The Herbal & Naturopathic Treatment of Digestive Disorders

 

• Stomach Ulcer
• Diverticulitis
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Ulcerative Colitis
• Crohn's disease
• Indigestion

Digestive Disorders Tincture

 

This is a herbal formula invented by Gerald Green Medical Herbalist a Specialist in Gut & auto-immune disorders.

   

• Liquorice - a systemic anti-inflammatory as it helps the adrenal glands to make extra cortisone, reduce excess stomach acidity and heal ulceration.  
• Slippery Elm - soothes any inflammation.  
• Golden Seal Root - a wonderful specific anti-inflammatory for the gut system, also able to resolve bacteria and mucus problems that contribute to gut and digestive disorders.  

  Stomach Ulcer

    

  Irrespective of how many years the person has suffered with ineffective treatment for stomach and duodenal ulcers, these are usually eliminated in 5 weeks or less (but it is advisable to continue with the Digestive Disorders Tincture for at least another few weeks or the condition will probably re-occur).  The main dietary advice is to avoid vinegar, sharp wines and too fatty foods.  

  
  Diverticulitis

    

  This is a very common disease caused by eating white bread and flour products, with insufficient fibre in the diet over a period of many years. It varies from being a minor inconvenience to a life threatening condition, causing pain, usually on the lower left side, with loose motions. The herbal formula offers some relief, but these herbs alone will not cure it. (Yam Capsules may also help).  It most often occurs in the elderly and they usually do not want to engage in extended naturopathic treatment. This would include the use of a high quality pro-biotic such as Primebiotic a chlorophyll rich superfood such as Chlorella Tablets or Barley Grass Juice Powder, also useful is Ultra Fine Green Clay combined with psyillium husks. However taking the herbal formula with some of the additional measures will usually alleviate the worst of the symptoms  

   

  Irritable Bowel Syndrome

   

  This condition usually displays itself as alternating constipation and looseness of the bowels, with periods of abdominal discomfort. The herbal formula does not have a history of use with this condition, but what does have a history of use are the basic remedies of bowel regeneration, this includes the use of a high quality pro-biotic such as Primebiotic a chlorophyll rich superfood such as Chlorella Tablets or Barley Grass Juice Powder, Ultra Fine Green Claycombined with psyillium husks.   It is best to start with the prime directive and as soon as adaptation occurs add ether chlorella (this is quite energising for the whole system and comes in tablet form) or the less stimulating Barley Grass Juice Powder, to provide normalising nutrients to the bowel. Foods to be avoided are bread and products made from wheat (occasional wholemeal bread is usually OK).  Avoid processed food as much as possible and take a Digestive Enzyme when cooked food is eaten. It may also be necessary to check out your food intolerances. The method for this is given at the bottom of this article. After eating more sensibly and taking the remedies, food intolerances tend to reduce, so you can try to re-introduce the foods you found you were intolerant to a few weeks or months later.  

     

  Ulcerative Colitis & Crohn's Disease (Inflammatory Bowel Disease)

    

  These terrible gut disorders can also be treated with the Digestive Disorders Tincture, and in his words 'can annihilate the terrible symptoms of these awful diseases to 100% relief remission for life'. However he makes the proviso that candida overgrowth that is very common with these conditions, and to a lesser extent food intolerances, must also be eliminated for the herbal formula to do its work. Candida fungal stage overgrowth is often caused by killing the good bacteria in the bowel with anti-biotics and steroids.  The advice given under the heading of irritable bowel syndrome is generally useful over the long term for bowel health -  foods to be avoided are bread and products made from wheat (occasional wholemeal bread is usually O.K).  Avoid processed food as much as possible and take a Digestive Enzyme when cooked food is eaten. Also Ultra Fine Green Clay helps to normalise the bowel, and reduce diarrhoea. Primebiotic can be introduced once the symptoms have started to improve (also helps to keep candida at bay) and after a month or two Barley Grass Juice Powder can be experimented with. This is for deeper bowel restoration and to supply valuable nutrients overall that are in such short supply for the sufferer of Crohn's Disease especially, but for the population in general due to depleted minerals in soil and lack of a perfect diet. Chlorella Tablets, although generally a bowel tonic, should be taken with caution by those with a history of IBD, since it may stimulate the immune system.  

