Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD)

Is Your Gut Telling You Something?

For many years, each day at about 2pm, Mrs. Chin’s stomach would start to hurt and get bloated. When she is surrounded by people, she would often hold her gas in, ashamed of the indigestion and having more gas than she should, this adds to the pain and more bloated feeling.

The number of people who have symptoms of irritable bowel disease, i.e., excessive intestinal gas formation, constipation, frequent bouts of diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, rectal itching, “pencil” shaped stools, blood or mucus in the stool; or the feeling that you have not finished a bowel movement, are legion. Mrs. Chin is only one of the hundreds of thousands. Of those who seek medical help, most are given drugs which do not treat the root cause but are, like Panadol, given for symptomatic relief only. For those treated in this manner, their problems go on interminably.

What is Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD)?

Irritable bowel disease (IBD) refers to the condition where cells involved in inflammation and immune response are called into the lining of the Gastro-Intestinal (GI) tract. This infiltration thickens the bowel lining and interferes with absorption and motility (the ability of the bowel to contract and move food). With abnormal ability to contract and abnormal ability to absorb, the bowel’s function is disrupted. Chronic vomiting results if the infiltration is in the stomach or higher areas of the small intestine. Watery diarrhoea with weight loss results if the infiltration is in the lower small intestine. Mucous diarrhoea with fresh blood results if the infiltration occurs in the large intestine. Of course, the entire tract from top to bottom may be involved.

There are many names associated with IBD, such as Colitis, Coeliac Disease, Crohn’s Disease. Hiatus Hernia, etc.

What causes IBD?

Doctors are not sure what causes IBD. Good news is that with the numerous experiences NewLife™ had with IBD patients, they have strongly proven that most IBD can be controlled by diet and enhanced with supplements.

Common culprits.

Irritable bowel does not absorb nutrients well and no matter how nutritious the food might be, unabsorbed nutrients are useless. IBD is commonly due to fructose intolerance, lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance, or combinations of these. Foods and drinks that may cause or exacerbate IBD include:

• Fructose-containing foods: orange juice and sweet fruits, candy, pastry, etc.
• Lactose-containing foods: dairy products like milk, ice cream, etc. However, cottage cheese and yoghurt are permitted, as most of the lactose has been removed from them by the fermentation involved in their production.
• Gluten: the chief of the culprits is wheat gluten.
• Carbonated/caffeinated drinks and alcohol.
• Sorbitol & mannitol containing foods: sugarless chewing gum, sugarless candy, processed meats, etc.
• Other foods to be avoided: beans, sweet corns, chocolate, hot spices, canned meat and processed food.

The avoidance of the above sharply limits the amount of the poorly assimilated food that may ferment in the bowel and cause gas, diarrhoea and irritation. To find out which foods is a problem, keep a journal that tracks:

1. What you eat during the day
2. What symptoms you have
3. When symptoms occur

If certain foods trigger your symptoms or make them worse, then you should avoid eating these foods or eat less of them. However, as a rule, those with active IBD should avoid eating any of these foods. As the bowel lining heals, most can again tolerate small amount of them. They may be able to handle an orange or some spicy food with no symptoms. However, regular consumption of these foods, such as cakes or ice cream, can trigger the inflammation of the bowel all over again.

Some foods make IBD better.

Fibre

Fibre may reduce the constipation associated with IBD because it makes stool soft and easier to pass out. However, some people with IBD who have more sensitive nerves may feel a bit more abdominal discomfort after adding more fibre to their diet. Therefore, add fibre to your diet a little at a time to allow your body get used to them. Too much fibre at once when your body is still not used to it can cause gas, which can trigger symptoms in a person with IBD.

Further, not all fibres are suitable for people with IBD. For example, wheat fibre most often will aggravate the symptoms of IBD in a person.

Suitable fibre may be found in food such as fruits and vegetables. Examples are avocado, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, brown rice etc.

NewLife™ Herbal Klenz Powder also provides suitable fibre. It contains psyllium husks, apple pectin, bentonite, butcher’s bloom and cellulose, which effectively guards your GI from toxicity by easing bowel movement, eliminating encrustation and removing heavy-metal toxins.

Fibre consumption requires an increase in fluid intake too. But avoid caffeinated, carbonated drinks. Instead, take distilled water and herbal drinks such as Zinger or Peppermint.

Enzyme

The lack of digestive enzymes for specific food element is the basis for most IBDs. Insufficiency of enzymes allows undigested food to ferment in the intestine. The end results are irritable intestinal lining, malabsorption, and malnutrition.

It is highly recommended that one to two teaspoon of NewLife™ N. Zimes PA Plus be taken with every meal. It helps reduce the bloated feeling, gas, and improve digestion.

Friendly Bacteria

Every human is endowed with a colony of ‘friendly bacteria’ at birth. However, poor eating habits, chlorinated drinking water, stress, disease and the consumption of antibiotics can destroy good bacteria and allow undesirable bacteria to multiply.

