The use of herbs for Crohn's disease has not been scientifically approved but is accepted as an alternative treatment for the disorder. Crohn's disease is a condition which causes inflammation in the digestive tract. It usually affects the intestines but can appear in any part of the gastrointestinal tract. The cause of this disease is not known for certain but it may be caused by an abnormal immune system. Your body may treat certain types of food as foreign objects and try to fight them.
How Crohn's Disease Can Affect Your Body
Crohn's disease can affect your body in many ways. It causes inflammation in your digestive tract, most often in the intestines. This inflammation is usually accompanied by pain. There can be bleeding, diarrhea and loss of appetite. These symptoms can be treated using medication or nutritional supplements. A proper diet should be followed to control the recurrence of the disease.
Herbs Used For Treating Crohn's Disease
Apart from taking drugs and supplements like fish oil, you can turn to herbs for Crohn's treatment. Herbs have been used in traditional Chinese medicine since the 13th century. They are also widely used in India as remedies for many maladies. Herbs have never been scientifically proven to be effective cures but are used more as traditional medicine.
There are many herbs with properties which can help reduce the discomforts associated with Crohn's disease. Some of the herbs and their effects are given below.
Ginger is an herb which can help by warming the digestive tract and making digestion of food easier. It is important because patients of Crohn's normally lose the ability to digest food properly. If you roast ginger it aids in stopping diarrhea as well. Licorice root is another useful herb as it has anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties. It has a sweet taste and is sometimes used as an additive to reduce the bitterness of many other herbs like goldenseal and dandelion.
Ume plums and Catechu resin have properties that help to heal sores in the inner lining of the digestive tract. In patients of Crohn's disease, many foods may cause allergies and Ume plums have anti-allergic properties which help control reactions to such food.
There are some herbs which act as detoxifiers and have strong anti-bacterial properties. These herbs are very useful when there is fever, diarrhea and a lot of mucus. You can use them for a short span of time when these symptoms increase suddenly. Some such herbs are Pulsatilla root and Coptis root.
There are three herbs which strengthen the digestive organs. These are Codonopsis root, Atractylodis root and Astragalus root. These can be used as tonics in cases of chronic diarrhea. Astragalus is also a great booster for the immune system which is essential for patients of Crohn's disease. Angelica root and White Peony root are blood tonics and are helpful in the event of bleeding ulcers which could lead to anemia.
Though herbal treatment is not scientifically proven to be effective, it is still used in many countries as traditional medicine. Most of them have healing properties which are very useful in treating several medical conditions. Using herbs for Crohn's disease has been quite effective as treatment.
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