   

  The Problem of Candida Overgrowth

   

  Candida is a harmless yeast that we all have in our bowel. However when the immune system becomes low for any reason, often due to anti-biotic, steroids or other drugs, the yeast changes into a fungus, and the tentacles of the fungus penetrate the bowel wall and cause fungal spores to be distributed in the blood, causing a proliferation of the fungus generally. This creates poor energy and various other health complaints. It also causes the immune system to be in a hyper alert state, although it is not able to eliminate the problem. The hyper alert immune system then can attack weak parts of the body, such as the bowel, and can worsen bowel disorders. Further more it can prevent herbs from doing their repair job. This is a common situation with Crohn's disease, due to the medication given, in fact any health problem where anti-biotics etc have been taken, even if taken some time ago. In this situation the candida fungus must be overcome first before we can expect good results with the herbal formula. The most important two remedies for overcoming the candida fungus are listed next.  

     

  Zell-Oxygen is ironically a live cell yeast, that contains specific enzymes to enable the immune system to start working properly again to such an extent that it begins to fight the candida and keeps it from returning. It also competes for the sites in the colon that the candida fungus occupies, and provides the correct nutrient background to enable the proliferation of good bacteria, also a guardian against the candida fungus. Zell-Oxygen, yeast cells are much smaller than normal nutritional yeasts and are very well tolerated, even by those that are allergic to other forms of yeast. With the anti-candida diet you will be advised to avoid other forms of yeast such as yeast in bread, marmite etc. Zell-Oxygen comes in the form of a liquid and is drunk at a dose of typically one to four dessertspoons daily.  

     

  Wormwood Capsules are very toxic to the fungal stage of candida , and usually by day 2, it is begging to die. This so called 'die-off' produces a detoxification reaction that can cause headaches, dizziness and other symptoms, usually only for a couple of days, but in some cases may produce flu like symptoms for up to 2 weeks. In these situations it is vital that anti-biotics are not taken, otherwise you will be reversing any benefits your body was already in the process of acquiring. In such a situation you can raise the dose of Zell-Oxygen to 4 dessert spoons twice daily, to enable the immune system to effectively deal with the situation (even if, coincidentally there was actually an acute bacterial or viral infection) Colloidal Silver and Olive Leaf Capsules are known broad spectrum anti bacterial and anti-viral, without killing off good bacteria or compromising the immune system, and can be taken if you are concerned you have contracted flu or any other acute infection, and should always be taken with Zell-Oxygen for best results. This advice concerning colloidal silver and olive leaf capsules is only necessary in rare situations and to reassure the person who thinks they have an acute infection, but is not often required. The Wormwood Capsules capsules should be taken for about a month to make sure all the candida fungus is eliminated, thereafter, maintain the Zell use for maintaining good health at cell and bowel level. An anti-candida diet is also required, in combination with the anti-candida remedies to effectively eliminate candida from the system.  

     

  The Anti-Candida Diet (The diet should be adhered to for a few months)

    

