Just wondering. Are there any asians here with UC?

CollegeStudent said...
Avoid HFSC, any artificial sugar/preservatives/additives, fried red meat, chicken(bloating), shrimps(antibiotics), non cooked veges

I avoid HFCS and any artificial sugars too. I hadn't realized that shrimp contained antibiotics. I'll have to avoid that too.

Where you eating western foods before getting UC? Where you consuming foods/beverages containing HFCS?

subdued said...

CollegeStudent said...
Avoid HFSC, any artificial sugar/preservatives/additives, fried red meat, chicken(bloating), shrimps(antibiotics), non cooked veges

I avoid HFCS and any artificial sugars too. I hadn't realized that shrimp contained antibiotics. I'll have to avoid that too.

Where you eating western foods before getting UC? Where you consuming foods/beverages containing HFCS?

The shrimps that we buy are mostly grown domestically with antibiotics. And I've been eating Western foods my whole life even when I was living in Korea. Came to the US about ten years ago.

Well, almost all snacks/drinks in Korea contain HFCS so yeppp for 18 years I've been getting them all, but who is not? most teens/kids eat junk food at least once a day(I consider highschool cafe. food as junk food)

But most importantly, I'm 100% sure that it was the antibiotics(cipro) during my first food poisoning + stressful events that eventually led up to developing UC after 3-4 months along with other environmental factors.

And I was also given Amoxicillin and/or something similar for the cold almost at least every two years by my pediatrician during my youth years. And after getting my wisdom teeth out ugh.

Scarecrow said...
Apparently <span class=squiggly title="To see spelling suggestions, click this word" state="new" word="UC" splc="splc">UC is on the rise in China. Previously, there was a very low incidence of the disease there. I know that researchers in the US are looking at this as a unique opportunity to find the root causes by studying Chinese <span class=squiggly title="To see spelling suggestions, click this word" state="new" word="UC" splc="splc">UC patients. I am taking Chinese herbs that are a byproduct of this research. I don't know if the results of this research have been published or if they will be.



I've always speculated that my <span class=squiggly title="To see spelling suggestions, click this word" state="new" word="UC" splc="splc">UC was caused by overuse of antibiotics when I was a kid. I used to get strep throat frequently and the doctor always gave me penicillin.

Agreed. I forgot to add that I had my bottom two wisdom teeth pulled out during the winter break. So I was on another round of antibiotics about 4-5 weeks before getting sick.
Total of three different rounds of antibiotics 4 months prior to developing UC.

Freddie,

Welcome to the forum.

Glad you've found us.

Let us know how we can help you.

Hey soystud,

How are you doing?

Did you ever figure out the probiotics problem?

Last time we spoke about ....

CollegeStudent said...
I don't need to reveal my nationality here but just wanted to open up a bit.
Btw, I'm asian(Korean) and NONE of my family members/relatives has this disease.

They've never heard of it too. It's hard to make them understand that my OWN cells are attacking the linings of my intestines. Although the number of UC patients has risen over 50,000 in just Korea, it's still insignificant compared to the number of people living with IBD in the US.

Also, none of non-asian friends has it, either. I know that there are a lot of teens/students living/coping with Crohn's/UC but feels like I'm like the only one around with it.

Or is it just that people around me have HEALTHY guts?

Just don't want to be left out as the ONLY asian guy with IBD lol.

-Adrian

]

You aren't. 27M, Korean, here. Born and raised in the mid-south US.

Diagnosed with UC in the lower sigmoid region in... 2010? Had my 2nd colonoscopy early this year and yep it's still there. Taking 3.6g of Lialda nightly with an occasional Canasa suppository when things don't feel right down there.

My parents (and probably yours, too) don't understand this disease, for 2 reasons:

1. My parents are old school Korean. In their day, there was no such thing as autoimmune disease.
2. Denial. My parents refuse to accept the fate that is UC. They were in complete shock that I have to take medications daily for the rest of my life. My dad is always trying to make me take random herbal supplements or drink Chinese teas.

