There is much speculation as to the causes of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Crohn's Disease. The conditions are thought to be genetic or autoimmune and are treated with pharmaceuticals, surgeries, and other traditional modalities.

However, new information is emerging about other likely causes and treatments. Thus, this article will focus exclusively on these since there are no harmful side effects or contra-indications to the holistic protocols.

One treatment that has been enormously beneficial is the SCD, Specific Carbohydrate Diet. This food program makes a distinction between carbs that cause and exacerbate symptoms versus those that are reasonably safe to consume.

I recommend Googling info on this diet, as it is a beneficial nutritional program for most people whether affected by intestinal disease or not. Briefly, naturally occurring carbs in fresh fruits and non-starchy vegetables, as well as nut butters and nut flours, are the least troublesome carbs. All the others may produce problems.

What happens when people with IBS or Crohn's eat the "bad carbs" is that their intestinal bacteria feed off of the sugars they break down into and that produces the troublesome symptoms and internal damages evidenced in the diseases.

Until recently it was not known why some people are so much more prone to this reaction than others, with medical professionals speculating that the affected group probably had a genetic insufficiency by which their immune systems don't work efficiently enough to maintain the proper flora in the intestine and colon. Keeping blood sugar and digestive sugars under tight control are absolutely mandatory for prevention and recovery of such bowel diseases.

Recently, it has been clearly demonstrated that undiagnosed diabetes, different viruses, bacteria, and parasites are indicated in these maladies more often than any genetic or "autoimmune" disorder. In some cases ingested toxins and food allergies also play a role. In Crohn's, there is evidence that Mycobacterium Paratuberculosis (a bacterium related to non-respiratory TB) is a primary cause of the disease, a condition that can be painfully disabling, organically destructive, and deadly.

It is most often ingested through improperly pasteurized or tainted dairy products, but can be passed down from mother to child or ingested in other substances. (If you Google these diseases you can read all of the horrible things that can happen to sufferers.) Yet it can be entirely brought into even permanent remission in some cases, even some severe ones, by dietary and nutritional interventions.

There are a variety of herbs and other supplements that are extremely, even medicinally, beneficial in the healing and opposing of the bacteria involved. For one thing, a good, live, comprehensive probiotic without any of the offending foodstuffs as fillers is necessary. These "good bacteria” will multiply and push out the bad ones to some degree. So are the essential oils and omegas. Oil of Oregano is also helpful.

All of the herbs used to kill or flush out intestinal parasites are also beneficial, but the king among them is garlic. Garlic can kill the MycoB ParaTB in laboratory experiments, whereas a course of treatment on medication can take a deleterious six months to complete and surgery doesn't provide a permanent cure in most cases, since the cause remains in the bowel after affected portions are removed.

The only problem with garlic is that no one knows just how much need to be consumed in order to cure the condition in any particular individual. Garlic in huge doses, not only creates a foul odor, but it can thin the blood and reduce red blood cell count. But these minor side effects are minimal in normal daily doses. But again, everyone's tolerance is different, so make sure you have regular blood tests when you're using garlic and herb therapies for healing. Another great treatment is Aloe juice (with no sweeteners or unnecessary additives) this helps heal the innards.

Lastly, I have fasted for an extended period (40 days and nights) with only water, herb tea, clear vegetable broth, and fresh non-pulp fruit juice. I don't recommend this for everyone, because it can cause death or serious injury in some people. Fortunately, I not only came out of it in good condition but also with improved health and a great internal cleansing. So much of our ill health comes from our digestive tracks and clogged up internal organs, such as our intestines, livers, gall bladders, etc. Keeping these light, clean, and well attended are extremely important to help us ward off and fight a plethora of diseases.

Please consider that the human body was not meant to consume the fat and carb rich foods that are produced in the commercial food industry. These are slow poisons in the quantities by which they are devoured. Years ago people would have to do so much labor just to bring a small carb meal to the dinner table. By the time they ate the carbs, they had already burned off enough to justify refueling on them. Carbs are energy foods, nothing more. So the less raw physical energy we need to perform our daily tasks, like sitting in a car or in front of a computer, the less carbs we need.

Ironically, it's when our blood sugar is too high from an excess of carbs that we tend to feel tired and go looking for quick energy foods. It's at that moment that we need the exact opposite - exercise - to lower the sugar, increase oxygen consumption (which helps to burn the carbs), and return energy to our systems in the form of neurological stimulation, oxygenation of the cells and brain, reduction of blood sugar and acids, and rebalancing of the various related hormones.

This is one reason why the incidence of diabetes is steadily climbing. Fortunately, changing one's diet, regularly exercising, and taking the beneficial herbs are natural ways to combat this illness which has a poor prognosis for anyone who disregards the warnings associated with high blood sugar and fats. There are more than ten herbs, (Garlic, Bilberry, Fenugreek, Ginger, etc.) which are safe to take, that can help to lower blood sugar naturally, as well as some other substances like anti-oxidants (such as Alpha Lipoic Acid). In a pinch, if your blood sugar is in excess of 120 after eating, taking the herbs can lower your sugar between 5 and 50 points.

Normal, healthy blood glucose should range between 80-120 (taken from 60-120 minutes after eating). And if you have any symptoms of possible high blood sugar, such as feverishness, tiredness, dizziness, indigestion, thirst, etc. after eating carbs, one of the best investments you can make is to purchase a blood sugar meter. (I recommend the Accucheck™ products, as the company also provides top customer service.)

There is much more to add to this, but for now, please consider this and continue being proactive in your own health and wellness. God bless and stay well.

Nutritional information

Underneath we have information page on vitamins, minerals, amino acids, trace elements, enzymes and various nutritional compounds that can impact greatly on your general health, well-being and longevity. Please note that these pages are for general information only and must not be used to treat or diagnose health concerns.