Colitis & Crohns disease

Are Colitis and Crohns disease treatable or curable with naturopathy?

Colitis and Crohn's diseases are serious medical conditions that require guidance from Health Care professionals and/ or a G.P and therefore it would not be professional of us to say that yes they are treatable and curable.

According to traditional Naturopathic philosophy, a person is never classified with a particular disease. An wholistic approach is taken, the symptoms of Colitis and Crohn's disease are taken in to account, along with looking at all other aspects of a person's health, family history and lifestyle. Naturopath's do not claim to cure diseases, instead we try to support the wellbeing of the body in order to enable it to heal itself.

Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative Colitis is typically characterized by chronic inflammation and ulceration of the lining of the colon and rectum. It does not affect the small intestine and has been speculated to be an autoimmune disease.

Crohns Disease

Crohns Disease is seen as an inflammatory bowel disease, a severe form of colitis that involves chronic inflammation of any part of the gastrointestinal tract from the mouth to the anus - although it usually occurs at the end of the Ileum (where the small Intestine joins the large intestine).

Diet tips for digestive diseases

Reduce the amount of red meat in your diet as this tends to slow down bowel transit time and therefore increase the stasis and inflammation in the lower bowel
Drink at least 2-3 liters of water/ day to keep the bowel regular
Avoid wheat based foods such as breads, cereals and pasta. This is due to wheat being extremely abrasive to the bowels and a highly inflammatory grain. Include as an alternative to wheat other grains such as spelt, rye, oats, barley, millet, quinoa and amaranth
Begin each morning with a small warm glass of water with 1/2 a lemon squeezed in it. Lemon has a cleansing action on the bowels and increases liver detoxification processes also

Lifestyle factors for digestive diseases

Test for allergies as food intolerances are a big contributor to inflammation in the digestive system
Support the liver, bowel and immunity

Natural therapies to aid Colitis and Crohns disease

Antioxidants such as Selenium, Lipoic Acid, Zinc, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Vitamin A are important nutrients which may help to reduce inflammation also. Antioxidants may help to decrease the amount of inflammation present in the mucus membranes and reduce long term cellular pro-inflammatory cells which contribute to the cellular dysregulation of the digestive tract
Some suggested herbs which contain high amounts of antioxidants are Japanese Knotweed, Grapeseed, Milk Thistle, Green Tea, Garlic, Ginger, Olive Leaf, Goji Berry, Acai Berry, Pomegranate and Turmeric
Slippery elm due to its demulcent effect to soothe the mucus membranes of the digestive tract. You can purchase this from your local health food store as a powder, add 1 teaspoon to a small glass of water (100ml) and drink 15 minutes prior to eating
Barley grass powder may help to alkalize your digestive system and the lining to be less inflammed
Probiotics are important for lower bowel health to ensure proper flora in the area
Fish oil contains Eicosapentaenoic Acid EPA an anti-inflammatory for the mucus membranes
Many people find that Aloe Vera Juice is soothing to the bowel and the pain experienced with inflammatory conditions

For further information see the Ask a Naturopath.com webpage concerning digestion