Crohn’s disease, also known as “regional enteritis,” is characterized by an inflammatory reaction throughout the entire thickness of the bowel wall. This reaction is usually confined to the ileum, the terminal portion of the small intestine. After the inflamation heals, scar tissue remains and narrows the passageway. If the disease continues for many years, bowel function gradually deteriorates. If left untreated, it can become very serious and increases the risk of cancer.
In ulcerative colitis there is a non-specific inflammatory response limited largely to the lining of the colon or large intestine. In this case, narrowing of the passageway does not occur, as in Crohn’s disease. Unlike Crohn’s disease, in ulcerative colitis the deeper layers of the bowel beneath the submucosa usually are not involved. Yet, while Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are usually confined to different areas of the intestinal tract, they do share many common features.
Symptoms of IBD disease include bloody diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain, fever, malabsorption, anemia, and losses of energy, appetite, and weight. Arthritis is the most common extra-gastrointestinal manifestation. This disorder is not infectious and the cause is still uncertain. However, risk increases with a history of food allergies.
The incidence of IBD is increasing in cultures consuming the so-called “western” diet, and it is virtually non-existent in cultures consuming a more primitive diet. Food is the main factor in determining the intestinal environment. The considerable dietary changes over the last century could explain the rising rates of IBD. Several studies analyzed the pre-illness diets of patients with Crohn’s disease. They report that people who develop Crohn’s disease habitually eat more refined sugar, and less raw fruit, vegetables, and dietary fiber than healthy people.
Royal Recommendations for Prevention and Treatment
1. Avoid alcohol, coffee, colas, carbonated beverages, chocolate, dairy products, fried/fatty foods, margarine, red meat, salt, strong spices, and tobacco. (See “Smoking Addiction.”) Limit your intake of grains, especially wheat. During an acute attack, eat soft foods and pureed vegetables.
2. Get your food allergies checked. If food allergy is the cause, symptoms will continue to recur until the irritating food has been eliminated from the diet. Start by removing all dairy from the diet for at least four weeks. When reintroducing it again, be careful to note any digestive symptoms that occur. (See “Allergy—Food.”)
3. Increase your fiber intake. Fiber reduces ulcer recurrence rates by one half. Fiber promotes the secretion of mucin, a protective coating lining the stomach, and delays gastric emptying. This, in turn, promotes protein digestion in the stomach and reduces the risk of developing an allergy to food proteins. Oat bran, guar gum, pectin, and psyllium husk are good sources of fiber. Start with a small dose, so that the bowel can get used to it. Vegetables should be put through a blender or steamed well. (See “Constipation.”)
4. Don’t forget to increase your water intake when you increase your fiber intake. Usually 6-8 glasses of distilled, spring, or reverse osmosis water, fresh juices, and herbal teas is adequate.
5. Rule out parasitic involvement. This can be done through stool analysis and/or parasite cleansing protocol. A parasite-cleansing regimen should be followed for a minimum of three months and up to six months.
6. Avoid stress. If experiencing an attack, rest is very important. (See “Stress.”)
7. Supplements known to be beneficial include vitamins A, E, and C, Bioflavonoids, B-complex, B12 injections, essential fatty acids (e.g. flaxseed oil), free form amino acids (as a protein supplement), multi-minerals, and acidophilus. Aloe vera (to aid in healing of the intestinal tract) should also be considered.
8. Herbs known to be helpful are echinacea, garlic, goldenseal, pau d’arco, rose hips, and YerbaMate.
9. Homeopathics to consider include Allium Sativum (especially if bowel flora is pathologic, appetite is voracious, and/or the least change in diet brings on symptoms), Aloe (for “bearing down” sensation in the rectum and difficulty holding stool), and Mercurius Dulcis (when blood is present in the stool and/or stool tends to be watery). Each of these remedies should be taken in low potency (3X, 6X, or 12X), 10 drops (6-10 pellets or 1-2 tablets), 6-8 times daily when symptoms are present. NOTE: Allium and Aloe are homeopathic dilutions of garlic and aloe vera, respectively. Mercurius Dulcis is also known as “calomel,” a form of mercury to which one could have been exposed through dental amalgams, mercurial antiseptic agents, or even in utero. For this reason, evaluation of mercury heavy metal poisoning may be appropriate. Treatment of the underlying inherited weakness or homeopathic “miasm” may prove to be essential in effecting a “cure.”
10. If necessary, anti-inflammatory medicines such as azulfidine and prednisone can help to control an acute attack. Should inflammation and ulceration of IBD persist, despite dietary and other lifestyle changes, a thinning of the intestinal walls with small perforations can occur. This may result in peritonitis, toxic dilation of the colon and/or sepsis, all of which can result in hospitalization and possibly require a surgical colectomy.
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