) if left untreated for many years.
How Gut Inflammation Develops
Consider what factors add to susceptible genes to cause ulcerative colitis and other intestinal diseases:
- Unhealthy intestinal flora: overgrowth of harmful bacterial strains and yeast causes inflammation
- Foods that disrupt normal intestinal flora: refined sugar (feeds yeast); bread (contains yeast and promotes yeast); digestive enzyme deficiency or low stomach acid (undigested foods in the colon become food for unhealthy gut bacteria and yeast)
- Foods that can be allergenic to the intestinal lining: wheat protein (gluten), dairy (cow) protein, chemical food dyes, and preservatives
- Foods that irritate the intestinal lining: excessive alcohol and caffeine; spicy hot foods
- Foods low in fiber: fiber ferments to produce the short-chain fatty acids acetate, propionate, and butyrate that help heal the intestinal mucosa
- Foods that are inflammatory in all body cells: refined sugar foods, carbonated soda drinks, trans-fats, and hydrogenated oils, and foods causing allergies
- Lack of abundant micronutrients in the bloodstream. Omega-3 fatty acids, organic vitamins, minerals, enzymes, antioxidants, and plant-derived chemicals.
A Diet For Colitis
Eating the correct diet consists of more than balanced meals. The patient with unresolved ulcerative colitis must learn the principles of nutrient-dense whole foods. Colitis patients already have decreased absorption due to inflammation. Therefore, they need optimal nutrition that can be absorbed quickly and does not irritate (by physical contact) or inflame (immunologically) the tissue more than it already is.
One of the best supplements to help heal IBS is G.I. Essentials
G.I. Essentials is the only formula of its kind to combine:
- L-Glutamine at 5000 mg per serving to fuel intestinal cells and maintain villi*
- Arabinogalactans at 1000 mg per serving to support the immune system, aid regularity, and support the production of beneficial bacteria*
- Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) Root (DGL) at 500 mg per serving to help soothe the gut wall*
- Aloe Vera Leaf Extract (200:1) at 250 mg to support the body’s ability to heal the lining of the stomach and keep the folds and pockets of the colon free of toxic material that gather there*
- Slippery Elm (Ulmus rubra) Bark at 200 mg per serving to reduce bowel transit time; absorb toxins from the bowel, increase fecal bulk, and enhance beneficial bacteria in the gut*
- Zinc Carnosine at 100 mg per serving to help stabilize small bowel integrity, stimulate gut repair processes, and help minimize free radical damage to gastric mucosal cells*
- Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) Root at 100 mg per serving to soothe the gut.
Irritable bowel disease can also interfere with the function of the migrating motor complex, the reflexive action of the gut responsible for moving food through the digestive system. It’s like a broom that “sweeps” food through the digestive system. When this action is interrupted, the bacterial overgrowth of SIBO can occur.
If you are experiencing pain, bloating, gas, and digestive trouble regularly, the best thing you can do is call Doctor’s Nutrition at 228-897-0070. We can help you pinpoint what’s causing the problem, and then we can create a program involving diet, exercise, and supplementation that will treat your condition successfully.
