Treating Ulcerative Colitis With A Whole Food Plant Based Diet

Ulcerative colitis is one type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and doctors aren’t entirely sure what causes it, but have narrowed down several factors that play a role.

The exact cause of ulcerative colitis is unknown. Researchers believe there are several factors that may play a role in causing ulcerative colitis.

An overactive immune system has been implicated. Under normal circumstances the immune system protects against bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens, but in the case of ulcerative colitis the immune system is tricked and the pathogens trigger the immune system to attack the lining of the colon instead.

The attack leads to the lining becoming inflamed and developing mucous filled ulcers. Doctors also believe that genes and the environment plays a part in the development of ulcerative colitis.

Recents studies point to the putrified animal protein from meat and dairy consumption that builds in the colon and produces hydrogen sulphide gas as a trigger for the auto-immune reaction in the colon.

One study^[1] showed the reduction of the consumption of foods rich in sulphur containing amino acids, which includes meat, dairy, eggs, and sulfated wine, improved the condition of ulcerative colitis.

Another larger study^[2] followed subjects for a year who were in remission from ulcerative colitis. The study was designed to determine which substances would be responsible for a relapse in the disease. It was determined that meat and alcohol were the culprits, and both are rich sources of sulphur and leads to the increase of hydrogen sulphide in the colon.

Hydrogen sulphide is toxic to the body because it interferes with good bacteria’s digestion of fiber which it turns into a beneficial and colon protective compound called butyrate. It is fairly easy to increase the production butyrate by consuming more fiber.

The consumption of a whole food plant-based diet is then just what a doctor should call for in treating ulcerative colitis. A whole food plant-based diet is absent of the animal-based sulphur proteins and it is rich in fiber.