Ulcerative Colitis

The Glutathione Protection Connection

To consider the ulcerative colitis glutathione connection we will look at...

What is Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is only partially understood. There are believed to be numerous and various environmental causes. There are also a number of similarities providing additional clues to the cause, such as genetic, epithelial, immune, and nonimmune factors that are present. Ulcerative colitis glutathione levels are low and now considered a marker of the progression of the disease.

It mostly involves the large intestine, known as the colon. The sign is ulcers or open sores in the colon. The symptoms are intermittent, with periods of exacerbated symptoms, and periods that are relatively symptom-free. Since the symptoms sometimes diminish or even seem to disappear only to return, treatment is necessary to put it in remission.

Ulcerative colitis is considered to be a disease that primarily affects quality of life. However life threatening complications do happen. It is found in about 0.1% of the US population. In real numbers, about 35 to 100 out of every 100,000 will be diagnosed. Geographically, the higher the latitude (farther North) the higher the incidence of the disease.

Ulcerative Colitis Glutathione Connection: An Alternative Treatment

Because of unwanted side effects or ineffective treatments, about 21 percent of inflammatory bowel disease patients choose alternative treatments.

The most frequently used complimentary alternative medicine or CAM treatment was homeopathy with over 40% opting for this. The alternative involves the ulcerative colitis glutathione connection.

Two treatments show promise. Both involve boosting glutathione with supplements. There is over 30 years of evidence that it is safe. The research, although limited in humans, points to boosting glutathione as being an effective homeopathic treatment.

The supplement of choice is cysteine (the precursor of glutathione) most often in the form of NAC or N-acetylcysteine. Another area of research suggest melatonin may be beneficial. Melatonin potentiates glutathione.

Ulcerative Colitis Symptoms

Symptoms are dependent on the progression of the disease. Some symptoms are secondary to the primary diagnosis. The alternative treatment we report on has been found to benefit both ulcerative colitis and the secondary symptoms.The one seldom reported is the reduction in ulcerative colitis glutathione levels.

Cure for Ulcerative Colitis?

Traditional treatment focuses on managing inflammation. Could boosting the bodies master antioxidant, glutathione be a cure. Unlike traditional treatments where there is repeated exacerbation and remission, some have found this to work continuously, some being in remission for years.

Note GlutathioneDiseaseCure.com does not claim that any products or treatments cure disease. It is important to consult with your doctor or pharmacist prior to making any changes in medicine or adding supplements. The studies reported here point to the ulcerative colitis glutathione connection as providing relief from ulcerative colitis.

The Ulcerative Colitis Diet

There are a number of dietary considerations to help manage the symptoms and the condition. Some foods have been found to help boost glutathione. Glutathione has been found to fight inflammation in addition to helping in other ways.

Other foods deplete glutathione. Eliminating these from your diet, conserving the glutathione you do have, could further help improving the management of the symptoms.

Ulcerative colitis treatment

A brief review of the standard treatments.

It is treated like an autoimmune disease even though most do not believe that it is such.

Diet may reduce the discomfort brought on by the disease.

Standard treatment usually involves anti-inflammatory drugs, immunosuppression. Often steroids are used.

Here too, the ulcerative colitis glutahtione connection comes into the mix. Some medical treatments now include the addition of the glutathione boosting supplement NAC. The results were very good.

Note You should never stop or change or supplement your treatment with out first consulting your doctor or pharmacist.

Colectomy (the surgical removal of the large bowel) is occasionally necessary and usually the last resort. It is considered to be a cure.

Causes of Ulcerative Colitis

There are numerous theories regarding the cause.

Cold Cold Chain Hypothesis links dietary factors and microbial agents.

Low CG Syndrome Both studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that simply boosting the dietary CG (cysteine glutamine) thus boosting glutathione results in remission for many.

Protective versus Harmful Intestinal Bacteria The decreased bacterial diversity is thus thought to be a contributing factor.

Other causes are oral contraceptives, appendectomy, dietary factors including refined sugar, fats, and fast foods, have been proposed. These are not conclusive and some are controversial.

Ulcerative Colitis Medication

Traditional treatment usually start with steroids and ends with surgery. This usually requires a ostomy appliance to be used once the bowel is removed.

An artificial colon and sphincter (the muscle that prevents you from going until your in the right place and time)is being developed. It will be mostly used in younger patients.

