Can Green Tea Help With Gastrointestinal Illnesses?

For the last several years, there has been an abundance of research on the effects of green tea and the many health benefits that it can offer. For centuries, Asians have used green tea for health, both to prevent disease and treat illnesses.

Tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. There are many different types of tea, but they all come from this plant. The differences occur from the differences in how the tea is processed. Green tea is not fermented during processing, but black tea does go through a fermentation process.

Tea leaves naturally contain anti-oxidants. Fermenting the tea leaves, converts the catechins to other compounds. These new compounds are not as healthy as the unaltered catechins in a tea leaf in its original state. For this reason, green tea has more healthy anti-oxidants and therefore more health benefits than black tea.

Anti-oxidants are critical to our health because they combat free radicals. Each day, as we convert food to energy, we create these free radicals in our body, which damage our cells and our DNA. Over time, these unchecked free radicals cause disease and aging.

For this reason, large doses of anti-oxidants, particularly those like the ones found in green tea, have been found to prevent many types of disease, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease and potentially other diseases, as well. Fruits and vegetables are also great anti-oxidant sources.

But, recently there has been powerful news about the possible effects of green tea on gastrointestinal problems, like inflammatory bowel disease. One study reported by the UK Tea Council found that green tea's anti-oxidants spend a lot of time in the intestinal tract, and have an anti-inflammatory effect on this part of the body. For this reason, green tea seems to calm the inflammation that accompanies inflammatory bowel disease and other gastrointestinal problems.

This theory stands to reason, since green tea is known to have an anti-inflammatory effect all over the body. These powerful anti-inflammatory effects are also thought to be one of the reasons that green tea is effective at preventing and treating heart disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease refers to a group of disorders that cause the intestines to become inflamed (red and swollen). The inflammation often lasts a long time and comes back repeatedly. Over 600,000 Americans suffer from some sort of inflammatory bowel disease every year.

Inflammatory bowel diseases can cause cramping, pain, diarrhea, weight loss and bleeding in your intestines. Two of the most common forms of inflammatory bowel disease are Chron's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Crohn's disease causes ulcers along the small and large intestines. However, it can sometimes also cause inflammation around the rectum, too. Ulcerative colitis causes ulcers in the lower part of the large intestine, sometimes starting at the rectum.

We don't fully understand what causes inflammatory bowel diseases, though we do know that it runs in families. It may be caused by a germ or problem with your immune system. It is usually diagnosed through x-rays and other tests that look directly into your intestines to find evidence of damage.

Inflammatory bowel diseases are not life threatening, but they can be very painful and disruptive to your life. In most cases, they are treated with anti-inflammatory medications, and sometimes anti-biotics, if the particular problem seems to be caused by an infection. In extreme cases of ulcerative colitis, surgery is sometimes performed to remove part of the colon. Surgery doesn't seem to have any effect on Crohn's disease.

Because the typical treatment is designed to reduce the inflammation in the intestines, it stands to reason that green tea would hold much promise in treatment. It is likely that many inflammatory bowel disease patients could find some relief very quickly by incorporating green tea into their diets.

Because sufferers of inflammatory bowel diseases are often placed on diets that call for reduced amounts of fiber, they often don't eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. The fiber in fruits and vegetables can further irritate the bowels. This means that they may not be getting all the anti-oxidants they need, particularly since they may need more than the average person to reduce the inflammation in their systems. This makes green tea the perfect alternative; it provides powerful anti-oxidants with zero fiber.

If you suffer from any form of irritable bowel disease, it's a good idea to give green tea a try. It has no side effects and is well tolerated by most people, regardless of their health issues. While it does contain caffeine, it is usually well tolerated even by the caffeine sensitive, because its caffeine level is very low. Adding some green tea to your diet may be a simple way to get some relief from the painful symptoms of irritable bowel diseases.

Dangers of Diarrhea

Vomiting and Diarrhea sometimes have the same causes. It is mainly because of the bacteria in our stomach that causes intestinal inflammation. But the more common of these two is diarrhea. This is not a painful condition but it should not also be taken for granted. It is a recurrent losing of watery stools from one's body. There are commonly known two descriptions of diarrhea. These are the acute and chronic diarrhea. When we say acute diarrhea it mostly last for a week. It is also one of the causes of death in some countries. The other one is the chronic diarrhea which is not like the acute diarrhea, this is more likely to last longer that the acute one. It can also be fatal especially to children.

Virus and bacteria are the common reasons and causes of diarrhea both acute and chronic. Let us first see what the usual causes of acute diarrhea are. Aside from viruses and bacteria which we know are the common causes of diarrhea, too much intake of alcohol and coffee are also other reasons for having an acute diarrhea. High anxiety level is also a factor of experiencing this kind of diarrhea. Chronic diarrhea is a more serious condition than the acute diarrhea because this is persistent. It means that this kind of diarrhea is continual and constant. Alcohol and coffee intakes are also reasons for this one but more seriously, diabetes and ulcer can cause chronic diarrhea. So if you or any of us is diabetic or have an ulcerative colitis, then you are also prone to chronic diarrhea.

