| Get Free Health Tips by RSS
In his book The Anti-Inflammation Zone: Reversing the Silent Epidemic That’s Destroying Our Health
Dr. Sears says to consume cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil, preferably relatively expensive brands that have a naturally peppery flavor: President’s Choice Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Tuscany has a peppery finish and seems reasonably priced. Still, you might prefer Dr. Sears’ oils. He sells his own select brand. Google it.
My general doctor says that patients suffering from autoimmune diseases should not take herbs and supplements that boost immunity (since autoimmunity results from overactive immune responses that attack and harm various parts of the patients’ bodies). In other words, when your immune system is already overactive, you are foolish to boost its activity even further. And that is why I am surprised when I see health practitioners (including naturopaths) advise victims of colitis or Crohn’s disease to take alfalfa and Lactobacillus acidophilus.
Alfalfa boosts the immune system and can therefore interfere with immune-suppressive medications, such as mercaptopurine (6-MP) and azathioprine (the Mayo Clinic says flat out that patients should not use azathioprine with alfalfa). And the labels on bottles of Kyo-Dophilus (a probiotic containing Lactobacillus acidophilus) say, “Take KyoDophilus . . . every day to boost immunity.”
In fact a University of California clinical trial using Kyo-Dophilus (”a commercially available dietary supplement often used by individuals with inflammatory bowel disease”) was terminated in 2008 due to low recruitment. In other words, the doctors could not find enough volunteers.
I suspect that colitis patients sometimes find that Kyo-Dophilus provides some relief from the symptoms associated with lactose intolerance. Yet they would do better to stay away from milk products and Kyo-Dophilus, since Kyo-Dophilus will not cure their colitis-induced lactose intolerance, and since it will boost their immune response (possibly causing their colitis to flare).
Patients suffering from autoimmune diseases should not take Kyo-Dophilus, alfalfa, zinc, echinacea, ginseng, and shiitake supplements, and they should stay away from COLD-fx, too.
Also see, Ulcerative Colitis Advice
If you are taking a prescription medicine that is known to stress the liver, then you should be very careful about taking supplements such as green tea extract and niacin. Both green tea extract and niacin can be hard on the liver. In fact my doctor says that most herbs and herbal extracts can elevate liver enzyme levels. (And of course you have heard the ongoing news about the dangers of taking too much Tylenol.)
If you are taking a medication that is known to stress the liver, and you want to take green tea extract or niacin (or other supplements), then discuss your plans with your doctor and have your liver enzyme levels tested.
In addition to my Anti-cancer Diet and Vitamin D, I work out at the gym 3 days a week and take walks and/or lift weights at home 3 to 4 days a week. At the gym, I run 2 miles and then lift weights for an additional 60 to 90 minutes.
I also take numerous 6- to 9-hour hikes up mountains and into canyons, sometimes for 7 days in a row. The hiking may help ward off colon cancer, and I am a firm believer that running helps stave off lung cancer.
I recently read a reputable article that said that we should be taking 1500 to 2300 IU of Vitamin D each day. I think I read the article on a life extension web site: http://www.lef.org/news/.
Mayo Clinic says that the upper limit for vitamin D is 2000 IU per day. See http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vitamin-d/AN01864. In Canada, doctors often recommend 1000 IU per day as a potential cancer preventative.
Previously, I was taking 1000 to 1300 IU each day, every day, rain, snow, or shine, 365 days per year.
As part of your cancer prevention diet consume dark chocolate, cabbage juice, homemade tomato sauce, pharmaceutical grade fish oil, green tea, turmeric, and ginger every day. But don’t overdo it: fish oil, turmeric, ginger, green tea, garlic and cinnamon thin the blood. When you thin the blood too much, you are susceptible to hemorrhagic strokes and other serious health problems. If you already take prescription blood thinners (such as warfarin), you should talk to your doctor about using fish oil, turmeric, ginger, green tea, garlic and cinnamon as health supplements.
Your dark chocolate should be at least 70% cocoa and you should consume 1 ounce (about 30 grams) each day. Eating more than an ounce a day will add to your fat load and make you gain weight.
You should be sure that your fish oil is pharmaceutical grade. Lower quality fish oil products contain contaminants. I take Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega
My homemade tomato sauce consists of strained Italian tomatoes (from the bottle) slightly simmered with Italian spices. Cooking tomatoes makes the lycopene antioxidant more accessible.
I make cabbage juice every day and drink it immediately after preparing it. I also include a heaping teaspoon of organic turmeric, a half teaspoon of organic powdered ginger, one ounce of 80% – 90% dark chocolate, a mug of green tea (steeped for 15 minutes), and Nordic Naturals fish oil in my daily regimen.
Take turmeric
Also see cancur.org.
The University of Maryland Medical Center is one of the very best online references for finding out about herbs. The site comes with a variety of cross-reference tools: Conditions by Organ and Body System, Interactions by Drug, Conditions by Signs and Symptoms, Interactions by Herb or Supplement, Herbs & Supplements by Uses, and Depletions by Drug.
If you suffer from colitis and you still have problems with bleeding, you should consider removing chocolate, green tea, fish oil, garlic, turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon from your diet — they thin your blood, making you more prone to bleed. (And if you exercise, you should probably lift less weight for awhile. Strength training puts pressure on your guts.)
Once you have the bleeding back in control you can reintroduce small amounts of these foods and spices back into your diet.
P.S. If you are taking vitamin E capsules (at dosages of 200 IU and up), you should probably discontinue those for awhile, too. Vitamin E thins the blood. (And I suppose you have already quit aspirin and ibuprofen.)
The media keeps saying that today’s kids are obese and that today’s parents may be the first generation in history to outlive their children. Yet, in the United States and Canada, smoking and lung cancer are on the decline, which makes me wonder whether cigarettes would keep our teenagers and twenty-somethings slim, allowing them to outlive their parents (rather than the other way around), even though they eventually die of smoking-related illnesses.
If you are looking for dietary methods for toning down the symptoms of ulcerative colitis, read Dr. Barry Sears’ book The Anti-Inflammation Zone: Reversing the Silent Epidemic That’s Destroying Our Health
If you are to the point of recovery where you can again tolerate spices, be sure to try adding organic tumeric and organic ginger to your meals. Both spices fight inflammation and ginger alleviates gas and diarrhea. (But don’t go overboard: these spices can thin your blood and increase bleeding. SEE the “Colitis, fish oil, chocolate, tea, and spices” post.)
You might have a problem finding organic fresh ginger, but Frontier brand organic ground ginger root works just fine. Their Web site is www.frontiercoop.com.
Get Free Health Tips by RSS
