Category Archives: Colostrum Plus

Tackling ulcerative colitis: the role of probiotics and supplements

For many of us, mercifully, an upset tummy – or unhappy digestive system – isn’t a regular occurrence and more an uncomfortable irritation that sets us back a little when it occurs. For others, however, it’s a far bigger deal; it can be an unpleasant, painful and frequent experience that leaves them feeling debilitated on a regular basis. In some cases, such people may be suffering from what’s known as ulcerative colitis (UC), which on occasions, along with the different but related Crohn’s disease, is referred to as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)1.

Symptoms-wise, ulcerative colitis is far from fun. Recurring diarrhoea, possibly containing blood, mucus or pus, as well as abdominal pain and the urge to empty your bowels more than you’d wish are very common; sometimes people suffer heavy fatigue and appetite and weight loss too1. Why do these things happen? Well, Ulcerative colitis is a long-term condition (its symptoms can be very frequent but equally not, as it goes into remission and comes back).

It’s caused by the colon (the gut or small intestine) and the rectum become inflamed. This sees small ulcers forming on the lining of the colon, which often bleed and produce pus1. The reasons why this happens are debated by experts, but it’s commonly held that the condition’s autoimmune-related – the thinking goes that the immune system confuses harmless bacteria in the gut for harmful organisms and, thus, attacks the colon’s tissue1.

Ulcerative Colitis Treatment

Owing to the relatively widespread nature of UC – there’s a reported 900,000 sufferers in the United States alone2 – treatment for the condition is nowadays available in all different kinds, shapes and sizes. Some of these forms of treatment are pretty obvious; others less so. Here are those worthy of note:

  •  Medication – as you’d expect, prescribed drugs are one of the most prevalent UC treatments and often they’re corticosteroids, but it depends on the condition’s severity and how the sufferer responds; in fact, after a year’s worth of medication treatment, around one third (30%) of patients experience remission3,
  •  Surgery – for non-responsive sufferers, surgery is common and may involve two- or three-stage procedures; indeed, recent research suggests that three-stage surgery may not actually be as safe as was originally believed
  •  Acupuncture – moxibustion (heating an acupuncture site) in addition to treatment via a traditional UC drug has apparently shown good results of late, while a study found that use of the Kuijiening plaster, again in addition to medication, appears to be better than taking the medication on its own
  •  Probiotics and other supplements – finally, naturally-derived supplementation is gaining more and more attention as a UC treatment8 and rightly so, as results of probiotics and other ulcerative colitis supplements look favorable9; the following, as well as many more, are all available viaThe Finchley Clinic and come highly advised among our customers for promoting improved bowel health and treating the symptoms of ulcerative colitis:

Saccharomyces boulardiiSaccharomyces Boulardii – a probiotic that may support good bowel health, comfort and function; also recognised as the number one probiotic for managing diarrhoea.

 

Oxy Powder 120 capsulesOxy-Powder – designed for optimum colon health via helping to cleanse and oxygenate the intestines.

 

Colostrum PlusColostrum Plus – a supplement that promotes digestive health, tackles inflammatory problems and supports the immune system.

 

References:

1. ‘Ulcerative colitis’. NHS Choices. http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ulcerative-colitis/Pages/Introduction.aspx. Last reviewed: 17 Mar 2016.

2. Manfred E. ‘True Stories: Living with Ulcerative Colitis’. Health Line. http://www.healthline.com/health/ulcerative-colitis-take-control-true-stories. Last reviewed: 15 Feb 2017.

3. Mehta S. J., Silver A. R. and Lindsay J. O. ‘Review article: strategies for the management of chronic unremitting ulcerative colitis’. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 38 (2): 77-97. doi: 10.1111/apt.12345. July 2013.

4. Reinisch W., Sandborn W. J., Panaccione R., Huang B., Pollack P. F., Lazar A. and Thakkar R. B. ‘52-week efficacy of adalimumab in patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis who failed corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressants’. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 19 (8): 1700-9. doi: 10.1097/MIB.0b013e318281f2b7. July 2013.

5. Hicks C. W., Hodin R. A. and Bordeianou L. ‘Possible overuse of 3-stage procedures for active ulcerative colitis’. JAMA Surg. 148 (7): 658-64. doi: 10.1001/2013.jamasurg.325. July 2013.

6. Zhang L. C., Zhang S., Zhong W., Long J. X., Li X. N. and Chen L. S. ‘Observation on clinical effect of ZHUANG medicine mediated thread moxibustion combined with medication for patients with ulcerative colitis’. Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 38 (5): 399-402. Oct 2013.

