Inflammatory bowel disease, also called IBD, is an umbrella term for a group of symptoms that include swelling and inflammation of the tissues in the digestive tract. The most common types of IBD include:
Ulcerative colitis. This condition involves inflammation and sores, called ulcers, along the lining of the colon and rectum.
Crohn’s disease. In this type of IBD, the lining of the digestive tract is inflamed. The condition often involves the deeper layers of the digestive tract. Crohn’s disease most commonly affects the small intestine. However, it also can affect the large intestine and, uncommonly, the upper gastrointestinal tract.
Symptoms of both ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease usually include belly pain, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, extreme tiredness and weight loss. The symptoms of IBD are uncomfortable and difficult to manage. What’s not usually considered with IBD is the way it affects the way we digest and absorb our food. IBD wrecks our absorption and causes us to become malnourished. Malnourishment robs our bodies of vital vitamins, minerals and fats. When the body doesn’t have what it needs to build itself, physical degeneration takes place and a person will experience other, seemingly unrelated health problems.
So in order to safely and effectively treat IBD we must first understand why there is chronic inflammation in the first place. According to conventional medicine, IBD is caused by an overactive immune system that mistakenly attacks healthy cells in the bowel, leading to inflammation and various digestive symptoms.
But we know that the body doesn’t make “mistakes”. It always does the best for us, it doesn’t want to be in pain and always wants to maintain a healthy, vital homeostasis.
What we eat or don’t eat is the root cause of IBD. A diet of processed foods full of synthetic ingredients and chemicals can hurt our digestive system and cause inflammation. GMO foods that are designed to grow despite the heavy application of herbicides and pesticides contain these poisons and can hurt our bodies when we eat them. Industrial seed oils, like canola oil, are highly inflammatory and take the place of good fats that the body needs.
Alternatively, not eating a healthy diet containing organic vegetables robs us of much needed vitamins and minerals. Not eating pasture-raised and grass-fed meats can also put us in a nutritional deficit. Finally, not eating healthy fats, like grass fed butter and organic coconut oil, is linked to IBD. Our bodies need these things to build themselves. In truth, we are what we eat.
Do you have IBD and want to have that “good gut feeling”? Start with a professional evaluation to determine the underlying cause. Then restore your gut health with proper nutrition, supplementation and acupuncture. At Vital Health, we are here to help you take your health to the next level.
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