  • Keep fresh fruit to a minimum such as one apple or pear a day plus one kiwi (Kiwi's are highly beneficial and contain far more vitamin C that oranges)  
  • No over-ripe fruit, dried fruit, bananas, melon, or grapes - the natural sugar levels in these is too high. (After a few months all fruits may be eaten in moderation, such as 2 kiwis and an apple a day, or the equivalent in other fruit. Un-pasteurised cow's milk may be used, but this is very difficult to obtain and is not advisable in cases of hormone related breast cancer)  
  • No carton or bottled fruit juices  
  • No sugar, honey or artificial sweeteners (Stevia is a safe alternative)  
  • No food additives, i.e. no processed food.  
  • No cow's milk or cow's milk products including cheese and butter  
  • Rice, Goats or sheep's milk (dilute sheep's milk 50:50 with water) and their products may be used  
  • Avoid all alcohol, margarine, heated oils / fats, hydrogenated fats as these compromise the immune system. If you want the occasional fried food use olive or coconut oil, use a very low heat and keep a lid on the pan. Include something e.g. onions in the pan to provide plenty of water vapour to keep the temperature of the oil as low as possible. Burnt food, especially oils are immunosuppressive and toxic  
  • No wheat or wheat products including bread, cakes, biscuits, flour and so on (except for non-yeasted spelt wheat bread, non-yeasted dark rye bread, and rice cakes. 'Essene bread' (the whole grains have been sprouted) available from some health shops)  
  • Only occasional tea and no coffee. Peppermint tea is a good alternative.  
  • Keep carbohydrates low for the first 3 months (similar to an Aitkin's diet) this includes all root vegetables such as carrots, swede, turnip, potato, sweet potato, example one small serving of potato or carrot daily.  
  • No microwave cooked food (except occasionally if eating out) as this weakens the immune system.  
  • No tap water without filtering, as Chlorine in tap water can turn healthy nutrients into cancer encouraging chemicals  

  Protein and The Anti Candida Diet

   

  The anti-candida diet allows for plenty of protein, but large amounts of meat can congest the system. We therefore recommend mainly fish, steamed, (not in a pressure cooker) or very low temperature fried as described previously, or cooked in the oven in a dish with a lid, to avoid browning.  

     

  Raw eggs (organic or at least from a known source of healthy free range chickens) are an excellent health tonic. They are exceptionally easy to digest They are best taken by breaking them into a cup and swallowing whole, but if you have a mental problem with this, they are almost tasteless and easy to swallow, blend with a little goats or sheep's milk. Raw eggs provide a wonderful boost to the immune system and a completely balanced nutritional package. Please see our article "The Health Benefits of Raw Eggs"  

     

  Cooked protein, although fine from the point of view of an anti-Candida diet, in the long term depletes the enzyme reserves of the body. Depleted enzyme reserve and a failure to produce enough protein digestive enzymes, usually as we age, have been identified as one of the contributory causes of cancer. It is expedient to take a digestive enzyme when cooked food is eaten and to take a stronger protein digestive enzyme such as Multi-Enzyme Protect when eating cooked protein and between meals to help break down undigested protein that clogs our tissues. 

     

  Indigestion

  
  In a small study including 18 subjects, supplements containing lipase and other pancreatic enzymes were found to reduce bloating, gas, and fullness following a high-fat meal. Given that these symptoms are commonly associated with irritable bowel syndrome, some with this condition may experience improvement with use of pancreatic enzymes. The pancreatic enzymes include the general Digestive Enzyme and protein digestive enzymes such as Multi-Enzyme Protect.  

     

  Food Allergies and Intolerances

  
  These tend to reduce with the use of digestive enzymes, also a good bowel bacteria such as Primebiotic has been found to diminish food allergies after a period of use  

   

  Identifying Food Intolerances

   

  With the serious inflammatory bowel disorders such as Crohn's disease and Ulcerative Colitis food intolerances need to be identified (also this can be helpful for those suffering from IBS and any health disorder can be aggravated by food intolerances) This is done by eliminating a single food that is eaten regularly (at least once a week) Do not have any of the selected item for a week, then have a fair portion of that food on the 7^th or 8th day. If you have a bad reaction to that food, then this is one you are intolerant to. Repeat this with the next food and so on, until you have eventually found all the foods you are intolerant to, and eliminated them from your diet. After a few months you can experimentally re-introduce one food at a time to see if you still have a bad reaction, if not then you may use this food again (but not to excess).

   

  Disclaimer: Regenerative Nutrition advocates a holistic approach to natural health and wellbeing.   The body's ability and power to heal depends upon the totality of diet, nutrition, lifestyle and environmental factors.  No claims for the cure of any disease is intended, or implied.  Always consult a health care practitioner when combating disease states.   The statements in this article have not been approved by the FDA