Wow, Jason, what a thoughtful and complete reply, printing it off. marilyn ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jason Hawrelak" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2003 5:37 PM Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Colitis
> Hello Andrea, > > I'm guessing that by 'colitis' you mean ulcerative colitis, which is > characterised by episodes of abdominal pain and bloody diarrhoea. I'm a > naturopath, and I am also doing a PhD in the area of gut health and the > intestinal micro-ecology, so I know a fair bit about ulcerative colitis and > its management with natural medicine. > > During the acute stage of the condition (which it sounds like she is in) > one would usually put the client on a elemental or hypoallergenic diet. For > this it is best to use a formulation based on rice protein. Try to get one > that has additional vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids (e.g., > RejuvenX from Bioceuticals - can be contacted on 1-300-650-455 - 3-4 > serves/day will keep the protein level up to what is needed). At this same > time I would suggest clear vegetable broths, and more importantly fresh > fruit & veggie juices (at least 4 glasses daily). These are very > antioxidant rich and will help 'calm' the inflammation. I would especially > recommend fresh wheat grass juice, as a recent trial found it excellent in > alleviating ulcerative colitis symptoms (try to give 100 ml/day) - it works > well combined with carrot and apple. Normally, this is all that would be > eaten until the diarrhoea and pain stop. > > Ulcerative colitis (UC) is often considered to be caused by an imbalance of > intestinal bacteria, so probiotics are potentially useful. Unfortunately, > most probiotic supplements on the market are very poor, and what is > generally not well known is that each supplement will contain a specific > bacterial strain with a limited range of therapeutic actions. Not all > 'acidophilus' is the same, just like not all breeds of dogs are the same. > All dogs are the same species, but as we know German Shepards are very > different from chihuahuas. This same principle is at work in the probiotic > field, in that the different strains of 'acidophilus' are like the > different breeds of dogs - they are all the same species but some are > German Shepards and others chihuahuas. You just need to know which one is > which - unfortunately very few naturopaths, GP's or consumers know this. > There is one probiotic product that has been clinically trialed and proven > effective in ulcerative colitis. The product is called VSL#3 and it is > available mail-order or over the internet from Orphan Australia > (www.orphan.com.au or 1-300-656-755). It is more expensive than other > probiotic supplements, but it has been proven to work in UC and no others > currently available on the Australian market have. So I would certainly > recommend taking this with the juice, broth and protein powder combination. > To this I would also add slippery elm (1 heaped tsp 4x/d) - blended with > apple juice for easier compliance. I understand that the loss of caloric > intake on this dietary regime would be a concern in pregancy, but the > energy defecit shouldn't be too great if the regime is follwed for 7-14 > days, by which time the UC should have truly settled down. And her current > diarrhoea and intestinal inflammation is already severely hampering her > absorption of nutrients. > > Once the UC has settled down, I would recommend that the client keep taking > the VSl#3 and slippery elm (you could halve the dosage of both at this > point). Juices should still be consumed daily, but 1-2 glasses per day > should suffice (but keep the wheat grass up). At this point, a fibre and > anti-oxidant rich diet is essential. So lots of fruit (especially berries), > vegetables, whole-grain products, nuts and seeds (preferably freshly > ground) should be consumed. Brown rice, barley and oats would be especially > good. Avoid eggs, potatoes, wheat-products and all junk food as these are > common exacerbating factors. If she can get traditionally-made sauerkraut > this would be excellent as it contains more health-giving bacteria that > yoghurt, as well as anti-oxidants and healing factors for the gut. > > To improve her essential fatty acid balance, recommend oily fish > consumption at least 4x/week (e.g., sardines, salmon, herring, ocean trout, > mackerel, mullet, tailor, and sweep) and ground flaxseeds/flaxseed oil > daily. Alternatively fish oil capsules can be used but the dosage needs to > be 6-10 capsules per day, so it can be expensive taking this route. > > Additional research has shown that psyllium seeds (not the husks) at a > dosage of 10g twice daily is as effective in keeping UC in remission as > pharmaceutical drugs, so I would definately add this to the treatment > protocol (if you can't locate psyllium seeds, the next best option is > barley bran - 2 Tab twice daily). Implementation of these measures should > not only improve her UC but will also improve the overall health status of > the impending mum and her bub. > > Jason Hawrelak > > Jason Hawrelak BNat(Hons) > PhD Candidate and Researcher > Australian Centre for Complementary Medicine Education & Research > School of Natural and Complementary Medicine > Southern Cross University > PO Box 157 > Lismore, NSW 2480 > tel: (02)6620-3308 > fax: (02)6620-3307 > e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > At 04:57 PM 19/02/03 +1100, you wrote: > >Can anyone help me with a problem for one of my clients: 28 weeks, 1st > >baby, suffering from colitis and getting worse - main symptom seems to be > >rectal bleeding, which she says happens 3 times a day. Otherwise very fit > >(yoga, gym, power walks daily) and healthy (very diet conscious). From what > >I have read, there is not much she can do - drugs are contraindicated and > >the pregnancy hormones are probably exacerbating the condition, which will > >improve once the baby arrives. Any suggestions most welcome! > > > >Many thanks, > > > >Andrea > > > >----- > >Andrea Robertson > >Birth International * ACE Graphics * Associates in Childbirth Education > > > >e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >web: www.birthinternational.com > > > > > >-- > >This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > >Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. > > > > > > -- > This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. > -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
