Alternative Approaches to Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a general heading for Crohns Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. Both of these disorders are inflammatory conditions of the large intestine which can be debilitating and, if left unchecked, can lead to serious and even life threatening complications.

An estimated 2,000,000 Americans suffer from IBD. Conventional medicine views IBD as idiopathic (of unknown cause) and treatments include steroid anti-inflammatory or immune suppressant medications. Side effects from these medications are severe and often dangerous over the long term. Surgery is the next option if drug treatment is not effective in controlling symptoms. Unfortunately, surgery does not always result in a cure and subsequent surgery may be needed, thus compromising the patient's health and quality of life.

Many patients and doctors are unaware of alternative approaches which have been successful in reducing symptoms and even bringing IBD into complete remission for many patients. But it's important to emphasize that no one approach works for everyone. Finding an effective approach takes patience and perseverance. In this article, I would like to mention several alternative approaches to IBD which are currently available and can be very effective.

Dietary Approaches
An alternative approach which is rapidly gaining attention is the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (S. C. Diet), developed by Elaine Gottschall, Ph.D. The S. C. Diet is a strict grain-free, lactose-free, and sucrose-free meal plan, based on the theory that poor digestion of carbohydrates is the single greatest causative factor in IBD. While there is no universal agreement on exactly how the S. C. Diet works, the fact that it does work is reflected in a growing body of evidence. Most patients who stay on the diet for a year or longer, are able to maintain complete or partial remission without medication. And many are eventually able to include a wider range of carbohydrates into their diets. Information about the S. C. Diet is available at www.scdiet.org.

Another dietary approach comes out of research into the inflammatory response itself. Many nutritional researchers have found that a diet rich in Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA in particular) and low in saturated fats and Omega-6 fatty acids, will help to establish a biochemical environment within the body which actually protects against inflammation. This discovery is just beginning to play an important role in the treatment of IBD as well as other inflammatory diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Aloe Mucilaginous Polysaccharides (AMP)
Another alternative approach to IBD comes in the form of highly concentrated Aloe Mucilaginous Polysaccharides (AMP) from the inner gel of the Aloe plant - Aloe Vera. Drs. John Pitmann and Ivan Danhof have published research about AMP and it's powerful anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and immune modulating properties. In addition, it has no known side effects at effective dosage levels. Based on this research, some companies have developed highly concentrated, freeze dried forms of AMP and the response among IBD sufferers is very enthusiastic. In order to be effective, AMP must be highly concentrated (1000 to 1) and pharmaceutical grade. Ordinary Aloe Vera juice or gel will not provide sufficient concentrations of AMP to be effective. Additional information about AMP may be obtained from Molo-Cure Research, Inc. at http://molocure.com.

Combined Modality Approach
Alternative health practitioners will frequently combine two or more modalities in the treatment of IBD. In my own practice, I have found that regular acupuncture treatments to help regulate the immune system, combined with an individually tailored diet and supplemented with AMP and Omega-3 oils, will often produce good results over a period of 8 to 12 weeks. Although I want to emphasize that no one approach works for everyone, a combined approach like this seems to address both the symptoms and the underlying causes of IBD for many patients.

Summary
One of the sad facts about IBD is that patients are often left on their own to find effective alternatives. But doctors are not entirely wrong in counseling against unproven therapies. For every successful alternative approach to IBD, there are dozens which claim to "cure" IBD but, in fact, are worthless or misleading. It is only through the continued efforts of the alternative medicine community that patients who suffer from long term, chronic disorders, such as IBD, can become informed about alternatives that are safe and can be effective.