Symptoms of diarrhea are determinable. Victims of diarrhea more often to experienced flushing out watery tools and experienced normal or even severe stomachache. Diarrhea can also be detected when one is having an abdominal pain and is frequently vomiting. Sometimes because of the several abdominal pains, blood in stools can also be detected. Diarrhea is somewhat a condition that should be taken seriously. That is why treatments should be known.

For a simple diarrhea problem, it will likely to be just within a week. Drinking of plenty of fluid especially water can help a person to re-hydrate because diarrhea can cause dehydration. Medicines and painkillers can is also advisable but not in all situation and all ages.

It is important to learn how to prevent, or maybe just lower the risk of diarrhea. Frequent hand washing is very important since everywhere you go and everything you touch, bacteria is always present. We should also be cautious in what we are eating because most common source of diarrhea is from the bacteria which came from the food that we intake everyday.

Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease - Self Healing Tips

For managing ulcerative colitis and crohn's disease over an extended period of time, it is important to look at self healing remedies that will help keep these diseases under control.

Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's disease are both disorders that fall under the irritable bowel syndrome. Both these diseases are caused due to an inflammation in the colon and this can cause a lot of suffering to the patient. While allopathic medicines help in treating the inflammation, for a long-term management of these diseases, an individual needs to make lifestyle and dietary changes that will help in the healing process. Here is a look at a few remedies that can promote self healing of these disorders.

Homeopathy - Since long-term treatment with steroids for ulcerative colitis is not a practical solution for an individual's health, the use of homeopathy is a popular choice as it helps in tapering off the steroids. Several patients have experienced remission up to 75% after using homeopathic medicines for treating irritable bowel syndrome.

Herbal remedies - Several herbs have been found to be successful in the treatment and management of colitis and crohn's disease. Boswellia, which is part of a bark of a tree that is found in India, has an active ingredient in its resin that reduces inflammation. Other natural remedies include flaxseed, calendula, green tea, fenugreek, slippery elm and aloe Vera.

Naturopathy - This system of alternative medicine helps in the management of irritable bowel syndrome by promoting self healing through the use of several techniques including diet, lifestyle changes, homeopathy, acupuncture, yoga and meditation techniques. The focus is not so much on treating the disease but helping to manage it in the long run.

Diet - Certain foods in the diet could aggravate the inflammation of the colon in persons suffering from irritable bowel syndrome. This may vary from person to person ranging from milk products to sugars or fats. It is advisable to keep a diary and make a note of foods that aggravate the condition and slowly eliminate them from the diet by replacing them with fresh fruits and vegetables or foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids. An individual can also get a diet plan prescribed by his physician or a nutritionist.

Lifestyle changes - To control the long-term effect of ulcerative colitis on the health of a patient, it is vital that changes are made to his or her lifestyle to alleviate the effects of stress or bad habits such as overeating, smoking or alcohol consumption. Reducing stress levels contribute to a great extent in reducing symptoms of this disorder as well as crohn's disease.

How Can Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis Obstruct With Digestion?

The diet nutrition of patients with Crohn's disease are indeed utilized frequently. People with the disease often think that diet can be utilized as a treatment. Regrettably, this way of overcoming the disease can be thought as too crude and will absolutely not get the nod of medical experts. Diet can have some effects in the symptoms and treatment of the disease, and may also affect the inflammatory process that is taking place in the body. Although it has a role to play its effect is not a major issue in the inflammatory process.

Since Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are ailments on the digestive tract, it's normal that numerous questions arise concerning proper diet and nutrition of people with the ailment. If however you unfortunately acquire the disease which is also called as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, your concentration might shift to diet that may play a role in lowering symptoms and fosters treatment.

When swelling takes place in the small intestine, and this makes digestion of foods not very effective and nutrients absorbed from the food taken will be reduced. The nutrients along with the undigested bile salts, can find their way to the large intestine which may vary in magnitude, depending on the degree of inflammation on the small intestine. This is perhaps one of the causes why people with the ailment may eventually become malnourished. Adding to the woes perhaps is the lack of appetite the patient will endure and experience. Additionally, undigested foods that go through the large intestine may hinder water storage in the body, even though the colon is not affected. Hence, the large intestine will get inflamed too, and this will lead to diarrhea which makes the disease even more formidable.

On the other hand, the ulcerative colitis, only the colon is damaged and inflamed, whilst the small intestine continues to do it functions normally. Since the inflamed colon does not process water appropriately in the body, diarrhea can be stern.

