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Ulcerative colitis is a health problem that occurs when the lining of the colon and rectum become inflamed. And this inflammation, in turn, leads to ulcers in the colon as well. This chronic disease may cause several other health complications.
Causes of ulcerative colitis:
The exact cause of this disease is not known, but there are some factors which contribute to this disease. These factors include food allergies, autoimmune factors, collagen disorders, infection and genetic factors. The psychological factors such as anger, anxiety and depression may also contribute to this disease.
Symptoms of ulcerative colitis:
The symptoms of ulcerative colitis are listed below:
Pain in the abdomen.
Bloody stools.
Increase in abdominal sounds.
Diarrhea, nausea, fever, weight loss.
Malnutrition.
Rectal pain.
Pain and swelling in joints may occur.
Skin ulcers, mouth sores, vomiting.
Manage Ulcerative colitis in Ayurveda
No doubt, medications are there to treat the disease well. Ayurveda offers a natural treatment for the same. But the disorder can be well managed by diet also. If you are not able to take a balanced diet that you can go for dietary supplements as well. But always prefer the supplements that are made without using chemicals or additives or preservatives and are free from side effects.
Following are the dietary tips to be followed to deal with the problem of Ulcerative Colitis.
Avoid consumption of coffee, tea, milk, ice cream and dairy products.
Limit the consumption of non-vegetarian food items.
Consume plenty of water and coconut water.
Inhibit the consumption of food items, which aggravate pitta. These food items include spices, pineapple, lemon, and curd.
Eat foods like pumpkin, bitter gourd. These are bitter in taste and are highly beneficial for the health.
Avoid smoking.
Maintain a hygienic balanced diet
Follow a daily routine.
Healthy Diet:
Diet plays an important role in maintaining a good overall health. A healthy and balanced diet is the first and the main requirement in order to manage any disorder well. Like, if a person is taking medicines for any disease ad at the same time he is eating foods that are responsible for the symptoms of that disease, then how he can manage the disorder well. Diet varies from disease to disease. Hence, one must be careful while choosing the right diet for himself.
A person suffering from ulcerative colitis must include the following foods in their diet.
What to eat?
Vegetables such as pumpkin, bottle gourd, ridge gourd, round gourd and bitter gourd are great for this disorder. Hence, they must be included in the diet in case, you are suffering from this health condition.
Fruits such as banana, apple, pear and pomegranate (without seeds) are the best for the ulcerative colitis patients. Hence, they should take these fruits on a regular basis.
In the case of pulses, a patient should take green gram, also known as Moong dal.
What to avoid?
A person suffering from this disorder must avoid the following:
Alcohol is the root cause of making the symptoms of any health condition worse. For UC patients also, it is not good and hence must be strictly avoided.
Caffeinated and carbonated drinks and foods should also be avoided as they are responsible for causing acidity in the stomach.
Avoid dairy products, especially if you are lactose intolerant.
Some vegetables such as peas, dried beans, and legumes as well.
Dried fruits must also be avoided as they may worsen the condition.
Foods rich in fiber should be avoided by patients suffering from UC.
Sulfur containing foods.
Spicy foods must also be avoided as much as possible.
Meat should also be avoided.
Seeds must also be avoided.
