BENEFICIAL HERBS
- Alfalfa aids digestion and supplies needed vitamins K, A, and D and trace minerals. It can be taken in liquid or tablet form.
- Agrimony acts on the mucous membranes, especially those of the abdomen. Good for colitis and peritonitis.
- Goldenseal and myrrh have anti-inflammatory properties. Goldenseal is considered a natural antibiotic. Caution: Do not take goldenseal on a daily basis for more than a week at a time, and do not use during pregnancy. Do not give goldenseal to children under two. Do not use goldenseal without consulting a physician if you have had heart disease, diabetes, glaucoma, a stroke, or high blood pressure.
- Herbs that are beneficial for ulcerative colitis include aloe vera, barberry, chamomile, dandelion, feverfew, papaya, slippery elm, pau d’arco tea, and yarrow extract or tea. Caution: Do not use chamomile on an ongoing basis, and avoid it completely if you are allergic to ragweed. Do not use feverfew during pregnancy.
- Hops is a digestive stimulant and natural tranquilizer for the nerves
- Marshmallow root is recommended for ulcers and colitis
- Mullein soothes inflammation in the digestive tract
- Red clover improves overall health and relaxes the body.
DIETARY RECOMMENDATIONS
- Important to eat foods high in vitamins A and D.
- Increase your intake of iron (eat foods high in vitamin C with iron-rich foods to increase iron absorption).
- Eat fewer manufactured high-bran foods, dairy products, and simple carbohydrates, red meat and alcohol.
- Avoid adding uncooked bran to anything you make yourself.
- Try eliminating fish, hard sausage, pickled cabbage, and yeast products from your diet, and see if symptoms improve.
- Avoid dairy products (including cheese) and foods that contain hidden lactose. Check the label on every packaged food, because milk and its derivatives are present in so many of them. Key words to look for are whey, casein, and any term with the word milk.
- Avoid oxalate-rich foods, especially if you have already had kidney stones. Foods high in oxalate include beans (all varieties: dried, baked, green, wax), draft beer, chocolate, cocoa, Ovaltine®, fruitcake, fruits (blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, currants, grapefruit, grapes, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries, tangerines), tea, wheat germ, vegetables (beets, celery, chives, collards, eggplants, escarole, green peppers, kale, leeks, okra, parsley, spinach, summer squash, sweet potatoes)
- Follow a low fat diet
NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENTATION
A well balanced diet is a more natural source of nutrients and it is best to get as much as possible from food. If you are not eating a varied mixture of the main food groups or foods high in a certain nutrient needed for your health situation then make up the remaining through vitamin and mineral supplementation.
- Important nutrients include magnesium, vitamin B12, folic acid, iron, zinc, calcium, and fat soluble vitamins A, D, K, and E.
In some cases, herbal products can interact negatively with other medications. Such interactions can be dangerous. Herbal remedies are not regulated and their quality is not controlled. Moreover, while there is an abundant supply of information circulating about herbs, not much of it has
been scientifically proven. Consult your physician. Informing your doctor and pharmacist of what herbal products you are using is just as important as letting them know what drugs you are taking. Your physician and the pharmacist on duty at your pharmacy can assist you in deciding which herbs
are safe.