By Schuyler Corrigan

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October 20, 2021

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What is Ulcerative Colitis?

Commonly referred to as UC, ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory condition primarily affecting the rectum, colon, and large intestine. The severity of inflammation can vary from person to person. Symptoms can induce diarrhea, cramping, bloating, anemia, and pain from small ulcers caused by the inflammation in the lining of the colon. Our immune system may develop an overactive response to this inflammatory condition, and many people experience symptoms of UC for several years, making it one of the more chronic digestive conditions with the Irritable Bowel disease category. 

The cause of ulcerative colitis is currently unclear, however, the research and understanding of the interplay between the role of our immune system and digestive health are rapidly growing. The naturopathic approach to supporting ulcerative colitis will take into consideration your entire health history, as well as your individual symptoms and current research. 

The Naturopathic Approach to Ulcerative Colitis

Due to our immune system being largely impacted by the overall health of our gut, symptoms of UC suddenly “flare”, or go into remission for unpredictable periods of time. Lifestyle factors such as stress, diet, sleep, environmental exposure, or even travel can impact the state of our gut, and therefore manipulate our immune response. These are all factors that your naturopathic doctor will take a thorough look at during your consultation to determine any patterns or triggers to your UC story. 

Naturopathic medicine operates under the principle that, under the right conditions, the body has an innate healing capability. The role of a Naturopathic doctor is to determine what those unique conditions are for each person. For some people, healing may look like reassessing lifestyle factors such as their eating habits and stress levels. For others, healing may mean managing chronic inflammation or immune function with herbs or other natural therapies.

Since there is often more than one issue causing imbalance, a multi-layered approach is utilized. This approach ensures that all issues are addressed, as well as further encourages long-term results. Depending on the person, various therapies and modalities may be used to improve gut health. These can range from diet changes and nutritional supplements to herbs, probiotics, and more.

One of the most important factors to achieving optimal gut health is determining the diet and dietary choices that work best for each individual. There is no “one size fits all” approach to a healthy diet and self. Your naturopathic doctor will help determine which foods work best for you, and which do not. Many people consume common foods that their bodies simply cannot break down well. This can set up an ongoing low-level inflammatory process that leads to issues beyond just digestive symptoms, such as “leaky gut,” immune reactivity, and so on.

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