Another procedure that takes a portion of the small colon and replaces the large intestine is also used.

What if there Was A Better Treatment

What if there was a treatment that was safer, more convenient and less risk associated with unwanted side effects.

There are several main stream treatment options available. If you have not had success with traditional treatments, what if there was better way to put ulcerative colitis remission?

What if this treatment had numerous scientific studies supporting it?

There are numerous testimonials that it really works. What if you could speak to someone who found success with the alternatives?

What if this way was the least invasive and according to the Physicians Desk Reference, was virtually free of unwanted side effects?

Would you be interested in learning about such a treatment?

This information will be shared at the end of this section.

Basic Signs, Symptoms

Other signs and symptoms of the active disease include sometimes urgent, continuous diarrhea, often times with blood in the stool. Mild pain progressing to cramps are experienced with the progression of the disease.

Some will experience gum disease and receding gum lines.

Science points to ulcerative colitis as being a systemic disease. This results in numerous other symptoms originating outside the intestine.

There are numerous theories as to the cause and yet there is no definitive reason known. There are also numerous triggers. Science points to several. They are...

Genetic susceptibility

The genetic factors belief is based on the number of cases of ulcerative colitis affecting families.

There are also ethnic similarities in those afflicted.

Environmental Factors

There are numerous dietary exposures that can trigger an inflammatory process. Some are otherwise normal foods that would not affect most people. Others are ubiquitous toxins and poisons that are part of our food supply.

A lack of dietary fiber may contribute to the condition.

There is no definitive study that shows an association of refined sugar on the prevalence of ulcerative colitis.

Some studies, originating from anecdotal evidence, have suggested that Isotretinoin (trade name Accutane) could be a trigger of both Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative colitis in some individuals. A later study discounted these findings as being no greater than the control group when looked at confounding factors.

There are lawsuits that have gone to trial and judgments awarded.

Isotretinoin, a derivative of vitamin A, is used for acne and is associated with numerous dangerous side effects including birth defects and fetal death.

Autoimmune Disease

Some research refers to ulcerative colitis as an autoimmune disease. One theory is that when the body successfully defends an attack by bacterial invaders, somehow it fails to turn off the attack mode.

Research indicates that having the surgical removal of the large intestine will cure the disease. This relegates the need of an ostomy appliance (a pouch that will collect the stool).

The Ulcerative Colitis Glutathione Connection

The 1997 paper, Circulating antioxidants in ulcerative colitis and their relationship to disease severity and activity, found that depletion of the circulating antioxidants, vitamin A and cysteine, in active ulcerative colitis is likely to be important in the pathophysiology of the disease.

In 1998 in Gut, the study concluded that decreased enzyme activity is accompanied by a decreased availability of cysteine for glutathione production contribute to mucosal GSH deficiency in IBD. As the impaired mucosal antioxidative capacity may further promote oxidative damage, GSH deficiency might be a target for therapeutic intervention in IBD.

This means that (although not recognized then) Inflammatory Bowel Disease is associated with Low CG Syndrome. As the study pointed out, targeting glutathione may be an intervention that could help such individuals.

In 2003 a paper published on IV glutathione supplementation in rats was found to significantly improve the damage.

In 2006 a study looked at the effect of glutamine on pancreatic damage in a form of induced colitis (the scientist made the colitis happen). It was concluded that glutamine appears to have protective effects against colon damage. Note that other studies have shown that too much glutamine could have the opposite effect.

One More Ulcerative Colitis Glutathione Connection

If you connect the dots of these and other studies, you will note that ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory disease. Glutathione is the master antioxidant in our body, one of the main defenses against inflammation.

Cysteine and glutamine, the precursors of glutathione are depleted during the periods of flare ups.

Glutathione is also depleted during flare ups.

Giving cysteine, glutamine, and even IV glutathione helped to, as one study said, significantly improve the damage. Do you see the ulcerative colitis glutathione connection?

Note that the real cause for the improvement in each of these studies was actually not the supplement. It was the glutathione increase in the body that resulted in the improvement.

Now, the question is, which is the best cysteine for your needs.

Before you go to find this out, please consider one mans story...

(This story is currently awaiting permission for use) We hope to have it posted soon. There will be additional ulcerative colitis glutathione information in the future.

Have we missed some aspect of the ulcerative colitis glutathione connection. Please drop us a line. Make sure and put the phrase ulcerative colitis glutathione in your comments.

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