Ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease, leads to symptoms like fever, loss of appetite, digestive troubles, blood in stools, and rapid heart rate. Most medications for the condition can cause serious side effects, especially if taken for prolonged periods, so many people turn to natural ways to manage the symptoms. Here’s how to beat ulcerative colitis naturally and lead a healthy life:
Dietary changes
Several dietary changes may help alleviate the frequency and intensity of ulcerative colitis flare-ups. For the best results, patients should maintain a daily journal that lists all the food items they eat and the easing or worsening of any symptoms after that. Here are a few important dietary changes to manage the symptoms:
- Probiotics are rich sources of healthy bacteria that promote gut health and improve digestion. These healthy bacteria can also boost immunity, helping alleviate the symptoms of the condition. Patients should include probiotics like yogurt, sauerkraut, tempeh, and miso in their daily diet to relieve inflammation.
- Ulcerative colitis can also cause diarrhea in some people, so one should drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, especially during an episode of diarrhea.
- People with this condition fail to absorb enough nutrients from the food they eat, so they must take calcium and vitamin D supplements to avoid deficiency and bone loss.
- Too much fiber can be hard to digest, especially during a flare-up, so too many vegetables, fruits, nuts, and whole grains should be avoided.
- Dairy products are the primary culprits of digestive troubles like pain, bloating, and diarrhea, so they’re best avoided.
- Alcohol, caffeinated foods and beverages, and spicy foods can irritate the lining of the gut, so they should be left out of the diet for people with ulcerative colitis.
Lifestyle changes
If one is wondering how to beat ulcerative colitis naturally, inculcating a few simple lifestyle changes can help improve a patient’s quality of life:
- Exercise is essential for effectively managing symptoms like weakened immunity, mental health, and weight loss. Besides, recreational exercises like yoga can help calm the mind and promote digestive health.
- Meditation and deep breathing exercises help relax the muscles, which, in turn, relieves the exasperating symptoms of the condition.
- Many doctors directly relate emotional stress to ulcerative colitis, so preventing relapses requires practicing stress-relieving exercises every day.
- It’s important to treat anemia that can be caused due to low levels of folate, iron, and vitamin B12 in the body. Ulcerative colitis reduces the absorption of nutrients, which can lead to these deficiencies. Anemia is a severe condition that can cause uncontrolled bleeding, so early diagnosis and timely treatment are essential.
These are a few effective tips on how to naturally beat ulcerative colitis, and one can talk to their doctor if the severity of the symptoms increases.
