Author: Dr. Vikram Chauhan

May 3, 2018

How to Treat and Prevent Ulcerative Colitis Flares Naturally

OVERVIEW

It is inflammatory disease which includes colon, rectum along with a small part of small intestine. Ulcerative colitis comes under the category of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Crohn’s disease comes under the second category of inflammatory bowel diseases. It can sometimes results in serious problems, as it is a chronic disease.

Due to changing eating habits as well as changing lifestyle, abdominal problems like- gastritis, bloating, constipation are becoming most common. These issues looks quite simple to handle but if not diagnosed or treated early may results into a disease called as “Ulcerative Colitis”. From the past few years, there is a rise in number of patients suffering from ulcerative colitis. Unfortunately, according to modern medicine, it is considered as incurable disease.

It is also known as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) which is regarded as a chronic ailment of colon. According to modern medicine, it is believed that food allergy, intake of certain medicines for a long duration, intake of antibiotics for a longer time, incompatible food, eating late nights can result in developing this disease.

Ulcerative colitis treatment in ayurveda

According to Ayurveda

  • As Ayurveda believes in curing the disease from the root, this problem has a proper solution. According to Ayurveda, it initiates with mild diarrhea then leads to stools with Ama [toxic substances] then results in constipation.
  • In Ayurveda, it is also known as pittaj grahani.

Classification of Ulcerative Colitis

It is the most serious & common disorder and is classified into 3 types on the basis of severity

  1. Mild
  2. Moderate
  3. Severe

MILD– The characteristic features of mild ulcerative colitis are-

  1. Four or less than four stools per day
  2. Stools may with or without blood
  3. No systemic disturbances
  4. No change in the ESR value [erythrocyte sedimentation rate]

MODERATE- The characteristic features of moderate ulcerative colitis are-

  1. More than 4 stools daily
  2. Few systemic disturbances

SEVERE– The characteristic features of severe ulcerative colitis are-

  1. Not less than 6 stools daily
  2. Stools with blood
  3. More systemic disturbances like fever, anemia, tachycardia
  4. Greater changes in the ESR value[ erythrocyte sedimentation rate]

Symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis

Commonly the patients have ulcers in their inner lining of the colon who suffers from the ulcerative colitis shows symptoms like:

  • Abdominal Pain
  • Stool in blood
  • Diarrhea
  • Pain in rectal area
  • Increase in bowel sounds
  • Rectal bleeding
  • Weight loss
  • Fever
  • Malnutrition [poor health]

Symptoms vary with the location of ulceration:

  • When inflammation occurs in rectal along with sigmoid region then sufferers have symptoms of urgency, painful feeling during defecation, bleeding in the rectal area.
  • When inflammation occurs in rectum with left part of colon then sufferers have symptoms of pain in left part of abdomen, abdominal cramps, weight loss, watery stools mixed with blood.
  • When inflammation covers whole colon then the individual have symptoms of fatigue, fever, night sweats, abdominal pain and abdominal cramps.

Diagnosis of Ulcerative Colitis

As ulcerative colitis involves only colon and rectum, it is easy to diagnose. Some of the diagnostic tools are as follows-

  1. Flexible sigmoidoscopy/colonoscopy– colonoscopy is the preferred choice as it can be uses to see the whole colon.
  2. Biopsies which are collected during the procedure of colonoscopy/sigmoidoscopy
  3. x-ray of abdominal area
  4. Stool analysis
  5. Barium enema
  6. MRI or CT scan
  7. Urine and blood test to check for inflammation, anemia and malnutrition.

Natural Treatment for Ulcerative Colitis with Diet

As a healthy diet which is rich in all vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins and fats prevents in remission of ulcerative colitis, so diet is a crucial factor in the patients having ulcerative colitis. The diet should include various foods:

Low-fat dairy products

  • The dairy products can be consumed in moderate amounts until unless it does not cause any trouble in the digestive tract.
  • A low quantity of milk does not harm stomach.
  • If milk leads to trouble in digestive tract like gas, bloating, or a stomach upset, then start drinking soy milk or lactose free milk.