Crohn's Disease and Colitis - Is a Raw Food Diet the Real Cure?

Crohn's disease (CD) is an inflammatory disease of the intestines but it may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract. Ulcerative Colitis (UC) is an inflammation of the large intestine (the colon) although some people with UC may have inflammation in the last section of the small intestine. Most doctors use drugs and surgery to 'control the symptoms' of the disease - not to 'cure' the condition.

Although Crohn's disease and Colitis are not life-threatening diseases, they are life-altering conditions. Causing symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting, as well as complications outside the gastrointestinal tract, including skin rashes and tiredness, Crohn's disease and Colitis can have a huge, negative impact on one's life. Until scientific research discovers a cure, people with these conditions can expect to endure suffering from bouts and flare-ups -?unless they find a solution that works for them.

Some researchers are looking at the Western diet (with processed foods, fat, and sugar) as being a big contributor to the onset of Crohn's disease and Colitis. Some medical professionals recommend removing all meat, dairy, eggs, and other processed foods from your diet. Other researchers believe that the answer is to change totally to a raw food diet of raw fruits and vegetables with small portions of certain nuts, seeds, and some fatty fruits. Although most fruits contain less than one gram of fat per serving, some fruits have extra fat such as avocado with 31 grams of fat per fruit. Yet ripe avocado is one of the richest sources of easily digestible fats.

One school of thought says that those who suffer from? Crohn's disease and Colitis ?should eat only organic fruits and vegetables. If you suffer from either of these conditions, you want to know the score. Will a raw food diet wipe out the symptoms of these diseases? According to numerous testimonials, a raw food diet has stopped the symptoms -?completely - for many people afflicted with these diseases.

Nobody, however, should change to a raw food diet without consulting their doctor. Obviously, fruits and vegetables are healthy options. Yet everyone's metabolism differs and people may have other conditions for which a complete raw food diet may not be the best choice. Check with your doctor before making drastic changes to your diet.

Your doctor can explain how fruits and vegetables work within your body. If you are planning to begin a raw food diet, you have to understand that there will not be instant results. Indeed, vegetables can be hard to digest and may even bring about undesirable symptoms at the beginning.

Within one month, however, sufferers should begin to see and to feel changes in their system. It might take a year before a person is free of all symptoms.?Keep in mind that implementing an effective raw food diet will be a process for sufferers of Crohn's disease and Colitis. Yet common sense will tell you that (based on your doctor's approval) a diet of raw fruits and vegetables is always a better choice than a diet of fats, processed foods, and sugar.

Give Yourself Colitis - Here's How!

Because colitis sufferers are continually besieged by well-meaning pundits with information on how to cure colitis I thought I might turn the tables with a few suggestions on how to acquire it. This may throw up a few pointers on how colitis does actually develop.

OK, here goes: Assuming you are reasonably fit, the first thing to recognise is that colitis won't happen overnight. You will need to be a little dedicated. Daily application is the secret here.

First thing to observe is never worry about what you eat. You'll find many doctors will agree on this point. They generally (there are exceptions in everything of course) advocate a rather cavalier attitude to food within normal bounds. For example, they may say that generally whatever you like to eat isn't a problem. Here in Yorkshire (UK) 'a good Sunday Dinner of roast beef and Yorkshire Pudding never did anyone any harm'. And who's to argue?

So, lots of roast potatoes all washed down with a gallon (3.78ltrs) of beer or a couple of bottles of red plonk and... Ole'! Your gut loves to be abused thus.

But first begin the day with a good old fashioned 'Full English' breakfast. That's a large plate of 4/5 slices of fried bacon, 2/3 eggs, 3 large pork sausages, mushrooms, black pudding, tomatoes, with a good helping of baked beans cascading over the sausages. Garnish with liberal amounts of salt and pepper, not forgetting a great dollop of tomato ketchup over everything to add a finishing artistic touch. There...loverly!

A couple of mugs of strong sweet coffee will help wash it all down. It's so enjoyable that it's not unknown for some enthusiastic individuals to indulge in a second helping. Yummy!

Don't worry too much if you can't manage a blueberry muffin after that. You can have that later. For now, if you have time, enjoy another coffee with a cigarette to round it all off. You can have the muffin in half a hour or so with another coffee when you begin to feel a little peckish.

Between meals enjoy a bag of crisps or a chocolate snack bar. Help it down with a coke or other highly colored fizzy soft drink.

For lunch you have several choices: Large Fish 'n' Chips. Don't forget to be generous with lots of salt and vinegar. Fill up on several slices of bread and butter. Yes, refined (very refined) white bread is excellent. A bag of crisps to round it off and you're done... for now. You'll probably need another coffee to melt some of the grease which is covering your tongue and the roof of your mouth. That's fine. Colitis loves all of these things, so you're doing good so far.

