Everyone Healthy Library
Ulcerative Colitis
Condition / disease reference page from the Everyone Healthy database.
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Connected health information
Explore this condition in a clear order
Linked signs and symptoms
2Each sign/symptom opens its own page and links back to related conditions.
Linked drugs / medications
10Medication information is educational only. A doctor or pharmacist should advise whether any medicine is appropriate.
Treatments, therapies and supportive options
18Grouped by treatment type. These are educational database links, not personal treatment recommendations. Evidence labels are shown only where stored in the EH database.
Surgery
2Medical therapy
2Alternative and complementary therapies
9- Black Walnut (Juglans Nigra)No Recommendation(Low Evidence)
- Chlorella (Green Algae, Chlorella Pyrenoidosa)Weakly in Favour(Low Evidence)
- Comfrey (Blackwort, Symphytum Officinale)Strongly Against(Low Evidence)
- Goldenseal (Hydrastis Canadensis)Weakly Against(Low Evidence)
- Lactulose
- MoxibustionNo Recommendation(Very Low Evidence)
- Tumeric
- Turmeric
- Venus Flytrap Extract (Carnivora, Dionaea Muscipula)No Recommendation(Very Low Evidence)
Alternative medicine
3Alternative therapies
1Linked diagnostic tests and investigations
15These are pulled from both EH diagnostic-test link tables, including the older large test-link table.
- Carbon Monoxide (CO) Concentration
- Cerebrospinal Fluid Protein Concentration
- Chloride Concentration (Blood)
- Fecal Occult Blood Test
- Folic Acid (Folate) Concentration
- haptoglobin (Hp) concentration
- Leukocyte Concentration (Stool)
- Lymphocytes Count
- Magnesium Concentration (Mg, Blood)
- Monocyte Absolute Count
- Platelet Count
- Protein Electrophoresis (Blood, Serum Protein)
- Stool pH Test
- Urine Amylase Excretion Rate
- White Blood Cell (WBC) Count
Biological markers/agents
20This visual map shows biological markers/agents reported as increased or decreased with this condition. These are educational relationships only; test results must be interpreted by a qualified clinician because ranges vary by lab, method, age, sex and clinical context.
Often increased
13- Alpha-1-Globulin (Blood, Serum)Reference range exampleAll: 0.1–0.3 gm/dLLinked diagnostic testsProtein Electrophoresis (Blood, Serum Protein)
- Alpha-2-Globulin (Blood, Serum)Reference range exampleAll: 0.6–1 gm/dLLinked diagnostic testsProtein Electrophoresis (Blood, Serum Protein)
- Carbon Monoxide (CO)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 0–1.5 %Linked diagnostic testsCarbon Monoxide (CO) Concentration
- Cerebrospinal Fluid Total ProteinReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 15–45 mg/dL; Child (< 10y): 15–70 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testsCerebrospinal Fluid Protein Concentration
- Fecal BloodReference range exampleAll: 0–2 mLLinked diagnostic testsFecal Occult Blood Test
- haptoglobin (Hp)Reference range example45–200 mg/dLLinked diagnostic testshaptoglobin (Hp) concentration
- Leukocytes (Stool)Reference range exampleAll: 0–1 Not PresentLinked diagnostic testsLeukocyte Concentration (Stool)
- LymphocytesReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 25–40 %; 700–3,500 cells/mm3Linked diagnostic testsDifferential White Blood Cell Count Tests, Lymphocytes Count
- MonocytesReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 3–7 %; 0.1–0.5 million/mLLinked diagnostic testsDifferential White Blood Cell Count Tests, Monocyte Absolute Count
- PlateletsReference range exampleChild (0 - 16y): 150–450 109/L; Adult ( > 16y): 135–380 109/LLinked diagnostic testsPlatelet Count
- Stool pHReference range exampleNewborn (0 - 1month): 5–7.5; All: 6.5–7.5Linked diagnostic testsStool pH Test
- Urine AmylaseReference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 400–6,700 nkat/dayLinked diagnostic testsUrine Amylase Excretion Rate
- White Blood Cell (WBC)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 4.5–10.5 million/mL; Adult ( > 16y): 3.2–10 million/mLLinked diagnostic testsWhite Blood Cell (WBC) Count
Often decreased
7- Albumin (Blood)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 37–52 gm/dL; Infant (0 - 1y): 4.4–5.4 gm/dLLinked diagnostic testsBlood Albumin Concentration, Protein Electrophoresis (Blood
- Beta GlobulinReference range exampleAll: 0.7–1.2 gm/dLLinked diagnostic testsProtein Electrophoresis (Blood, Serum Protein)
- Chloride (Blood, Cl)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 97–106 mEq/L; Birth - 2wks: 94–106 mEq/LLinked diagnostic testsChloride Concentration (Blood)
- Folic Acid (Folate)Reference range exampleInfant (0 - 1y): 14–51 ng/mL; Child (0 - 16y): 5–21 ng/mLLinked diagnostic testsFolic Acid (Folate) Concentration
- Gamma Globulin (Blood, Serum)Reference range exampleAll: 0.8–1.7 gm/dLLinked diagnostic testsProtein Electrophoresis (Blood, Serum Protein)
- Magnesium (Mg, Blood)Reference range exampleAdult ( > 16y): 1.3–2.6 mEq/L; Birth - 2wks: 1.4–2.2 mEq/LLinked diagnostic testsMagnesium Concentration (Mg, Blood)
- Protein, Total (Blood, Serum)Reference range exampleInfant (0 - 1y): 6–6.7 gm/dL; Child (0 - 16y): 6.1–8.2 gm/dLLinked diagnostic testsProtein Electrophoresis (Blood, Serum Protein)
Introduction / full article
Ulcerative Colitis
Ulcerative Colitis
Efficacy of Alternative and Other Treatments According to GRADE* Ranking:
Venus Flytrap Extract (Carnivora, Dionaea Muscipula) [1, 21, 22, 23]:
Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It is proposed only as a weak supportive symptomatic support, and even then, has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.
