Previously Ottawa Holistic Wellness
Ulcerative Colitis: 6 Herbal Home Remedies That May Help

Ulcerative Colitis: 6 Herbal Home Remedies That May Help

Are you looking for herbal remedies to help with your Ulcerative Colitis symptoms?

If so, then you are in the right place.

Today I am going to talk about my favourite 6 herbal home remedies for Ulcerative Colitis?

Even better.

These are remedies that have helped many of my clients with their Ulcerative Colitis symptoms.

Let’s dive in.

What is Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative Colitis (UC) is a form of irritable bowel disease that targets the end of the large intestine, most notably the rectum and anus. With significant inflammation of the innermost layer of gut tissue, UC causes bloody stools, abdominal pain, weight loss, fever, dehydration, and frequent urges to have a bowel movement. (1)

Some UC bowel movements are “false urges”; this means that although the need to pass stool feels urgent, very little is passed into the toilet bowl. Inflammation is the main culprit in these false urges.

There will be periods of time where UC sufferers will be in symptom “remission”; their bowel movements will improve along with their quality of life, but the tissue in their colon will still be inflamed. Stress and diet triggers will often cause relapses for people with UC. (1)

Complications of UC include anemia (low iron) and colorectal cancer. Relapses are frequent, so doctors and patients must work together to reduce inflammation and pain and to improve quality of life.

Medications, nutritional supplements, herbs, diet, and surgery are all useful tools for individual cases of UC. Unfortunately, no cure exists, but with the proper diet and lifestyle choices, the risk of UC relapse can be reduced.

Herbal Home Remedies for Ulcerative Colitis

A 2017 systematic review and meta-analysis in the European Journal of Integrative Medicine looked at conventional western and eastern herbal medicines, their effect on relapse rates, and the remission rates when considering symptoms and endoscopic testing (using a small camera to look inside the colon) in people with UC.

The researchers sifted through 3050 studies and filtered their search to include only the best evidence. In the end, 29 randomised controlled trials that included over 1800 people with UC were selected.

Five single-herb remedies were effective in reducing the risk of relapse and maintaining remission from symptoms:

1. Curcumin

The first herbal therapy is turmeric or curcumin. Curcumin is an extract of the spice turmeric (aka Curcuma longa), and the recent surge in popularity of “turmeric lattes” may prove beneficial to people with UC.

Curcumin was shown to maintain remission of UC for up to six months and helped improve quality of life during active UC. (2)

The traditional use of turmeric is an anti-inflammatory agent for joint pain and liver dysfunction. It is no surprise then that curcumin is an effective anti-inflammatory for UC.

2. Silymarin

Silymarin, the anti-inflammatory component of the seeds of milk thistle (aka Silybum marianum), also demonstrated remission maintenance in people with UC for up to six months. (2)

Traditionally, silymarin has been used to regenerate diseased liver cells and improve liver function.

3. Aloe Vera Gel

Aloe vera gel, a commonly used botanical for painful sunburns, was shown to help achieve symptom remission in active UC.

The gel is found inside the long leaves of the aloe vera plant and has been used traditionally as an anti-inflammatory agent for digestive concerns such as ulcers.

Aloe has also demonstrated an ability to stimulate connective tissue formation and wound healing.

4. Cannabis Oil

A proprietary extract of cannabinoids from cannabis sativa oil, known as GWP42003, helped achieve symptom remission in UC.

Although still not legal for use as an over the counter remedy, these promising results in UC gives hope for the eventual legalization and greater accessibility of medical marijuana oils in Canada.

Speak with your doctor to find out if this is the right treatment for you.

5. Andrographis

Andrographis paniculata, known as the “king of bitters” in India, is an excellent digestive tonic for individual cases of gastrointestinal disease. Andrographis was also helpful in achieving symptom remission in active UC. (2)

Commonly used to fight against cold and flu symptoms, Andrographis has anti-viral properties and is now found in most herbal cold and flu remedies.

6. Green tea

Finally, it’s a good idea to grab a cup of green tea. An antioxidant called Epigallocatechin-3-galate (EGCG) is found in green tea, and people taking EGCG were more likely to achieve UC symptom remission than those taking a placebo. (2)

Another useful property of green tea is theanine’s anti-anxiety effect, an amino acid exclusive to green tea that promotes a relaxed state while not compromising alertness.

UC sufferers often experience mood disorders due to their disease, so a few cups of green tea a day can go a long way to promoting a better quality of life.

Have I missed Anything?

Which home remedy are you going to try first?

Have I missed one of your favourites?

Either way, let me know by leaving a comment below.