Kefir, Kombucha & Ginger

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to make a quick post about a change I made in my diet in my fight against UC.

I'd been flaring since December with periods of lots of blood and mucus (I'd say about 2-3 teaspoons per bm). Lots of explosive gas and some days going to the bathroom 4-5 times day (mainly just passing gas when it felt like I needed a bm).

After visiting NYC and drinking ginger kombucha which I found in whole foods and wanted to try (after hearing about it). I noticed significant improvements - no blood, once a day bm's. I thought it might be because I was on holidays and not stressing.

When I got back to England, everything went downhill again - I was taking 2g Pentasa morning and night (with no real effect) and only having slight amounts of relief when I changed my night Pentasa to a Pentasa Enemas.

I've lived most of my UC life in remission without drugs - so I set out to put myself back into remission.

I've been making my own homemade kefir using semi-skimmed goats milk and kefir grains and drinking it in smoothies (with some banana and strawberries etc to hide the taste) and I've also been brewing my own Kombucha (I bought a scoby online). My first batch was flavoured with fresh ginger (blended and added to the bottle), and my second I used Orange juice in the second ferment.

I'm not sure whether it is the kombucha, kefir, ginger or all of these working togethr but my symptoms have SIGNIFICANTLY improved. Back to 1-2 hard, fully formed BM's a day - a little bit of gas, but most importantly - little to no blood and mucus. The most relief I've had since NYC.

I don't want to jinx myself - but I thought i'd let you all know - as I'd urge you to try this too if you haven't. I'd love to hear of other people who are having positive / negative symptoms with this?

At the start of taking the kefir I was having runny bm's and I also got quite sick with a cold. From what I read, this is quite normal as it takes people a while to adjust and there is also a healing period where all of the good bacteria fight off the bad bacteria.. which can form symptoms such as a cold etc.

I've had very good results with coconut kefir. Have been wondering if I should add kombocha to the mix. I might try it--probably a mix of bacteria are helpful. Certainly my experience is that managing my dysbiosis helps keep my UC in check.

Kefir and ginger have been good things for me as well. If nothing else they seem seem to soothe the GI tract. Kombucha not so much, in my research there have been reports of liver problems associated with it and it did nothing for me and made flares worse. Of course we all have different experiences and different things work for different people, thats why UC is so darn difficult!

Interesting read I'm going to get some kefir and give it a try.

I bought some yesterday strawberry flavour, really love the flavour its right in my palate zone.
I'll probably replace my yoghurt fix with this now.
I'm too busy with life to make my own which I'm sure would have more properties lol
Thanks for posting about this

I make my own ginger tea. You can either thinly slice the roots or grind them, then steep them in boiling water. Sweeten with...whatever...sugar, non-sugar or honey. I like local honey in mine. Also, I switched from yogurt to kefir. I don't know which helps me, but combined...knock wood...I'm back in remission...I HOPE!!! I'm quite certain that Remicade works for ME also. Good luck to you...to us ALL. Be safe, live long and happily.

From what I've read, the 'kefir' sold in stores is full of other additives that make it no good. You need to make your own. I have no experience with either store bought or homemade.

I buy Lifeway, the ingredients are fine , it's very good and it's 99% lactose free.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/08/kefir-next-greek-yogurt_n_6436992.html

Does kefir give you mucous in your digestive tract?

Interesting.
My movements the last couple of days have definitely been more efficient (In a good way)
I've been eating probiotic yoghurts for a while and it never felt right somehow in my system, this really does "feel" right so far.
I bought a goats milk version too to try after this one and compare.

iPoop said...
I'm glad you've found a system that reduces your uc symptoms. I've seen a number of posts on kefir and ginger tea, so, some folks already use them. Although, I think it's also a good idea to also take a prescription uc maintenance medication like mesalamine (lialda, asacol, pentasa, delzicol) as it's been proven to lower colorectal cancer risk (something we ordinary have elevated risk for).

That's interesting! I will look into that - I do have an appointment with a new gastroenterologist so I will ask him his thoughts on this. Cancer is always in the back of my head - but personally i've never seen myself taking drugs for the rest of my life. I've found I get sick constantly while on them, colds and sinus infections - but that's just a personal choice.

I by no means advocate for people to come off of drugs that are helping them - but I do think that there is a whole other side to this disease that a lot of doctors (and patients) ignore or are unaware of - that might help them manage their symptoms / uc better! It's totally about trying what works for you as an individual, but if I can help someone try this and it hopefully works for them - that makes me happy!