Fruits and vegetables

  • A diet including variety of different fresh fruits is very much beneficial for patients who are having ulcerative colitis.
  • So fresh fruits which provides greater amount of vitamins, nutrients, water but less fibre are doing wonderful job to prevent pain in abdomen, abdominal cramps and disturbed bowel movements.

Fresh fruits that are easily digested in the patients suffering from ulcerative colitis such as bananas, avocados,cooked apples, seedless grapes, peaches

  • Healthy fats like vegetable oils
  • Fish, Lean meat and poultry
  • Vegetables but without seeds

Soft Bland Foods

  • These kinds of foods are very beneficial in some of the digestive tract problems such as ulcerative colitis. Soft bland foods which can be used in ulcerative colitis are oatmeal, puffed rice, hominy grits, wheat cream, boiled eggs, gelatin, mashed potatoes, cooked vegetables such as asparagus, mushrooms, carrots and spinach and brown rice.

Natural Herbs for Ulcerative Colitis

Aloe Vera:

  • Aloe Vera helps in the treatment of ulcerative colitis due to its anti-inflammatory properties. According to some studies, it is believed that patients having aloe Vera for 4 weeks shows better results rather than people who are not having.

How to Use

Mix aloe Vera gel into a glass of water and then drink it on the daily basis before going to bed.

Andrographis paniculata

  • This herb helps in the treatment of ulcerative colitis. This herb is most commonly used to treat this disease.

Boswellia

  • This herb helps in the treatment of ulcerative colitis due to its anti-inflammatory properties. This herb helps in protecting our body from cells of ulcerative colitis.

Curcumin

  • This herb’s abilities to reduce cytokines and interleukins associated with inflammatory bowel disease, helps in the treatment of ulcerative colitis. According to some studies, it is believed that if patient continue to have curcumin or turmeric on daily basis, will show betterment of symptoms of ulcerative colitis.
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April 30, 2018

Home & Herbal Remedies for Increased Uric Acid Level (Gout)

About Uric Acid

Uric acid – C5H4N4O3, is the bye-product formed during the purine metabolism in liver and is washed out of the blood by kidney through urine.

Normal level of uric acid in the blood is 2.4-6.0 mg/dL (female) and 3.4-7.0 mg/dL (male). A raised uric acid level in the blood can trigger inflammation and pain in smaller joints. Males are more prone to this condition than females. Major symptoms due to increased uric acid levels are pain and inflammation of joints. It initially affects the smaller joints then gradually spreads to other joints. There will be tenderness and redness in the inflamed joints (arthritic condition called as gout). Kidney stones may also occur due to raised uric acid levels.

Causes of High Uric Acid

A raised uric acid level is often caused when the kidney fails to completely wash out the uric acid from blood. High levels of purine rich diet, overweight, lack of exercise, gluten allergy, diabetic tendency etc may trigger this slowing down of kidney. Purine Rich Diet are:-

  • Organ meat – Liver, Kidney, Brain

  • Meat –Especially Red Meat, Goat, Beef, Pork

  • Fish – Sardine, Tuna, Mackerel, Scallops, Mussels

  • Others – Non Fibrous Carbohydrate Diet like White Bread and White Rice, Maida Flour, Peas, Soybeans and Green Peas, Asparagus, Mushroom and Alcohol including Beer.

Normally the blood holds an alkaline pH of 7.35. When the uric acid in the blood increases, the alkaline pH of blood changes to acidic. This acidic blood becomes a great stage for various diseases including infections. This decreases the body immunity and also affects various organs including heart and liver.

Home Remedies to Reduce the Increased Uric Acid Levels in the Blood

There are some home remedies to reduce the increased uric acid:-

home-remedies-to-reduce-uric-acid

  • Limit purine rich diet

  • Stay hydrated – drink at least 15 glasses of water per day

  • Avoid alcoholic beverages completely – alcohol absorbs the water content from the body causing dehydration.

