How to Prevent Colitis?

Preventing Colitis: Your Comprehensive Guide

Colitis is a chronic inflammation of the colon, which is the main part of the large intestine. Factors like autoimmune disease, infections can cause symptoms like diarrhoea, abdominal pain and blood in the stool. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Crohn’s disease may cause colitis. You cannot prevent it completely, but lifestyle modifications can help manage the symptoms.

What are Natural Remedies to Manage Colitis?

Medicines are the first line of treatment for ulcerative colitis, but there are some natural remedies or suggestions to manage colitis. These include:

Changes in Daily Diets

Reduce these foods that can worsen your colitis symptoms:

1. Whole grains
2. Legumes, seeds, and nuts
3. Gluten
4. Lactose
5. Unpeeled vegetables or unripe foods
6. Cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli
7. Sugars
8. Fried, ultra-processed and fat-containing foods
9. Sweetened beverages
10. Alcohol

Diets that will help you manage colitis are:

1. Vegan diets
2. Paleo diets
3. Low-Fat diets
4. Low FODMAP diets (Diets to reduce trigger irritation or inflammation in the gut, leading to cause of digestive stress).
5. Mediterranean diets (emphasising plant-based foods along with an adequate amount of fat, protein and carbohydrates).  

Use Herbal Remedies

As per the latest studies, certain herbal medicines possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These help in improving the overall gut health and promote prolonged remission of ulcerative colitis.

These include:

1. Boswellia
2. Psyllium seeds or husks
3. Ginseng
4. Bromelain
5. Turmeric

All these natural plants have anti-cancer, anti-ageing and anti-inflammatory properties. You may consult with your healthcare professionals to know the outcomes of these medicines.  

Probiotics

Probiotics promote the growth of good bacteria in the colon and other intestinal regions. Good bacteria develop improved gut health and maintain a natural gut microbial flora. Many studies have suggested that taking probiotics for Crohn’s disease has shown positive results in patients.

The most effective probiotics for Colitis include:

1. Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LG)
2. Bifidobacterium
3. Saccharomyces Boulardii
4. Lactobacillus acidophilus

You must consult with your healthcare provider before taking probiotics, as they can provide alternative medicines depending on your health condition.     

Regular Workouts

Regular workouts or exercise have various health benefits for people who have IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). These include:

1. Boosts the overall immune system of that person
2. Reduces the progress of the infection.
3. Improves the quality of life and daily moods.
4. Strengthens the bones and the overall skeletal structure.

You can start with smaller exercises like:

1. Walking
2. Cycling
3. Rowing
4. Swimming
5. Yoga

After doing these for a few days, you can start doing other exercises to improve the overall physiology. These activities can reduce digestive symptoms of colitis without any heavy-dose medicines.   

Manage your Stress

Conditions like colitis are extremely stressful, and managing them is worse. Recent studies show that stress can trigger a colitis flare.

You can follow these steps to manage and relieve stress:

1. Mediation
2. Practice deep breathing exercises
3. Doing regular exercises and workouts
4. Walking Outside
5. Doing stretching regularly
6. Cutting down or avoiding alcohol
7. Listens to music or reads books
8. Share your feelings with your close ones
9. Join a support group

Adequate hydration, stress management and avoiding trigger foods can reduce the risk of colitis. You have complete freedom to do experiments before selecting the best stress management strategy to manage stress. Share your thoughts or feelings with your healthcare provider and get preventive measures to manage the symptoms of colitis.