Ulcerative colitis
My 17-year-old son has been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. He has cut wheat, dairy and sugar from his diet and is taking a homeopathic remedy plus a multivitamin and probiotic but his health has been up and down for a year. Is there aything else we should be using?
Ulcerative colitis usually starts between the ages of 15 and 30 and is a chronic disease in which the lining of the large intestine becomes inflamed and ulcerative causing episodes of cramping, fever and bloody diarrhoea. Unlike Crohn’s disease, it does not affect the full thickness of the large intestine or the small intestine.
Researchers at Reading Univeristy are soon to publish what they are referring to as “outstanding” results on a clinical trial investigating the use of the kitchen cupboard spice turmeric on patients with both irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis and I will report back with the full details on this research as soon as we have them. In the meantime, turmeric is already available as a one-a-day supplement in the Cyanara range from Lichtwer Pharma. It costs £5.99 and is on sale in larger Boots stores so I suggest your son adds this supplement to his current regimen.
Aloe vera juice will also help soothe the inflammation. Your son should drink a quarter glass each morning and again in the evening. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease both adversely affect the absoption of nutrients. You can counter this by adding a silica supplement or using a silica-rich herbal tincture, such as horsetail, to the diet.