Regular supplementation of friendly bacteria, Immuflora, in particularly can prevent the proliferation of harmful bacteria and the diseases caused by a toxic colon, much like having your garden filled with good plants rather than weeds! Immuflora provides intestinal flora essential for intestinal health. It also helps provide bacterial enzymes that help digest the offending food listed above.

Vitamin C & Spirulina

Bowel lining injury by antibiotics (or other drugs including diuretics, those for high blood pressure and anti-diabetes pills) is one of the most common ways IBD begins.

By avoiding the irritating sugars, the bowel lining is allowed to heal. Vitamin C and Spirulina help speed up the healing process and strengthen the intestinal lining.

Our body does not manufacture vitamin C and we need to daily supplement it. Studies showed that intake from individual vitamin C supplements contains doses many times greater than those typically obtained from a diet and/or multivitamins.*
* Department of Epidemiology and Surveillance Research, American Cancer Society, Atlanta, Georgia.

Scientific research has also found that vitamin C works best when supplemented together with bioflavonoids such as NewLife C Complex. It is apparent that the function of bioflavonoids is to protect vitamin C against cellular destruction.

On the other hand, Spirulina is the most extensively researched food microalgae, well documented in numerous books, journal articles, and periodicals. Many people use Spirulina in their own self-care strategy for more energy, nutritional insurance, weight control and cleansing.

Calcium Supplements

The main reasons for IBD victims to take calcium supplements are:

1. Calcium reduces the acidity of the food stream in the intestines. Excess acid in the intestines severely irritates the bowel lining.
2. It helps reduce one’s chances of bowel cancer by reducing cellular proliferation caused by irritation of the lining membranes.

However, not all calcium supplements are equal. They differ in the absorption and utilization of calcium in the body. Some absorption rate can be as low as 5%. Calcium Complex with Boron from NewLife™ contains chelated forms of calcium which not only enhance the absorption but also act as chelating agents to remove unwanted toxic metals from the body.

The Manifestations of IBD

IBD should be taken seriously even though the symptoms may be mild, because continued irritation will lead to:

• more serious ulceration of the bowel
• malnutrition
• weakness
• diverticulosis
• kidney stones
• gallstones
• arthritis
• pruritus ani (rectal itching)
• haemorrhoids
• eczema
• psoriasis
• cancers (especially colon cancer)

Many researches shows that diet plays a key role in the cause and treatment of a wide variety of intestinal disorders. Before surgery or long-term medication (that do not treat the source of the problem, but given for symptomatic relief only) is contemplated, take charge of your own health through diet now. There is a hope for you, it is not too late!

Nutrition Programme for IBD in a Nutshell

Spirulina Drink

1 heap teaspoon of Spirulina Powder + 1 teaspoon Manuka Honey* in a glass of distilled water. To be taken 3 times daily.

Immuflora

2 sachets daily for first one week. Thereafter, 1 sachet daily.

Herbal Klenz Powder

1/2 teaspoon Herbal Klenz + 1 teaspoon Manuka Honey in a glass of distilled water. To be taken once a day. If the body can tolerate, increase to 1 teaspoon of Herbal Klenz, and taken twice daily. NewLife Manuka Honey (Raw) is excellent for stomach ulcers. However, some very minority may reach to honey (rarely happens to raw honey). Omit honey if discomfort is felt.

C Complex

1 tablet twice daily (with breakfast and dinner).

N. Zimes PA Plus

1 to 2 teaspoon with every meal.

Calcium Complex

2 capsules twice daily (with breakfast and dinner).

Flaxseed Oil (Organic)

1 tablespoon daily.

Bee Pollen

An excellent food source for nutrients since the majority of IBD patients suffer from malnutrition. 2 teaspoons twice daily.

Permitted Foods

The following foods are generally permitted for people with IBD. However, as mentioned earlier, certain food may cause problem to one but not to another. Therefore, please test them for tolerance.
Finely ground rolled oat (cooked till very soft), avocado, brown rice, pumpkin, potato, potato soup, steam vegetable, salad, fish, un-chilled organic low-fat natural yoghurt, etc.

Stopped His Quiet Suffering from IBD

I discovered I had Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD) many years ago. My stomach would feel very uncomfortable after taking hot or spicy foods. I did not go all out to look for a cure but instead just bore with the inconveniences and the irritable discomfort.

But one meeting with Dr. Lynn, I understood my digestive system better and stopped feeling helpless in restoring my health. Her advice to me on what I should take for my meals and what I must forgo has given me a real boost, so I decided to change my diet. I was also advised to take the G.I. Health Plus Pack, which consists of Pure Raw Honey. Apple Cider Vinegar, Herbal Klenz Powder, C Complex and Immuflora to take care of my guts. These products have liberated me from my condition as my stomach is able to cope with hot or spicy stuff. I do not feel uncomfortable anymore.

I strongly believe that this is the first step towards prevention from getting other degenerative illnesses as I grow older. There is so much we can do in achieving optimal health through diet, exercise, and rest, despite this very toxic lifestyle and the environment we live in. We just need some right advice and encouragement to do the right thing before it is too late.

Cheers to good health and long life!

by Mr. Terrence Chee, 46, businessman