Colitis or ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, that causes inflammation and even open sores to occur in the large intestine and rectum. This disease usually begins in the rectum and eventually spreads throughout the large intestine. The inflammation and sores can cause a buildup of scar tissue and lead to severe complications like infection or even death of colon tissue. Treatment of colitis usually involves a regimen of medications, lifestyle changes, and supplements like psyllium fiber.
How Psyllium Fiber Works
Psyllium fiber is a soluble fiber commonly found in fiber supplements that comes from an Indian herb known as Plantago ovata. The fiber itself is derived from the husks that encase the plant's many seeds. Like other soluble fibers, psyllium absorbs excess water in the colon and turns it into a gel. The gel slows down digestion so that your body does not absorb all of the sugar and starches in your intestine. Because of this, psyllium is associated with lowered cholesterol levels, stabilization of blood sugar in diabetics and reduced risk of colon cancer. Psyllium also is used by people with inflammatory bowel diseases to help treat diarrhea and keep the intestine functioning properly.
Fiber and Colitis
Psyllium fiber is used to treat both diarrhea and constipation. Since psyllium fiber plays a role in absorbing water and bulking up stools, physicians often recommend it for people who suffer from inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis. Psyllium fiber can treat moderate diarrhea you may suffer from as a consequence of colitis, and since bulkier stools move steadily through the digestive tract, the exposure of your system to the toxins associated with waste products is limited. Talk with your physician before you begin using a psyllium fiber regimen to treat your ulcerative colitis.
Medications That Treat Colitis
Since ulcerative colitis is not a disease that is curable, treatments focus on achieving and sustaining remission, or a temporary absence of symptoms. According to MayoClinic.com, physicians generally prescribe a regimen of prescription medications, dietary changes and supplements like psyllium fiber. Since colitis is an inflammatory disease, generally anti-inflammatory drugs such as sulfasalazine, mesalamine and corticosteroids, which are commonly used with immune suppressors. In addition to anti-inflammatory medications, immune suppressants are also used in some colitis patients, especially the drug azathioprine. For people who do not respond to azathioprine, cyclosporine or infliximab may be prescribed instead. People who suffer from ulcerative colitis also may find themselves treated with antibiotics, iron supplements, pain relievers and even a nicotine patch.
Other Uses for Psyllium
A study published in the May 2005 issue of "Archives of Internal Medicine" reported that adding psyllium fiber to a statin drug regimen made a smaller dose of the statin drug as effective as a dose twice as large. Psyllium fiber is widely suggested by physicians to help lower cholesterol levels when combined with an overall healthy lifestyle. It is also known that psyllium fiber relieves constipation and hemorrhoids, and helps with moderate diarrhea. While the University of Maryland Medical Center reports that psyllium has also been shown to be effective in lowering blood pressure and lowering overall cardiovascular risk, more study is needed before psyllium can be definitively linked to improving these conditions.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Fiber
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Psyllium
- Mayo Clinic: Ulcerative Colitis
- "Archives of Internal Medicine"; Effect of Combining Psyllium Fiber With Simvastatin in Lowering Cholesterol; EA Moreyra et. al.; May 2005
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