Herbal Supplements...probiotics..what do you take and why?

Hi,

What do you take for herbal type supplements..i have heard many things like aloe vera and pineapple enzyme is good for inflammation and probiotics are good for healthy intestines..so what do you take..what do you suggest and why..because it always nice to think that their is a herbal or some type of a vitamin..that might help to make the ones life better..less inflammation..less pain..

Post Edited By Moderator (Nanners) : 8/18/2009 7:28:17 AM (GMT-6)

I myslef am actually either allergic or non-responsive to traditional oral RX so I use only supplements and diet alteration and am doing much better (went from 30+ daily bm's with bleeding, lots of lower back pain and mucus, with mostly mush to skinny poop consistancy to 5 or less times a day, fully formed, no bleeding or mucus or back pain)...here's what I use...

bee propolis (1 500mg cap 2x/day)
probiotics (1/day) Primadophilus rueteri
omegas 3-6-9 (1 cap 2x/day)
fibre supplements (1 cap every night before bed)
vitamin A (1cap/day)
vitamin C (1cap/day)
chamomile tea daily (bought fresh from tea store, not the store bought manufactured kind)

no more processed foods/beverages, fast-foods, animal fats, caffeine, refined sugar...I also exercise regularly and besides the chamomile tea I drink only water (with the rare occassion of fresh unprocessed juices).

I hope you find much success and that you strongly consider probiotics and fibre supplements as part of your regime too (the 2 seem practically essential for IBDers). But do be careful with fibre in general if you're prone to getting blockages/strictures, keeping mind that some fibre daily is still necessary for a healthy functioning GI tract.

:)

On normal days, I take 2000 IU od vitamin D/Multivitamin (no iron)/Vitamin E/Vitamin C/Calcium+Magnesium citrate and a probiotic.

Rationale:
Vitamin D is very commonly deficient and in the cool Northern area I am in, it is almost certainly needed. Vitamin D is an essential immune system regulator as well as aiding in the formation of bones and maintaining blood calcium levels. Recent research has shown that most if not all cells in the body have vitamin D receptors, so it has wide ranging effects on the body.

Multivitamin(no iron) - due to the common vitamin deficits from Crohn's, my multivitamin is designed to help fill any gaps in diet or absorption. The lack of iron is because of the common problem of absorption conflict between the iron and other minerals like copper, calcium and zinc. I am not anemic, so I rely on dietary iron currently. For an iron supplement, it may be preferable to avoid Ferrous supplements (much the most common form) and use Ferric supplements. This avoids the oxidative stress that inevitably follows using Ferrous ion supplements. This can be actually damaging to your system.

Vitamin E - this is because of this vitamin's inhibition of the formation of IgE (immune globulin E) which is a sensitizer to environmental allergens, including bacteria, food proteins and the rest of them. Crohn's specialists have noticed a seasonal peak in patient load in the spring and fall, suggesting a seasonal allergy connection (purely hypothetical).

Vitamin C (in the form Calcium Ascorbate) - this does several things. It promotes the regeneration of vitamin E in the body, it inhibits the production of histamine and it helps reduce oxidative stress. It should be in the form of Calcium Ascorbate (Ester-C is a brand name) because the acidity of regular vitamin C limits the amount that the body can absorb to about 400 - 500 mg.

Calcium+Magnesium citrate. This is for the essential minerals for bone formation and to maintain electrolyte balance. The citrate for is to avoid the alkaline carbonates/oxides that are the cheapest form. Carbonates/oxides neutralize stomach acid which reduces the ability of the system to absorb minerals - iron and copper as well as cal/mag. If taken with meals, carbonates also interfere with the digestive enzymes and result in passing partially digested food into the small intestine with undesirable consequences.

The probiotic (Lactobacillus rhamnosus) is designed to avoid overgrowth of any of several other bacteria that can generate toxins and promote diarrhea.

After a colonoscopy, I add L-glutamine and N-acetyl glucosamine - both aids in healing intestinal tissue - for a few days.

At the start of a flare, I may add propolis (didn't help during the two days I tried it last time) or turmeric (haven't had a chance to try it during a bad turn yet) or just fast - no food. Fasting worked better than the other things I tried recently and it doesn't kill off bacteria. Killing bacteria usually takes out the friendly ones first and more of the nasties survive. This can result in you becoming dependent on antibiotics of one type or another.