7. Huang L., Cai Z., Zhu Y. and Wan H. ‘Treatment of ulcerative colitis with spleen and kidney yang deficiency by kuijiening plaster: a randomized controlled study’. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 33 (7): 577-81. July 2013.

8. Kruis W. ‘Probiotics’. Dig Dis. 31 (3-4): 385-7. doi: 10.1159/000354706. 14 Nov 2013.

9. De Greef E., Vandenplas Y., Hauser B., Devreker T. and Veereman-Wauters G. ‘Probiotics and IBD’. Acta Gastroenterol Belg. 76 (1): 15-9. Mar 2013.

Fighting Allergens and Air Pollutants: Have You Considered A Lung Cleanse?

It’s not unusual to hear or read something almost every day about air pollution. It’s become a part of everyday life. However, there’s a very good reason – air pollution in most towns and cities is real, thanks to a combination of motor exhausts, chemical by-products and all manner of industrial emissions. And the problem is, in addition to what it all does to the natural world of course, none of it does our insides any good. Especially our lungs. Indeed, bad air can cause stress and even serious damage to lung tissue.

It’s not just outdoors

And, unfortunately, it’s not just outside that’s full of toxins; the reality is that indoor environments appear to be just as bad, if not worse, on this score. You may be sceptical, but studies suggest when a baby crawls over a patch of normal carpet they’re likely to inhale the equivalent toxicity of four cigarettes1. Now, that may sound frightening (and, in many ways, it is), but it’s come to be normal in our everyday world. Every environment in the world around us contains a good deal of toxicity which we’re exposed to as soon as we’re born, pretty much up until our dying breaths – and owing to dust mites, mould, mildew and chemicals, that includes indoors as well as outdoors environments.

Don’t doubt it. In the United States alone, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reckons that one in six of homes are filled with airborne pollutants that harm their occupants’ health. Meanwhile, the American College of Allergies has claimed that up to a half of illnesses in the country are down to air pollution indoors not outdoors.

Again, that sounds like a staggering claim to make, but consider just how many of our homes we live in and the offices we work in today are super-insulated and rely on pollutant-spreading air conditioning systems to control air flow. To that end, it’s also been claimed that air inside buildings may contain up to 100 times the toxin level as the air outside them, while a direct correlation has also been found between depression and the high concentrations of mould in homes2.

Animal allergens

Moreover, love animals and keep pets as so many of us do (and why shouldn’t we?), it also feeds the allergen levels in our homes. Conventional wisdom suggests this is all about the kind and length of hair our pets have – the longer haired a cat or dog the more allergens they’ll give off. Yet, while cat or dog allergies are often linked to their hair, that’s only half the truth because it’s often more specifically about the dander beneath the cat or dog’s coat of hair that’s responsible for the allergens. And, in some cases, the source may be the saliva that coats the hair when the animal – in this case usually a cat – lick their fur.

Fair dos, even many of those who suffer from such animal-derived allergens are content to put up with the sniffles and some coughing while living with their quadruped companions – and who would blame them? That said, who wouldn’t advise someone to perform a regular lung cleansing if they’re putting up with either pet-based allergens or respiratory and/ or sinus issues owing to the quality of air in their homes? Why wouldn’t you want to try out something that may prevent you from, at some point, suffering a severe allergic reaction?

Why not try a lung cleanse?

Over the course of human history, naturally-occurring remedies have been relied on by many civilisations, not least indigenous cultures, for respiratory conditions. Plants including the likes of eucalyptus, lungwort, peppermint and osha root are all examples here. Yet, unfortunately, for some people, purchasing such plants individually isn’t always an affordable or practical option, but there is a solution. Rather than buying – or even trying to grow! – this quartet of herbs on their own, you can consume all of them together in one of the most well regarded of lung cleanse supplements, Allertrex – which is available via us at The Finchley Clinic.

Enabling improved respiratory function then, Allertrex is absolutely ideal for a thorough cleansing of your lungs; detoxifying, cleaning and refreshing the fragile linings of the lungs’ bronchial passages and removing from them built-up environmental toxins, damaging organisms and other irritants.

Also, for further natural respiratory support, you might consider these two supplements:

Aerobic-K07

Aerobic O7 – contains nascent oxygen, which prompts the formation of white blood cells, essential for supplying damaged cells (including those in the lungs) with the super-oxide they require for repair and good health.

 

Colostrum-Plus

Colostrum Plus – in addition to supporting both the immune and digestive systems, this product’s great for tackling any type of inflammatory issue, especially allergies and their effect on the lungs.

References:

1. ‘Facts about indoor quality’. Intuitive Environmental Solutions, LLC. 2008

2. Brown University. ‘Household mold linked to depression’. Science Daily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070829162815.htm. Aug 2007.