In this second installment of a two-part series, Doctors Health Press examines five more ways Chinese Traditional Medicine treats colitis.
Ancient Chinese beliefs hold that causes of colitis include a virus or bacteria, an imbalance in your mind, reduced “fire” in your body, and a deficiency in your spleen or stomach. Those two organs, they maintain, are the primary causes of colitis.
(Plus: Seven more cures for colitis)
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, one of the early signs of colitis is a “damp heat” that slowly builds. As the disease advances, the kidney becomes affected with a deficiency of yang. An excess of dampness is triggered. The disease can spread elsewhere, disrupting your natural balance of yin and yang. Also, inflammation in the colon could be triggered by the repression of strong emotion, and a stagnant energy flow in the liver. The original source of problems is the diet—too much meat and its associated acids can pave the way to colitis.
In addition to the four we covered for you in part one of this article series, here are five more Chinese healers for colitis sufferers:
1. Hai’s Formula: This fluid formula is modified to each patient’s specific symptoms. Compared to a control group taking prescription medicine, Hai’s Formula was superior, resolving colitis symptoms in 25 of 61 people and helping reduce symptoms in another 21 of them.
2. Bu Pi Yi Chang Wan: This remedy is taken three times a day for one month. A clinical study tested 50 people taking bu pi yi chang wan against 50 treated with prescription drugs. The traditional medicine helped 27 people alleviate their symptoms of colitis, compared to 25 who were taking prescription drugs. Another 20 bu pi yi chang wan users showed significant improvement, against just five taking prescription drugs.
3. Weng Yu Tang: This 10-herb mixture includes licorice and white peony root. It, too, is modified to specific patients. Patients in one clinical study took it once a day for between one and two months. The researchers found that 20 of 54 people had effectively been relieved of the symptoms of colitis and 27 had shown some improvement.
4. Flaxseed Tea: Flaxseeds contain linolenic acid that acts as a strong anti-inflammatory. For colitis caused by a diet heavy in meat, this is a good treatment. To make the tea, put a quarter cup of seeds in a quart of warm water for eight hours.
5. Stomach-Fire diet: To increase the energy in the spleen, and use dietary means to treat colitis, Traditional Chinese Medicine suggests you adhere to this diet. Eat carbohydrate-rich vegetables such as winter squash, carrots, turnip, peas, black beans, yams, and rutabaga. Greatly increase the amount of pungent spices such as dried ginger, black pepper, garlic, and cinnamon in your diet while adding more onions, fennel, and leek. Stay away from dairy (except for butter). Avoid raw vegetables, citrus fruits, nuts, and large meals.
Also Read : Top 5 Chinese Medicine Weight Loss Tips
Sources for Today’s Articles:
Five More Ways Chinese Medicine Treats Colitis
Chen, H., “Treating 58 cases of chronic nonspecific ulcerative colitis with Yi Chang Yin He Qin Chang Tang,” Guangxi Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1999; 22(5): 312.
Chen Yun Po, et al., “Treating 50 cases of ulcerative colitis with Bu Pi Yi Chan Wan combined with anal dripping,” Shaanxi Journal of TCM, 1998; 19(3): 115.
Liu Hong Zhao, et al., “Treating 52 cases of chronic nonspecific ulcerative colitis with modified Wen Yu Tang.” Henan Journal of TCM Pharmacy. 1999; 14(4): 52-53.
Pitchford, P., Healing With Whole Foods 3rd Ed. p. 342.