Ease inflammatory bowel disease symptoms naturally

Although changes in lifestyle won't cure Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), they can significantly improve your quality of life by helping to keep your symptoms to a minimum. Here are some suggestions to get you started.

• Drink plenty of water. The diarrhea associated with IBD can dehydrate you, and you need to regularly replace lost fluid.
• Avoid foods that may cause inflammation. Everyone’s system is different, but remain alert for bad reactions. Some well-known food irritants include saturated fats, milk products, alcohol, caffeine, sugar, dried fruit, high-sugar fruits (grapes, watermelon, pineapple), wheat, oats, barley, soy, eggs, peanuts, tomatoes, beets, chocolate, pepper, lamb, lime peel, nuts, parsley, poppy seeds, rhubarb and spinach. Track what you eat and if any of these foods makes you feel bad, stop eating it
• Take omega-3 fatty acids. There is ample evidence that fish oil and flaxseed oil can help to minimize the symptoms of IBD. Eat cold-water fish such as salmon three times a week. You can also use omega-3 supplements (follow the label directions for dosage)
• Eat smaller, more frequent meals. This will help to keep gas to a minimum, especially if your diet has a high fibre content
• Try to maintain a normal weight. If you're losing too much weight (which is likely with Crohn’s disease), add high-calorie nutrition bars and shakes to your diet
• Stop smoking. This is especially true if you have Crohn’s disease. Research shows that smoking aggravates the progression of this disease. The symptoms of ulcerative colitis, on the other hand, actually seem to be improved by nicotine
• Do light exercise. In a recent small study, people with mild or inactive forms of Crohn’s disease who walked for 30 minutes three times a week experienced significant improvement in their quality of life. Consult a doctor before doing more vigorous exercise
• Reduce stress. Evidence shows that stress aggravates inflammatory diseases. Try meditation or other stress-reduction techniques

Certain herbs may prove helpful in relieving IBD symptoms. They are available in pill, tincture or extract form; teas made from the dried herbs can be useful as well.

• To calm inflammation, try marshmallow root. For a tea, add 28 grams (one ounce) of flowers to 950 millilitres (one quart) of boiling water, steep for a few minutes, then strain out the petals. Slippery elm may also be helpful. For a tea, slowly add warm water to five millilitres (one teaspoon) of dried bark; strain before sipping
• To combat unfriendly bacteria in the intestine, try goldenseal. For infections, take 15 drops of extract — sold at health-food stores — every hour
• To encourage normal immune function, take echinacea. In capsule form, you need to get at least 900 milligrams a day

These herbs are generally safe, but don't take goldenseal if you're pregnant or echinacea if you have an autoimmune disease. Some evidence indicates that echinacea is more effective if you use it for three weeks and then abstain for one. And don't forget a daily multivitamin/mineral. With fluid leaving your body in copious amounts, you may become malnourished. A high-quality multivitamin supplement can help you combat this problem.

By paying attention to what, when and how you eat, you can help to ease the painful symptoms of IBD. Follow these suggestions as part of your treatment plan to see if you can get some relief.