Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Inflammatory
Bowel Disease She was one of the smallest people on the plane, and clearly the sickest and weakest-looking. She wore the International Expedition badge, which meant that she was going to the Amazonian rain forest with me and several other instructors for one of our workshops. Quite frankly, I feared having someone so pale and frail-looking in the Amazonian heat, and I wondered how she would fare after enduring a cold winter up North.
It was a bad sign when she passed out on the flight from Miami to Iquitos, Peru, collapsing to the floor as she made her way down the aisle to the restroom. It turned out that this woman had Crohn's disease, a severe type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which involves chronic inflammation of the intestines. (Another type of IBD is ulcerative colitis.)
This woman was trying to fit some meaningful experiences into her life. Not knowing what the future might bring, she felt as if this might be her only chance to see the Amazon before her condition made it impossible for her to travel.
She did get to take my workshop, and after we got back to the United States, she called to thank me for some natural healing recommendations for Crohn's disease that I gave her. She said that she felt better. I certainly hope she's better off now than she was on that flight.
Waste Disposal System Problems
Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease have similar symptoms, including chronic (possibly bloody) diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fatigue, weight loss and sometimes fever. But they have somewhat different origins. Simply put, colitis is inflammation of the colon, while the inflammation of Crohn's can occur anywhere in the intestinal tract.
Doctors generally treat any kind of serious IBD with corticosteroids,
medications that sometimes suppress the inflammation but have side effects that can be hard to live with, including acne, blurred vision and weight gain. Corticosteroids can also cause gastrointestinal symptoms that may be hard to distinguish from those of IBD. You probably won't be surprised to learn that I'm not a big fan of corticosteroids. On the other hand, I haven't run across any sure-fire natural therapy that works, so I'll simply share some alternative
approaches that make sense to me.
In the Grip of IBD
Most people with IBD become anxious and depressed over it. That's no surprise: It's an anxiety-provoking, depressing illness. But at the same time, anxiety, depression and other stress may intensify symptoms. I'd recommend getting involved in a stress-management program that appeals to you, such as meditation, biofeedback or yoga or some other form of moderate exercise. My personal stress-management technique is gardening among the herbs at my Herbal Vineyard.
Food sensitivities can definitely contribute to intestinal problems. An inability to digest milk and dairy products (lactose intolerance) is widespread, and many people with this problem don't know that they have it. I'd recommend avoiding all dairy foods for several weeks to see if it helps.
Other people have a similar, though rarer, intolerance to gluten, the protein in wheat that makes bread dough spongy. Most other grains, except rice and teff, a grain used in Ethiopia, contain gluten as well. It's not easy to eliminate grains from your diet, but if IBD is making you miserable, I'd say it's worth the adjustment for a few weeks to see if you feel better. Try substituting rice cakes for bread and rice noodles for pasta. Or go Ethiopian and enjoy some of their great teff pancakes, if you can find the grain in a natural food store.
Green Pharmacy for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
If you have IBD, you should be under a doctor's care, but feel free to discuss any of these herbal approaches with him. Here are several that can help relieve symptoms.
Onion (Allium cepa). In my database, the top compound with anti-IBD effects is quercetin, and the best source of this compound is onion skins. We don't eat onion skins, but you can put the whole onion, skin and all, into soups and stews while they're cooking. Just remove the parchment-like skin at the last moment before serving.
Naturopaths suggest taking 400 milligrams of quercetin about 20 minutes before each meal. You can buy pure quercetin at many health food stores.
Juicing for Digestive Health People who advocate juicing for health seem to have juice recipes for just about everything that ails you. Here are a few juicing suggestions that I think may be helpful in treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Naturopath Michael Murray, N.D., co-author of The Complete Book of Juicing, suggests that people with IBD try one or more of his fruit and vegetable drinks a day. These can be made in a blender or juicer. (I prefer to use a blender.) Murray's Green Drink: Two apples, two kale leaves, a handful of spinach and some papaya and wheatgrass. Murray's Cleansing Cocktail: One apple, one-half beet with tops, four carrots, two celery stalks and a half-cup of papaya or wheatgrass. Murray's Enzymes Galore: One banana, one-half mango, two oranges, one-half papaya and a quarter of one fresh pineapple. I have no problem with Murray's Green Drink and Cleansing Cocktail. I can't swear that they'll relieve IBD, but they're certainly loaded with fluids and vitamins and minerals, which can be depleted if you have chronic diarrhea. In Enzymes Galore, I have no problem with the banana, mango, papaya and pineapple. All are used extensively in the tropics for digestive troubles. The special protein-digesting enzymes in pineapple and papaya (pancreatin and bromelain) have been shown in clinical studies to have anti-inflammatory action. They also have added value in fighting autoimmune diseases. The Enzymes Galore ingredients that I'm not so sure about are the oranges. Some alternative medicine practitioners counsel avoiding citrus fruits if you have IBD. You can try Enzymes Galore with and without the oranges and see which works better for you. |
Psyllium (Plantago ovata). You may never have heard of psyllium seeds, but I bet you've heard of Metamucil. Metamucil is a commercial fiber product that is basically ground psyllium seeds and husks with some flavoring added. Metamucil works as a laxative because in the intestine, the mucilage in psyllium seeds absorbs water and swells to many times its original size. It adds bulk to stool and helps stimulate the muscle contractions we experience as "the urge."
Psyllium's ability to absorb fluids also makes it useful for treating diarrhea, a common IBD symptom. In addition, as it travels through the digestive tract, the mucilage in psyllium exerts a soothing effect, which may help relieve the cramping of IBD. If you use psyllium, make sure that you also drink plenty of fluids. Also watch how you react to it if you have allergies. If allergic symptoms develop after you take it once, don't use it again.
Tea (Camellia sinensis). Commission E, the body of experts that advises the German government about herbs, suggests using astringent herbs containing tannin, such as tea, for relieving gastrointestinal distress. Besides plain beverage tea, several common herbs are rich in tannin, including bayberry, bugleweed, bilberry, black walnut, English walnut, carob and raspberry.
Valerian (Valeriana officinalis). An Italian study suggests that valerian is a useful addition to other medicines that relieve spasms in smooth muscles such as the intestine. Valerian also helps relieve stress, which apparently contributes to IBD.
Assorted essential oils. Aromatherapists recommend massage with a few drops of any of the following essential oils diluted in a few tablespoons of vegetable oil: basil, bergamot, camomile, cinnamon, garlic, geranium, hyssop, lavender, lemongrass, rosemary, thyme and ylang-ylang. I can't vouch for them personally, but massage is relaxing, and using essential oils makes it even more relaxing. Relaxation helps relieve the stress of having IBD. I'd try this approach. (Remember, though, that essential oils are for external use only.)
Assorted herbs. Herbalists I trust recommend camomile, peppermint and wild yam to help relieve muscle spasms, including those of the intestine.
Noted British herbalist David Hoffmann, author of The Herbal Handbook, suggests treating IBD with a combination herbal cocktail of two parts bayberry and one part each of camomile, mugwort, peppermint, valerian and wild yam.
Herbal pharmacologist Daniel Mowrey, Ph.D., author of The Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine and Herbal Tonic Therapies, recommends several herbs for treating ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, including fenugreek, gentian, ginger, goldenseal, licorice root, myrrh gum and papaya leaf.