  • Include plenty of fruits (vitamin c and vitamin e rich) in the diet especially which are sour in taste and fresh. Include pine apple, Indian goose berries, west Indian cherries, lemon, papaya, strawberry, apple

  • Not juices but fruits – it is better to have fresh fruits than having fruit juices or any other canned juices. Juices contain more fructose than fresh fruits. Fructose can trigger the increase of uric acid levels in blood.

  • Pine apple – Have pineapple every day. The protein digesting enzyme bromelain is very abundant in pineapple. This bromelain alkaloid has anti inflammatory properties and decreases the uric acid.

  • Raw papaya – Raw papayas are very beneficial to reduce uric acid. It also helps to reduce the joint pain associated with increased uric acid. It can be taken in any of the following ways.

  • Eating raw papayas as a vegetable salad.

  • Raw papaya juice (without adding sugar) with lime juice early in the morning in empty stomach.

  • Raw papayas are boiled in water and 1 tsp green tea is added. This then cooled in room temperature and can be taken with pure honey or lemon.

  • 1\4 tsp of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is added to 2 glasses of water and is taken. This mixture can help the blood to regain its alkaline ph.

  • Include moringa leaves in the diet.

  • 2 tsp of oats is boiled for 3 minutes in 1 cup of water along with 1\4 tsp salt. This can be taken for dinner.

  • Water boiled with kokilaksha (hygrophila auriculata) can be taken instead of using plain water.

  • 1 small piece fresh turmeric + 1 small piece ginger + 1 small piece cinnamon + 5 black pepper. All these are crushed well and boiled in 3 glasses of water and reduced to 2 glasses. 1 glass each is taken in the morning and evening for 2 weeks. Curcumin (from turmeric) enhances more potential in presence of piperine (from pepper). This normalizes the liver function. Curcumin and piperine, along with cinnamyl acetate (from cinnamon) corrects the carbohydrate cycle and helps to regain the alkaline ph of blood. Zingiberene (from ginger) has anti inflammatory properties and helps to reduce the joint pain.

  • Include apple cedar vinegar in your diet – helps to break down the uric acid crystals

  • Misconception on tomatoes – some may confuse on tomato to cause increased uric acid level. But actually tomato has 90% water and is low in purine content. Hence it is very beneficial in raised uric acid level.

  • Daily exercise well according to your body tolerance level.

Management of Increased Uric Acid Level in Ayurveda

According to WHO, the best management for increased uric acid levels in blood is by Ayurveda. In Ayurveda, both shodana and shaman management is made in use. In severe cases, cleansing and purification therapy like vasthi is used.

Gout Care Pack by Planet Ayurveda is wonderful herbal combination that is advised for high uric acid or gout. It’s a set of 4 medicines namely Punarnava capsules, Kishore Guggulu, Navkarshik Churna and Giloy Capsules.

gout-care-pack

1) Navakarshik Churna – Highly effective in increased uric acid levels of blood. It corrects the protein metabolism and cleanses the blood. It is very effective for pain management in arthritic condition. As the name indicates it contains nine ingredients, each taken in karsha pramana (12 gms). The ingredients are amalaki (emblica officianalis), haritaki (terminalia chebula), vibhitaki (terminalia bellerica), neem (azadirachta indica), vacha (acorus calamus), manjishta (rubia cordifolia), katuki (piccorrhiza kurrao), guduci (tinospora cordifolia), daruharidra (berberis aristate). It balances the tridoshas.

2) Kaishore Guggul – It is taken along with navakarshika choorna. It helps to enhance the potency of navakarshika churna. It balances and normalizes the aggravated vata. It has anti inflammatory and immune modulator properties.

3) Giloy Capsules– Tinospora cordifolia is used for diabetes, high cholesterol, upset stomach, lymphoma and other cancers, hepatitis, peptic ulcer disease (PUD), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), gout, fever, allergic rhinitis (hay fever), gonorrhea, syphilis. Also helps to boost the immune system.

4) Punarnava Capsules – Boerhavia Diffusa – very effective for pain relief. It is very well known for its anti inflammatory and diuretic properties. It is widely used for revitalizing the lives and also helps in cleansing the blood. This is also good for kidney health.

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