Maybe yours can learn, but I've given up on mine. It's too much stress to discuss it with them (and that aggravates my UC) so when/if I talk to them, I keep the convo at the 20,000ft level.

Welcome to the club.

soystud,

Glad you are doing well.

And eating fun things

Sorry, perhaps it was my mistake on the probiotics...(memory problems, lol).

Old Mike said...
Annyong haseyo, Korean friends.I would be interested to know something about your general pre illness diet.
Did you happen to eat bread,cookies,fried,baked,grilled,barbecued,broiled meats and fish to any great extent.
Drink coffee,or eat chocolate.
I am trying to see if there is a link between western cooking methods/food and UC.
Most interested in the cooking method.
Kamsahamnida.

I spent all of 1971 on and off the DMZ and in Uijeongbu.
Old Mike

Hi Mike,

While I was growing up and living at home, my parents cooked most nights of the week so we had a typical Korean diet, which consisted of:

White Rice
Soup (beef or fish broth + vegetables and tofu and occasionally meat)
Side dishes made of pickled vegetables, cooked potato, various greens
A main protein like pan fried fish, or grilled beef or chicken

We'd also dine in a typical American fashion a few times a month and have hamburgers or pizza or meatloaf or roast beef.

We used to drink a beverage called "boreecha" which was a hot or cold tea brewed from roasted corn or roasted barley. Eventually we acquired a Sparkletts water cooler and switched over to water.

I didn't consume much coffee during my years living at home, but I did eat sweets like any other kid growing up in the U.S. I also was a soda fiend and could easily finish off a 24 pack of Pepsi in a weekend. Once I got my license and car and started being more independent, I used to LOVE eating fast food since it was so much more flavorful (and unhealthy) than home made Korean food.

My UC diagnosis occurred after I finished undergraduate and was a few years into the working life. My parents to this day still blame the UC on me leaving home and no longer eating my mom's home cooking.

Who knows...maybe they are right, but Western medicine says the two events are unrelated.

So to summarize, from birth to about age 16 I was eating whatever mom made, which was usually Korean food. After 16 I started eating more on my own, which was a mix of Korean food at home and then fast food burgers and pizza a few nights a week. In college my diet was almost entirely American.

Thanks dinkydonuts seems as if you ate a lot of sugar and caramel in all the soda,fast foods.
I suspect western medicine does not believe in diet causing UC since unlike crohn's an enteral diet will put it into remission where it does little for UC,they may be correct,or perhaps cannot see the forest for the trees. As we can see more and more diet has a great effect on gut microbes,much more than the doc's thought in the past.  I also suspect that it is somewhat difficult to put uc into remission with diet,but then again what is the correct diet.

If you have read my other thread cooking techniques may play a major role.

Deltaforce: Since you were in Sweden could you describe your pre UC diet, and yes Sweden is a UC hotbed.
Thanks
Old Mike

Post Edited (Old Mike) : 4/8/2013 1:56:42 PM (GMT-6)

removing pickles and kimchi (if you ate it) might have had a role to play? Maybe not. Have you reintegrated them into your diet to see if they help your gut at all?

Asian (Indian) here. I think I am the very few being from North India (Punjab) being effected by Ulcerative Colitis.

I think it is a "mixed up" diet that causes the problems. I believe eating a simple diet with regular fresh food and lots of Veggy will help.

Mixed up foods, with different meats, eggs, carbos, gluten etc on the same plate is a crazy time bomb.

My UC flared last year after a trip back to the UK where I was tucking in to all the cakes, pies, fish and chips, beer, cheese etc etc..  All crazy, mixed up and processed foods.

I live in Malaysia 10 months of the year, and here I can eat more simple, fresh foods. After my flare I am a lot more careful what I eat and promise not to over indulge next time I'm back in the UK.

The Asian diet is more simple but the ambundance of fried foods and white rice, cannot help + KFC and Starbucks are coming to every corner so the UC epidemic + obesity are sure to come here.