Food, Supplements, and Gut Health- IBS, IBD, Crohn's, and Ulcerative Colitis

According to Elaine Gottschall, author of the book 'Food and the Gut Reaction', and subsequent later editions, different gastro intestinal (GI) problems can almost always be helped by the same “natural prescription”. E. Gottschall has had success by modifying the diet- eliminating white sugar, lactose, and all other sweeteners, except for honey. Grains and starchy foods are also eliminated, to aid intestinal recovery. Healthy fats, proteins, and all fruits are allowed.
 
Her dietary therapy works because the human gut's ability to digest starches; like potatoes rice and bread, as well as disaccharides; like  sugar, is the first thing to go when there is a disturbance.  
 
When the gut function is in any way compromised, it has trouble digesting lactose and sucrose (both disaccharides), and starches (polysaccharides). Feeding these substances to a compromised gut can further irritate the gut, adding to pathogenic germ growth, called gut disbiosis, and gut irritation.
 This Prescription Works!
Really. I have had about 10 clients, most of them on serious drug prescriptions given them by their quack, and all were told that diet does not matter. Often also by their 'specialists'. I wish that medical training was actually medical, and not pharma- mafia.
 Well, once we had these 10 clients on the Gottschall diet, that is no starch or disaccharides, as described above, all were drug free, and feeling great.
 Let me repeat that- All of them were drug Free, and feeling great, in a short time. By the way, a specialist gastroenterologist in his 90's was the one who first told Elaine Gottschall of the diet, back around 30 years ago. Doctors mean well- they are just wrongly trained (or rightly, if you own stock in big Pharma).
 

Friendly Germs

As Dr Jordan Rubin discovered when his gut problems almost caused him to waste away to his death at the age of 19 (!), friendly germs are essential to the health of the gut.

Jordan had been treated by many experts, in the fields of western and complimentary medicine. And still, he continued to waste away. When he finally discovered the right probiotics (friendly germs) for him, he started to recover, and within one year, went from scarcely over 100 lbs and fighting for his life, to a robust and healthy 180lbs. Of course, Jordan also followed the healthiest diet he knew how, as well. Today he is still very well, and managing his own supplement company, Garden of Life, as a Naturopathic Doctor (ND). Today, they manufacture an excellent gut bacteria product, called Primal Defense.

The importance of good bacteria in the gut (probiotics), was well recognised, starting well over 100 years ago. There is much research, by the likes of pioneers like Dr. John Harvey Kellog, who championed the use of probiotics and a healthy colon in the early 1900's. Unfortunately, today all most of us know of Dr. Kellog is his cereal company legacy, which sells breakfast junk food, in his name.
In the early 1900's Dr. Elie Metchnikov, Nobel Prize recipient, wrote of the health benefits of ingesting lactobacillus from yogourt and kefir, influencing the good Dr. Kellogg.

Bacterial Know How

Taking probiotics is a good idea for anyone interested in health, and especially those with a GI health issue. I recommend eating raw saurkraut if you can find it- a wonderful source of good bacteria, like acidophilus. In the health store, there are a number of good probiotic supplements. Particularly good are anything by DDS, Bio-K (which is a tasty liquid), the New Roots probiotics line, and finally Reuteri, by Nature's Way. High end (expensive) good products are Primal Defense, and Kyo- Dophilus.
Personally, I recommend trying a few or all of them, to see what is best for you. I often recommend rotating different products, as well.

Friendly Germ Effects

From a good probiotic, expect better gut function and health. Less odourous stools and gas (flatulence). Improved well-being. More regular bowel
movements. Clearer skin, and better breath. For those with severe gut health symptoms, expect improvement, or even recovery. Keep in mind that severe gut issues are likely to need probiotics, a low allergen, low starch and low sugar diet, and nutrient supplementation.

Enzymes; Essential

Enzymes are very likely to help. Experiment with taking different doses of pancreatin, up to 20 tabs per day, to strengthen digestion, and reduce inflammation. Pancreatin is an animal product, which may be substituted with the much weaker combination of bromelain (from pineapple), and papain (from papaya). I like the combination 'Super Bromelain' made by Trophic vitamins. They also make 'Supreme Digestive', a fungal based enzyme which I have had tremendous success with, in clients that have heart burn (GERD), and other digestive discomforts. Natural Factors makes an awesome product, Pancreatin Plus, which includes fungal,  plant, and pancreatic enzymes. The fungal or pancreatic enzymes can digest carbs, making them useful for the carb digesting ability which is the 'first to go', as so well described by Gottschall.

The Easy Stuff . . .
Dr. Harvey W. Kellogg has stated; “Of the 22,000 operations I personally performed, I never found a single normal colon.”
According to Dr Kellog, who performed thousands of autopsies in the early 1900’s, a healthy gut was a rarity. Considering that our diets and activity levels have worsened since then, assume the situation to be worse now. How can your gut be one of the few healthy ones? Let us start with the easy stuff.

Fibre

Eat plenty of fibre- from fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds. Find foods that you like on that list, and eat them frequently. Maybe apples and pears; others might enjoy raw almonds or hazelnuts. Others might enjoy steamed caulifower or kale. Chili? Raw carrots, anyone? Oatmeal and barley are wonderful sources of fibre for gut health, for those who do well with grains.
 
