Digestive Disorders

Colitis

Acupuncture Has a Calming Influence

When colitis strikes, it can be a localized inflammation of the lower part of the large intestine or colon, or it may be more universal, causing inflammation and sores throughout the colon (ulcerative colitis). Although the cause of a colitis attack may be unknown, once food sensitivities and infections are ruled out, acupuncturists and naturopaths sometimes prescribe a course of acupuncture to calm the inflammation and hyperactive immune system that is in large part responsible for the condition. Acupuncture Can bring considerable relief to symptoms of pain, diarrhea and cramping.

Treatments may continue for weeks or even months, depending upon the various imbalances identified.

A Bark Eases the Bite

For those who have inflammatory bowel diseases, such as ulcerative colitis, who are being treated with standard allopathic medicines (e.g., prednisone and/or sulfa drugs), slippery elm bark may help ease some symptoms during flare-ups of the conditions. It may also help soothe the digestive tracts of patients during remission. To take this remedy in liquid (decoction) form:

1. Combine one to three teaspoons of powdered bark (found in good natural food stores) with a cup of water.
2. Boil and simmer for about 15 minutes.
3. Some cinnamon or sugar may help the taste. Try drinking two or three cups daily.

Unlikely Nicotine Aid

It is not often that you hear positive things about the drug known as nicotine. But recent research has shown that for unexplained reasons, people who have ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease causing diarrhea and intestinal upset, seem to respond well to nicotine. When nicotine patches were placed on subjects for weeks at a time, the colitis conditions improved noticeably. Now this early research is not meant to be a license for any afflicted person to start smoking, but in years to come, ingesting nicotine in some form may prove to be an option for some.

Aloe Vera-For "Internal" Skin, Too

The soothing, cooling properties of the aloe vera plant are not limited to sunburn, scrapes and abrasions. For some patients who have intermittent bouts of colitis, or inflammation of the colon, drinking one teaspoon of pure aloe juice (found in larger health food stores) after meals can have a lasting effect. They notice a lessening of intestinal upset and diarrhea.

Warning: At higher dosages, aloe vera juice can have a laxative effect-the last thing that colitis patients need.

Herbal Aid for Crohn's Disease

When diagnosed with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, patients often are advised to take steroids and other drugs to help reduce inflammation of the intestines, the hallmark of both diseases. But these medications don't always effect a remission. Patients may continue to suffer from chronic intestinal cramping, diarrhea and sometimes fever.

In such stubborn cases, patients can try to soothe some of the symptoms with herbal remedies as adjunct therapy. One combination therapy your doctor may approve calls for a mixture of three herbs into a tea: Chamomile, meadowsweet and licorice, taken two or three times a day. An alternative is to mix or purchase the herbs in tincture form and take sequentially. These remedies contain soothing, anti-inflammatory essences that target the digestive tract.

A Fishy Preventative

The research may be preliminary, but it is great news for those afflicted with chronic, inflammatory bowel disorders such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis: Fish oil may help keep the disorders at bay. A study from Italy published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that those who took nine fish oil capsules a day were far less likely to suffer relapses of Crohn's than subjects who didn't. Experts suspect that omega-3 fatty acids in the fish oil aid the body's synthesis of helpful prostaglandins.

Diverticulitis

Weight Training Strengthens Intestines, Too

File this item under those that don't often get discussed at the health club. Long-term, moderate weight training can speed up digestion by cutting the transit time of food as it moves through the intestines. That makes for healthier colons. Long transit times (28 hours, say, versus a more average 18) are associated with increased risk of diverticulitis, a kind of inflammation that results in intestinal-colon blockages. Weight training also builds the smooth muscles that guide the intestines along their daily missions, according to research at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Indigestion

A Helpful Tea Combination

Taken together in tea, three herbs can go a long way toward shortening your next bout of indigestion. Try this homemade anti-indigestion tea mixture:

• Meadowsweet, used for heartburn and acid stomach.
• Chamomile, a calming, soothing herb.
• Fennel seed, used to relieve nausea (and even hiccups).

This fragrant, soothing blend may be sipped as frequently as you need it.

Take Five!

To help digest a large meal, lie down on your left side for a few minutes. This will increase the blood flow to your stomach, which is situated more toward the left side of the body. Not moving for a few minutes also ensures that blood isn't speeding to other organs and muscles while your stomach is busily processing food.

Start the Day with Papaya

Enzymes from this sweet tropical fruit have been used in meat tenderizers for years for a reason. Start your day with half a papaya, or drink a glass of papaya juice, to give your digestive system a boost-or drink some any time you know you will be eating rich foods.

A Stomach Massage

Self-massage of the abdomen has been prescribed for chronic gastritis and constipation since the 1600s. Work any combination of five points from the top of the abdomen (below the ribs) to the lowest spot, about two inches below the navel. Two key middle points are the navel and halfway between the navel and sternum.

The basic technique is as follows:

1. Place the first three fingers of one hand on the first point, then cover them with the first three fingers of the other hand.
2. Press with both hands and gently knead the abdomen in clockwise circles.
3. Repeat on each pressure point, moving from top to bottom.

The top point should be kneaded for 36 clockwise circles, while the middle two points are massagead togetner for 8 circles eacn, before switching to 18 counterclockwise circles. The lowest point also calls for 18 circles in each direction.

