QUESTION:

I was wondering if Boswelya plus is any good for inflammation of the colon? I have a digestive situation with colitis and a bad taste in my mouth that comes and goes that no tests have solved...all normal...except for colitis found in colonoscopy, a return from more than ten years without it brought on by a bad combination of western drugs that affected my nervous system and smooth muscles. (I rarely take medicine and am rarely sick, until one bad doc basically poisoned me)...I cannot tolerate Asacol, which worked just fine ten years ago, or any of the other meds they have tried. I'm currently on B complex, SeaCure, MSM, glutamine, probiotics and I've recently added Phosphatidyl Choline for colon. Now they're suggested BosWelya Plus, which I've been on for a week, but when I just read up on it, it seemed to be for inflammation of the joints more than the stomach/colon lining. Does it also work on the digestive system? If not, is there an anti-inflammatory natural version of Asacol that at might work? Any other suggestions?

ANSWER:

First, taking so many single various supplements is a tough task. It is best to try and find a couple things which will take care of it, such as an excellent formulation specifically designed for a condition. This makes your day easier and your pocketbook more relaxed.

BosWelya Plus is a great joint product. It is useful for joints if taken away from food. Useful for the digestive system when taken with food. However, as it contains joint nutrients, it is mainly for joint use.

However, my opinion, the more superior products for your condition are BioInflammatory Plus powder taken with Intestinal Repair Complex. Add EPA/DHA and you may be set with only taking 3 supplements.

Something that they have been taking in Europe for 100's of years is Herbal Melange herbal drink of moor mud and may be of benefit.

Do take this information to your doctor and see what they think. I have worked with the physician who designed these Biogenesis products and patients have had tremendous success.

One extremely important thing - need to figure out what is causing your colitis. Colitis simply means inflammation of the colon. Is this colitis due to interstitial colitis - from stress or food allergy? Crohns due to similar issues? Celiac from a gluten sensitivity - so simply remove wheat. Is it a food allergy? Is it a genetic disposition to a wheat allergy - celiac disease? Is it crohns disease? Numerous people have crohns or celiac that is undiagnosed. You must first determine the cause of your problem.

An easy test - remove wheat from your diet for 3 days. All of it. no soy sauce, no prepared foods, no eating out. Eat rice and salmon, steamed veggies for dinner. Eat salad and chicken for lunch. Breakfast have a smoothie with protein powder, berries and yogurt. You may get bored with the menu but I bet if you felt much better by the 3rd day, it would be worth it. The other main allergies are due to dairy products. You may try and eliminate those at another time. Do one at a time - make it easier. No wheat. None. Give it a shot. Tell your doc about this. You may also do a gliadin antibody test - tells if you have celiac.

I found an awesome website for dieatary issues: Living Without

Spending money on supplements is not wise unless you know what you are trying to overcome. Cannot simply run blindfolded - one must know if there are trees or holes in the way first. If you took the best eye supplements it wouldn't help. Removing the blindfold would help or having someone guide you through the field.

To locate a qualified naturopathic doctor in your area - you may go to MedND.

Faster healing is accomplished when the cause of the problem is removed. Now go and try to determine what that is. Any trained naturopathic doctor should be able to nail it. A MD should as well but for some reason, doesn't seem that they do it. Steroids seem to be their first line of action after they run a few tests. Blood tests do not always show the problem. This is why food elimination diets are essential in digestive issues. Food allergy testing by blood is not always useful. You may let your doctor know about the Great Smokies Lab test on Food Allergy. Most insurance policies cover food allergy testing.

You'll get better! ;)

Digestive issues are excellent to treat as they are so rewarding. Do be aware though that it takes time to heal inflammation of the colon.

Again - this is only information. I am not giving treatment advice. Your doctor is the one for that - if you are not getting the results you want, try a different doctor. Health is a tough field as no doctor can know everything.

In health,

Ben

Disclaimer: This information is not intended to treat, diagnose or cure any disease.

(c) 2005 Benjamin Lynch of HealthE Goods

Benjamin Lynch has a BS degree in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Washington. Currently, he is obtaining his doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine at Bastyr University. His online health site, HealthE Goods, http://www.healthegoods.com offers a free health information service where one may ask specific health questions. We provide physician-grade non-prescription natural health products. Wholesale spa products are available to all that qualify. Do visit our Healthy Lifestyle and Wellness Blog and submit your health question. Our blog can be found via our homepage. We are here to help serve the public with proper health information and effective products. To submit your own health questions, please navigate to the Ask the Med Student link on our site.