One of the easiest and highest sources of fibre on the planet is flax meal- slam down 2-3 tablespoons a day, which are equal to choking down 1/2 cup of wheat bran. Flax meal is also loaded with omega 3 fats, and lignans, which help prevent cancer.
Flax is the max!
Wheat bran I would not recommend, since wheat is part of the problem for many.
Those with severe symptoms or flare-ups will want to use soluble, soft fibre only, as found in briefly boiled flax meal, or well-cooked okra, oatmeal, barley, and beans. Soluble fibre often helps soothe irritated intestines.
Water

A healthy GI tract depends on a plentiful water intake. Drink 2-3 litres a day of pure water (like, from a reusable large spring water jug, or a good purifier). If you do not like water, try herbal tea. Or natural soup. I like dissolving a teaspoon of miso paste (see the fridge section of your health store) into hot water, for an all natural, low cost, delicious instant soup

Vitamins, Nutrients

Keeping the gut healthy requires vitamin A, Zinc, and B vitamins, in particular, even though all nutrients are needed by the GI tract. If there is a gut issue like IBS, IBD, or other gut pathologies, I recommend 20 000iu of vitamin A, 100mg of the B's, 30mg of Zinc (with food), and 10grams of Glutamine powder, which directly nourishes intestinal cells, in addition to a high dose multivitamin- mineral.

Allergens

Limit common allergens, like cow’s milk, and wheat products, to one or two days per week, or less. Test yourself for other foods, keeping in mind that sensitivities may be delayed up to 3 days, and may fluctuate with time.

Stress

Mental stress can cause or worsen gut problems. So, stress reduction can improve them. Conversely, gut problems can directly make us feel anxious, stressed, and depressed. The relationship definitely works both ways.

Helpful Hints

Flax tea is a potentially very helpful idea for all kinds of gut problems, from ulcers, to IBS, IBD, and the like.

Flax Tea Directions;
Simply simmer 1-2 tablespoons of flax seeds in water, until thickened, and drink. The texture is strange (like runny egg whites), but it has been miraculously helpful in different gut conditions. In Jamaica, flax tea is consumed as a general tonic, and it is felt to increase male sexual prowess. The latter benefit has not been reported to me as of yet, but the gut benefit is well proven. Flax tea makes a wonderful substitute for eggs in baking- provides more moisture and cohesion (less crumbling and breaking) than actually using eggs.

Glutamine is very helpful in helping to heal the gut, and support intestinal function even in healthy guts(1,2, 3).
It can work wonders, especially for those who have the patience to consume a teaspoon, 2-4 times per day, every day.

Aloe is very healing for a number of conditions, including all gut conditions. The feedback I have had from people with conditions like IBS and IBD, using aloe juice, has been very positive. Do not use the laxative forms of aloe, but the nourishing extracts. Aloe juice for human consumption is normally treated to be soothing, and not laxative. I like the product by Lily of the Desert, in the ‘whole leaf’ version, I do not recommend drinking the gel, which is thickened with specific fibres which may not be a good idea for irritated intestines. Aloe vera, or Aloe barbadensis naturally contain powerful laxative compounds, such as aloin and emoedin, which are completely removed in drinkable aloe products, like Lily of the Desert, rendering them nourishing and healing, with no laxative effect.

My last advice involves what not to eat. White sugar, and refined sugars. Avoid this stuff- including in all it's hidden forms (like corn syrup, used to sweeten things like pop). Refined sugar causes SIBO, which means small intestine bacterial overgrowth. SIBO is a strong contributor to diarrhea and gut deterioration, leading to flare ups of gut conditions, and possibly helping cause them in the first place!

Do you "Go" too much?

Is your gut function pretty good and you feel that you are not suffering from IBS, IBD or allergies, but you find that you are a little too regular? Loose stools, not enough absorption of nutrients before 'letting go' could be signs of a yin/ yang or dosha imbalance according to TCM and Ayurvedic principles, respectively. People who are naturally thin are prone to a too quick gut function, which they need to slow down. Get plenty of soft soluble fibre and severely reduce intake of anything raw- no salad, and very limited raw fruits- say one a day only. Eat your vegetables cooked to the point of being soft and if you must eat raw fruit, choose soft fruits, like a ripe pear, banana, plum, apricot- no citrus because it tends to increase gut motility (though lemon juice in any amount is great) and no crunchy fruits like apples or crisp pears for a while. I know you are thinking "gee raw foods are good for me, and raw veggies have more vitamins". Great; both true, but if your gut and body are imblanced as described above then you need to stoke the digestive fire by avoiding cooling raw foods, which can squelch a delicate digestive fire, leading to imbalance in the gut which will influence the whole body. And besides, cooked veggies have more absorbable antioxidants, even if they lose some heat-sensitive vitamins. And of course, we consume any cooking water to ensure all minerals reach you, and not the sink!

 

References

1. G.K. Savy, Glutamine supplementation. Heal the gut, help the patient. Journal of Infusion Nursing, 25 (2002), pp. 65–69.

2. S. Ikeda, B.L. Zarzaur, C.D. Johnson et al., Total parenteral nutrition supplementation with glutamine improves survival after gut ischemia/reperfusion. Journal Of Parenteral And Enteral Nutrition, 26 (2002), pp. 169–173.

3. G.S. Sacks, Glutamine supplementation in catabolic patients. The Annals Of Pharmacotherapy. 33 (1999), pp. 348–354.