Three Seasonings for Indigestion Relief

The spasms of a cranky digestive tract can be soothed with the essential oils of tarragon, rosemary and marjoram. Take one drop of each with a spoonful of honey. You can also try adding these common herbs (fresh or dried) to chicken, breads, fish, pasta and salads to help you digest dinner.

Ayurvedic Alternatives

Ayurvedic medicine, a body/mind discipline with roots in India, recognizes several body / personality types with their own tendencies. But there are some Ayurvedic remedies for stomach upset that work across the three main body types:

1. Boil one-half teaspoon of crushed or ground bay leaves in a cup of water for 10 minutes.
2. Strain the leaves from the liquid and add a pinch of cardamom.
3. Drink the tea after meals.

BBQ on the QT

Most of us associate charcoal with the outdoor grilling season. But natural healers like its active ingredients to quell digestion problems. To make your own charcoal liquid remedy:

1. Add two to three tablespoons of activated charcoal (available in health food stores) to a glass filled with a couple of inches of water.
2. Stir gently to prevent the charcoal from flying away.
3. Add water until the glass is full, then stir again.
4. Let the charcoal settle to the bottom of the glass before drinking (using a straw is helpful).

If you have no activated charcoal, you can get by with scrapings from burnt toast.

Juice Truce

Some health practitioners swear by onion juice as a digestive aid. Here is perhaps a more palatable drink. Juice the following ingredients together:

• A thick slice of ginger
• Half a handful of fresh mint
• One kiwifruit
• One-quarter of a pineapple (including the skin if your machine can handle it)

Taken twice daily, this concoction helps relieve chronic gas.

Juicy Kitchen Recipe

If you have overdone it at your own dinner party, here's a digestion remedy that can be made even while you are cleaning up. Add one teaspoon of lemon juice and one-half teaspoon of baking soda to a glass of cool water. Drink the mixture quickly.

A Peppermint Oil Solution

For indigestion, here is a fast-acting remedy: Three drops of peppermint oil added to a cup of warm water with a spoonful of honey. You can dab this potion onto your wrists or under the nose, or add it to a bath or vaporizer. It is also great for quelling nausea during pregnancy. A holistic pharmacy or health store will be well stocked with all kinds of essential oils.

Oregano Alternative

A healthy dose of oregano not only adds flavor to your favorite dishes but also stimulates the digestive system. Of course, oregano is not the seasoning to go with every meal, so when you're not feasting on Italian food, sip some oregano tea after your meal to kick-start digestion. Put a teaspoon of crushed dried oregano in a cup of hot water and let the mixture steep for about 15 minutes. Some may find oregano tea an acquired taste, but it's worth a try.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Healthy Start

Irritable bowel syndrome can cause gas, bloating, stomach cramps, diarrhea and constipation. A restricted diet and increasing dietary fiber can help ease all of these symptoms. Ground flaxseed, in particular, helps soothe inflamed intestinal walls. Add two tablespoons of ground flaxseed to eight ounces of juice or water, or stir them into your rice cereal.

Avoid beef and all cereal except rice and use soy-based products rather than milk or other dairy products.

Minty Massage

Massaging your abdomen with peppermint oil feels refreshing and can help ease intestinal discomfort. Add 10 drops of peppermint essential oil to one ounce of almond oil, then place one-half to one teaspoonful of the oil mixture onto the abdomen and massage in a clockwise direction. Repeat two or three times daily.

Another Peppermint Plan

The misery of irritable bowel syndrome is curtailed for some people by a simple regimen: Three capsules of essence of peppermint oil per day, plus several cups of mint tea. The key is consistent dosing and making sure the peppermint oil is pure.

A Combination Herbal Tea Approach

A three-herb combination tea has worked effectively to calm some cases of constipation and irritable bowel that don't respond to simple, nutritional, calm-the-intestines approaches. The nutritional tea combines the familiar herb chamomile with marshmallow (the herb, not the candy) and yellow dock root, which is often recommended to relieve constipation. Mix the herbs in equal proportions.

Power of Suggestion

Research indicates that the relaxed state achieved by clinical hypnosis can neutralize irritable bowel syndrome in patients under 50. Most of us can fall into a deep calm through a guided imagery session using word-pictures suggesting such venues as placid lakes and serene mountaintops. Once learned, we can use these techniques at home. About 10% of the population needs more directed hypnosis to reach the relaxed state.

Antidepressants Lift IBS Symptoms

Strange but true: Research shows that antidepressants can help control the pain that some feel from irritable bowel syndrome. Plus, the drug therapy may battle the root cause of IBS, since physicians believe that the disorder may result in part from psychological problems, such as depression and severe anxiety.

Lactose Sensitivity, Gas, Cramps

Problems with Milk Products

If you have gas, cramping and diarrhea, and suspect that milk or milk products may be contributing to the condition, try a three-day "milk fast." Eliminate yogurt, cheese and even foods that may have dry milk solids in their ingredients, such as prepared baked goods (check ingredient labels carefully). If symptoms lessen or disappear, there's a good chance that you are lactose intolerant-a common condition in which your body cannot process the sugars in milk effectively. This is especially true if your symptoms recur when you reintroduce dairy products into your diet.

As a way to control the condition and still eat or drink milk products occasionally, enlist the aid of enzymes: Lactase tablets taken before you eat dairy products should calm your intestines. Also, consider switching to soy milk and soy-based products whenever possible.