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A guide to natural
remedies for Crohn’s
and Colitis
www.crohn-colitis-online.de
By Andreas Ulmicher
http://www.crohn-colitis-online.de
© 2014 Andreas Ulmicher, naturopath
This article is for free and can be distributed without alterations
Contents of this brochure are protected by laws of copyright. Any
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Please note: The tips, therapies, supplements, natural remedies and nutrition suggestions provided on this page / article cannot replace direct diagnosis, advice, counselling or therapy by a
certified physician, naturopath, pharmacist or any other therapist. Please don’t take any medication or supplement, don’t alter their dosage or skip them before consulting a physician, alternative therapist or pharmacist!
Dear reader!
Prescription medication for
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis is a sample of
immune suppressants. If
anything, they don’t work for everybody.
At times, we need this medication to prevent the worst case scenarios to happen.
But what if they don’t work? What if you
only suffer from mild symptoms and are
afraid of the side effects of prescription
medication? What of the long-term consequences?
If you are thoughtful, you might consider
that there is more to life than just temporarily suppressing inflammation symptoms.
Intake of prescription medication has its
time and its justification. But if you would
fare better on natural remedies then you
should take the chance.
Of course, there is more than just probiotics considering the problem of inflammatory bowel diseases. In fact, I noticed in recent years that they don’t have much of an
effect at all if not accompanied by consequential natural therapy.
There are some natural substances in supplementation that have the potential to alleviate Crohn’s and colitis symptoms. Of
course, none of them help everybody. I
have selected the ones I and my patients
tried over the years and earned the best
results with. Here is my personal list of 10
totally natural remedies that work one way
or the other to improve IBD symptoms and
overall health.
1. African frankincense
You might have heard by now of the Indian frankincense, with is a traditional remedy to alleviate inflammations of any kind,
especially those of the bowel.
I did some research on that and I found
African frankincense to be even more effective. African frankincense contains
some other boswellic acids than Indian
frankincense, AKBA among them. AKBA
is a very powerful anti-inflammatory
agent. AKBA stands for acetyl-keto-βboswellic acid, which makes the African
frankincense about 4 ½ times more powerful in anti-inflammatory effects than the
Indian frankincense.
Here in Germany, the anti-inflammatory
agents from Indian frankincense are not
officially available on the market of natural
remedies and supplements, only an extract
of the whole plant is. Some physicians and
naturopaths order Indian frankincense from
foreign. Yet still, with the availability of
African frankincense there is no need to.
Its Latin name is Boswellia carterii.
2. Siberian ginseng (Eleutherokokk)
You may ask yourselves what the heck
ginseng might have to do with inflammation relief? It is not that much the inflammation itself, but the circumstances of
which chronic inflammations develop:
more than 80% of all patients with an IBD
suffer from chronic exhaustion of the autonomic nervous system.
That is why the effect of cortisone is actually twofold: besides its effect of suppressing the immune system, cortisone relieves
inflammation through its effect is a long
term stress hormone. It activates the sympathetic nervous system.
Siberian ginseng does pretty much the
same. That’s why I recommend its use
together with African frankincense to ease
the symptoms of the IBD while possibly
reducing prescription medication.
3. Detox and digestion aid: humic
acids
I met humic acids are couple of years ago
when a manufacturer sent me a sample to
try out for myself. I did, and I recall not to
go to the restrooms for two or three days.
Of course, I was in a healthy condition
back then. But from all the patients in the
course of time I prescribed this natural
remedy, at least 95% showed improvement: reduction of bowel movements, less
diarrhea, formed stools.
Humic acids, to me, are some kind of miracle tool of nature: first discovered in its
use for soil fertilizing in arboreta, it was
used for enhancing metabolism of breeder
animals. Breeders who used them noticed
that animals fed with humic acids hardly
got sick anymore, did not need any more
antibiotics or other medication and developed meat of much higher quality than
their fellow animals that weren’t fed humic
acids.