Recommendation: No recommendation (There is insufficient evidence to support claims that Venus flytrap extracts can help in the treatment of ulcerative colitis. More research is needed.)
Grade of Evidence: very low quality of evidence
Turmeric [1, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20]:
Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It is proposed only as a weak supportive symptomatic support, and even then, has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.
Recommendation: No recommendation (There is insufficient evidence to support claims that turmeric can help in the treatment of Ulcerative Colitis. More research is needed.)
Grade of Evidence: very low quality of evidence
Goldenseal (Hydrastis Canadensis) [1, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14]:
Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.
Recommendation: Weakly against (There is insufficient evidence to support claims that Goldenseal helps to treat ulcerative colitis. More studies are needed. Goldenseal may produce toxic effects, including depression, constipation, rapid heartbeat, stomach pain, mouth ulcers and vomiting.)
Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence
Comfrey (Blackwort, Symphytum Officinale) [1, 5, 6, 7]:
Please note, this herb is TOXIC IF TAKEN ORALLY, OR IF APPLIED TO AN OPEN WOUND. Can cause severe liver or kidney damage and lead to death. May ONLY be used as a cream over intact skin, and does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.
Recommendation: Strongly Against (ONLY TO BE USED AS A CREAM OVER HEALTHY SKIN. If taken orally to treat ulcerative colitis, Comfrey can lead to severe liver and kidney damage, and can even lead to death.)
Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence
Chlorella (Green Algae, Chlorella Pyrenoidosa) [1, 2, 3, 4]:
Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It may mildly help with some of the symptoms, and even then has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.
Recommendation: weakly in favor (One study indicates that Chlorella may help treat the symptoms of ulcerative colitis, but more research is needed)
Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence
Black Walnut (Juglans Nigra):
Please note, this management does NOT treat the condition itself. It is proposed only as a weak supportive symptomatic support, and even then, has insufficient evidence to back up this claim at present.
Recommendation: no recommendation (Available evidence does not support claims that Black Walnut helps to treat Ulcerative Colitis)
Grade of Evidence: low quality of evidence
Moxibustion:
Recommendation: no recommendation (there is insufficient evidence to show that Moxibustion helps in the treatment of gastric ulcers)
Grade of Evidence: very low quality of evidence
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT):
NOT RECOMENDED
Recommendation: Strongly against (available evidence shows that HBOT is in no way useful in treating cirrhosis, and can have harmful effects. NOT RECOMENDED)
Grade of Evidence: Moderate quality of evidence
* www.gradeworkinggroup.org
Summary References
Treatments:
1. Ades T, Alteri R, Gansler T, Yeargin P, "Complete Guide to Complimentary & Alternative Cancer Therapies", American Cancer Society, Atlanta USA, 2009
2. Nakano, S et al. “Maternal-fetal distribution and transfer of dioxins in pregnant women in Japan, and attempts to reduce maternal transfer with Chlorella (Chlorella pyrenoidosa) supplements...” Chemosphere 2005 Dec; 61(9): 1244–55.
3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=retrieve&db=pubmed&list_uids=11347287&dopt=Abstract
4. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/chlorella
5. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19460762
6. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/comfrey
7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2103401
8. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/goldenseal
9. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/goldenseal/
10. Tierra Michael (1998): The Way of Herbs. New York, Pocket Books
11. Grieve M. (1971): A Modern Herbal. New York, Dover Publications, Inc
12. Mills S. and Bone K. (2000): Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy. Philadelphia, Churchill Livingstone
13. Tice Raymond (1997): Goldenseal and Two of its constituent alkaloids: berberine and hydrastine Research Triangle Park, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, in Seiger E: Review of Toxilogical Literature
14. http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/ellingwood/hydrastis.html
15. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/turmeric
16. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-turmeric.html
17. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/turmeric/index.htm
18. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1668932.stm
19. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/10/28/curry-kills-cancer-cells-and-other-health-benefits-of-the-nations-favourite-dish-115875-21779950/
20. http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=turmeric
21. http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/venus-flytrap
22. Parimala, R. & P. Sachdanandam 1993. Effect of plumbagin on some glucose metabolizing enzymes studied in rats in experimental hepatoma. Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry 12(1): 59–63.
23. http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/318/2/484