Is yoga the key to soothing ulcerative colitis (UC)? Will therapy provide relief? Natural remedies for UC should not be your primary treatment approach, but they can help you manage symptoms and reduce the frequency of flares.
There are still other, nonmedical forms of relief. Research shows that a number of natural treatments, including everything from lifestyle changes to herbal medicine, can be helpful for UC when done alongside standard treatments.
Here are five natural treatments that can help relieve UC symptoms.
1. Limit or Avoid Foods That May Exacerbate Symptoms
A healthy diet is a cornerstone for overall health, and it’s no surprise that it’s a top natural remedy for UC, too. “Diet is a foundational treatment for patients with ulcerative colitis,” says Benjamin Snider, a naturopathic doctor in private practice in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, adding that there’s often a dietary component to the disease.
“I recommend to my patients a Mediterranean-style or plant-focused diet sourced from fresh ingredients, which is not only associated with lower rates of active disease and improved quality of life in both UC and Crohn’s disease, but also has long-term health benefits by decreasing rates of metabolic syndrome and improving cardiovascular health,” says Suha Abushamma, MD, a gastroenterologist at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, who treats people with digestive disorders like IBD.
Conversely, research suggests a Western diet high in saturated fat and refined carbohydrates is associated with an increased risk of UC and worsening colitis symptoms.
Fried foods, lactose-containing foods, caffeine, alcohol, and raw fruits and vegetables may trigger digestive symptoms as well. But it’s important to note that dietary triggers often vary from person to person and there’s no one-size-fits-all diet for UC, so you’ll have to figure out what works best for you through trial and error.
It helps to keep a food diary to discover which foods are best for you. Snider says it can’t hurt to limit certain foods, and then if your symptoms improve according to your symptom diary, to continue doing so.
2. Get Regular Exercise to Reduce Inflammation and Other Complications
“Try to engage in moderate-intensity exercise, like swimming or biking, three or four days per week,” Snider says.
3. Curb Stress to Keep Things Moving
“These modalities shift the nervous system away from fight-or-flight and into a rest-and-digest mode,” Snider says. “In addition to heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration rate changing, blood and nutrients move into the core to support digestive function.”
4. Consider Therapy to Help Manage Stress and Pain
Working with a therapist on certain mind-body techniques can help you control UC symptoms. Some mental health professionals, known as gastrointestinal (GI) psychologists or IBD psychologists, can help people with IBD specifically. “Targeting the mind-body connection in IBD is integral to its management. I cannot emphasize enough the role of IBD psychologists in the care of patients with IBD,” says Abushamma.
In CBT, you learn to recognize and change behaviors and emotions that affect you physically. ”Cognitive behavioral therapy is associated with lower rates of anxiety and depression and higher quality of life in patients with IBD,” says Abushamma, who notes that more research is needed to solidify this connection.
5. Consider Omega-3 Fatty Acids to Ease Symptoms
“Omega-3 fats may be beneficial to patients with both UC and Crohn’s due to the strong anti-inflammatory action and ability to fuel the cells that line the intestinal tract,” says Snider.
Omega-3s may also reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines, which cause inflammation throughout the body.
More studies are needed to establish a recommended daily intake of omega-3s for people with IBD. Talk to your doctor to get advice and recommendations before making any dietary changes or taking any supplements.
The Takeaway
- Although natural remedies can’t treat ulcerative colitis (UC) on their own, they can offer symptom relief and may even decrease inflammation in the intestines.
- Alongside standard treatments, you can manage UC symptoms through nonmedical strategies like diet, exercise, stress management, and therapy.
- Talk to your healthcare provider before adding any natural remedies to your treatment plan to make sure they’re safe for you.
Additional reporting by Ashley Welch.
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