Humic acids unify four advantages that fit
in the needs of patients with inflammatory
bowel diseases: first of all, they optimize
the pH levels inside the intestine (both
small and large) which causes a better intestinal flora to establish. Second, they
make chylus to stay a bit longer in the
small intestine, so much more amino- and
fatty acids get absorbed. Third, they bind
minerals and trace elements organically
and therefore, make the bio-available more
readily. And fourth, they have some detox
properties for the large intestine. I found
them to be much more effective than probiotics, especially at the beginning of a
natural treatment of inflammatory bowel
diseases.
4. Coordinates the immune system:
Vitamin D3
To put it bluntly: actually vitamin D is not
a vitamin at all; it is a hormone, or rather a
hormonal precursor. During the last years,
vitamin D has gained particular interest in
supplementation research and studies.
Apart from its ability to influence bone
density and calcium metabolism, vitamin
D is able to coordinate the immune system
in a way that both over activity and under
activity can be normalized. Thus, autoimmune diseases as well as immune weaknesses can be influenced positively. Patients with allergies, Multiple Sclerosis,
asthma, autoimmune diseases can profit
from taking vitamin D as a supplement.
It’s got even potential to stop or prevent
cancer on its track. The German DGE,
which is the counterpart to the US FDA,
recently recommended leveling up the daily intake of vitamin D to at least 1,000
international units.
5. Omega 3 fatty acids
Bowls nutrition experts and naturopaths
complain about the imbalanced intake of
polyunsaturated fatty acids: the ratio between Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids in
normal nutrition is predestined to enhance
inflammatory processes inside the body.
While for optimum performance, this ratio
should been between one-to-one and oneto-three, ratios of one-to-20 are normally to
be found in civilizing nutrition nowadays.
Long-term nutrition with this kind of racial
will provoke inflammatory processes anywhere in the body. So consequence is natural: supplementing Omega 3 fatty acids to
lessen inflammatory activity.
Recently, krill oil was announced to have
even more advantage over fish oil: the specific compounds of krill oil are able to repair damaged DNA. Because krill oil is
further down the food chain, it is even less
burdened with environmental toxins. For
that reasons, it’s the best way to supplement Omega 3 fatty acids.
6. Inhibiting free radicals on their
tracks: zinc
Zinc is one of the most requested and recommended supplements when dealing with
Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. There
are three reasons for this: first, most of the
zinc we do receive from protein rich foods,
which are pretty hard to ingest with an
inflammatory bowel disease. Second, zinc
is an important antioxidant. It protects the
intestinal mucosa from free radicals which
can damage its cells and annihilate their
functions. Third, zinc is an important component of many enzymes. You have to
know that enzymes are not only important
for digestion; they have other important
functions in overall internal metabolism,
too.
There is yet another reason to take zinc:
Mercury intoxication is pretty common
among those who have (or had) amalgam
fillings. Even if these are removed, mercury is pretty difficult to channel out of the
body. Zinc helps to replace mercury inside
the cells and thus, helps to detox.
The best time to take zinc is before 7 AM,
for the body only fully absorbs it when
taken in the early morning.
7. Enhancing metabolic functions
and detox: S-Adenosylmethionine
Much less common as a supplement for
inflammatory bowel diseases is SaMe, or
S-Adenosyl-methionine. Yet still, it is to
be found in the very same food where zinc
and vitamin B12 are found, also. Which
means it’s found in protein rich foods.
SaMe has some particular functions that
make it interesting as a supplementation
for Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
First of all, it enhances liver detox by
maintaining high levels of Glutathione and
thus, can participate indirectly in building
up and maintaining a proper gut flora. This
ability is particularly important when antibiotics were taken in clinical history on a
regular base. Second, SaMe has a particular ability to improve joint pain and inflammation. Third, it improves hormonal
properties of serotonin, dopamine and melatonin and consequently, fights exhaustion
and depression, both of which are pretty
common as symptoms of inflammatory
bowel diseases.
Tip: as long as no larger parts of the small
bowel are removed surgically, the body
profits from stimulating stomach acid for
protein digestion. Proper protein digestion
enhances the absorption of vitamin B12,
zinc and Methionine, to which SaMe is a
precursor.