After a small afternoon snack like a pork pie and another bag of crisps or maybe a chocolate bar with a coke or coffee. Another option might be a Cornish pasty. Or hot-dog. A pizza or whatever takes your fancy really. Perhaps something a little more satisfying like a Shepherds Pie? You might like to consider the very popular All Day Breakfast on the way home followed by a small triple cheeseburger?

You'll be looking forward to a nice filling meal in the evening, so why not treat yourself and go out for a meal and get sated on a full 5 course meal at a local steak restaurant and have a proper meal. Plenty of meat. Real steak, the size of a small suitcase just like our Argentinian cousins enjoy. Not many vegetarians in Argentina as they like nothing better than a good steak. Except perhaps a salsa session. Or one after the other. Sorry, I digress. So, plenty of red, rare, almost raw meat, quivering with newly slain life. A concession of a few onions with it as a vegetable. But no greens. No fruit.

Note: Try not to park your car more than a few yards (metres) from the restaurant. Exercise is anathema. You'll spoil the whole idea of your objective of developing a really raw, bleeding, pustulating, inert or spastic colon.

Later, when you're watching TV, enjoying a sports game or a movie, have a few cans of lager, beer or whatever. You'll probably become conscious of that familiar 'empty' feeling...again. What do you do? I would suggest either sending out for a nice monster pizza, preferably one with lots of cheese topping.

Alternatively, why not liberate that rather large frozen chocolate cake from the freezer and consume it... in one go? A very satisfying accomplishment it is too. Don't forget more beer or coffee. Both are good. Together? No problem! Just enjoy your life. Ignore what all those silly people advise on those TV health channels. They're just spoilsports.

If you're worried about anything, no problem, just have something to eat. Anything. Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. And because 'tomorrow never comes' there's no real reason why you should listen to anyone, especially those faddy health freaks.

After a few months you may find that you have put on a little extra weight. But don't concern yourself too much about that because once the colitis kicks in you'll start to loose it again. It's just the way it goes. So follow the above advice and remember never to exercise as it goes against everything we preach to get yourself out of condition.

Final tips:

For a change from beer and liquor, drink plenty of cow's milk.

Never drink water.

Luxuriate in adding liberal amounts of fresh cream to coffee.

Never be tempted to eat fruit or vegetables. If however you are forced to ingest a vegetable, be sure that it's well cooked. I would recommend at least half and hour on full power so there is no sensation of fibre when eating.

If you lead a stressful life, so much the better. This is certainly conducive to colitis. You probably have the basis for this dis-ease already. So Good Luck.

Coconut Oil - A Natural Mouth Ulcer Cure

A mouth ulcer is an open wound in the mouth where tender nerve endings are exposed and can often cause extreme pain to the person who is affected with them especially when they can become irritated. Often a person suffering from mouth ulcers will find it difficult to eat, drink and sometimes even talk and unfortunately these exposed ulcers are vulnerable to infection by bacteria that is find in our mouth and unfortunately create even more pain.

Many mouth ulcers often seem to start off as a small bubble or blister which then becomes open and ulcerated and this is when the pain really starts. However, they can be caused accidentally by someone biting themselves or there lips are so dry that they crack and then the ulcers begin to form on their lips.

Normally mouth ulcers are caused by either virus, bacteria or fungus and may result in the body's own immune system attacking the mucosal lining of the mouth. In some cases people who suffer from either Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn's Disease (intestinal conditions) may find themselves suffering from mouth ulcers also.

A good way of treating mouth ulcers is with coconut oil which kills the bacteria that causes them. It is also good for treating throat infections, gum disease and cavities. Certainly the Pacific Islanders who have a coconut based diet have excellent dental health and rarely suffer from mouth ulcers even when they have never brushed their teeth or used floss or anti-bacterial mouthwash.

Certainly coconut oil is ideal for helping to relieve the pain felt from mouth ulcers instantly all you need is get a tablespoon of coconut oil and hold it for a minute on the mouth ulcer. Soon you will feel the pain going away and this relief seems to last for quite a while because of the MCFA's (medium chain fatty acids) find in coconut oil which are rapidly absorbed in to the body and thus the healing process is accelerated.

The way coconut oil works is that it has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties and which can help to combat viruses, bacteria and fungus that can be found in a persons mouth and will cause ulcers. The MCFA's which are in coconut oil also help to enhance the body's own immune system and thus help it to fight viruses, fungus and bacterial problems. Also coconut oil is great for helping a person's intestinal system by killing any fungi found in the intestinal tract.

Above are a number of reasons as to why coconut oil can not only help to treat and heal mouth ulcers but also to help prevent them from forming. Also coconut oil is not messy to apply to the ulcer and is completely edible and natural.