8. Controlling diarrhea the natural
way: Saccharomyces boulardii
Some yeast may be hazardous when it
comes to Crohn’s disease or ulcerative
colitis. But not this one: saccharomyces
boulardii has even made its way to conventional medicine when it comes to fighting
excess diarrhea. While we are at it, one
suggestion: don’t take loperamide or similar drugs to prevent diarrhea. In some
cases, these drugs can cause rupture of the
intestinal lining and consequently, acute
peritonitis - a condition which can be lethal.
Saccharomyces boulardii, on the other
hand, does not slow down intestinal peristaltic chemically, but it binds harmful
germs and helps getting rid of them. Furthermore, it helps establish a more
“steady” intestinal flora.
9. Benign subspecies of Escherichia
coli
If you ever have lab checked your feces,
your physician might have advised you to
do something against Escherichia coli.
While most subspecies of this particular
germ are more or less harmful to the intestinal environment, one has shown to be
particular benign.
This subspecies has been discovered by a
German physician named Alfred Nissle
during the First World War, and it has been
named after him. Escherichia coli Nissle
1917 is now common and widespread as a
natural remedy for ulcerative colitis here in
Germany.
This subspecies of Escherichia coli prevents free oxygen to diffuse through the
intestinal wall and to act as a free radical.
Only in an oxygen free large bowel, natural fermentation processes can be assured.
During this processes, soluble fiber is converted to short chained fatty acids, which
directly nourish the intestinal mucosa. Free
oxygen inside the large bowel prevents
these processes and causes the mucosa to
degrade. The particular quality of this probiotic makes Escherichia coli Nissle and
accepted and widespread replacement for
the various forms of Mesalazine in the prevention of flare ups of ulcerative colitis.
used during a flare up, but rather in between flare ups, if overeating or indulgence
lead to acute diarrhea (not all diarrhea actually derives from the disease!). When
taken during a flare up, it might prevent
diarrhea as well, but in exchange, it intensifies abdominal cramps before defecation.
10. Uzara root prevents diarrhea
Yet still, it’s a wonderful adjunct to Saccharomyces boulardii, let’s say, when the
going gets rough!
I first made contact with this natural remedy way in the past, during my own suffering from Crohn’s disease, back in the 80s.
It is natural, and, as far as I recall, quite
powerful in stopping diarrhea. I would not
recommend this particular remedy to be
More contributions to natural improvement of IBD’s? Feel free to write to me
at: info@crohn-colitis-online.de
About Andreas Ulmicher and www.crohn-colitis-online.de
Andreas Ulmicher, born 1970, is a state-certified naturopath with his practice in a spa in the
center of Germany. He was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 1987 during a severe flare up
and was hospitalized for many weeks, while a struggle for his life ensued. Weighing less than
110 pounds at 6 feet 2 inches, he nearly died. During the decade that followed, Andreas Ulmicher went through a very chequered clinical history. After another flare up which hospitalized him with a large abscess he left the clinic on his on responsibility, searching for natural
ways out of the disease.
He is now symptom-free for more than 15 years and doesn’t depend on prescription medication, either. His intention is to show sufferers from inflammatory bowel diseases possibilities
to improve their health.
An excerpt of Andreas Ulmicher’s clinical history from 1987 (in German):
Andreas Ulmicher – then and now!
Andreas Ulmicher at the end of
the 80’s weighing less than 125
pounds
Andreas Ulmicher in early summer
2013 with about 210 pounds!
About http://www.crohn-colitis-online.de
http://www.crohn-colitis-online.de is a German and English info site about holistic aspects
of inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn’s disease, ulcerative Colitis). This site was initiated
by German naturopath and author Andreas Ulmicher. Aspects of naturopathy, homeopathy,
nutrition, supplementation, detox, and psychosomatic issues are discussed. Medical aspects
are discussed in Andreas Ulmichers IBD blog. The site contains some info material for free.
E-Book
Andreas Ulmicher’s rough guide to natural therapy of IBD’s
is an e-book available at amazon discussing various aspects
of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative Colitis from a naturopathic
/ holistic point of view. Aspects of metabolic typing and its
appliance to IBD’s are discussed, furthermore this e-book
contains basic information about supplementation, natural
remedies, detoxing methods. At the end of the e-book, Andreas Ulmicher provides a list with links to useful material
and literature.
Order now!
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