A new study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has found that lower levels of vitamin D in the blood increase the risk of clinical relapse in patients with Ulcerative Colitis (UC), an inflammatory bowel disease that causes long-lasting inflammation and ulcers in the colon. The study was published in the February issue of the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Lower vitamin D levels have been associated with active disease in patients with UC, but it has been unknown whether they increase disease relapses. "Prior studies in patients with Crohn's disease and Ulcerative Colitis had linked low vitamin D levels to disease flare-ups," said senior author Alan Moss, MD, a gastroenterologist at the Digestive Disease Center at BIDMC and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. "However, it has been unclear if the flare-up was lowering vitamin D levels, or if low vitamin D levels were causing the flare-up. We thought that if we looked at vitamin D levels when the disease was inactive and then followed patients moving forward, the impact of baseline vitamin D levels on future events may be clearer." Moss and colleagues collected vitamin D serum levels through a physician-blinded prospective … Continue reading →

Metro 7 ways ulcerative colitis can affect your mental health and how to deal with it Metro Ulcerative colitis (UC) is, is a form of chronic bowel disease that affects (and inflames) your rectum and colon. The disease produces ulcers in said areas, resulting in bloody, loose stools and painful diarrhoea, stomach cramps, weight and appetite ... Follow this link: 7 ways ulcerative colitis can affect your mental health and how to deal with it - Metro … Continue reading →

Editors note: This information is provided for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or treat any condition. If you have digestive health issues or pain, consult a licensed health care professional in person. Many people claim to have cured their ulcerative colitis with diet or supplements. Unfortunately, there is no diet or pill that can cure the disease. However, certain diet changes have shown promise in reducing symptoms and easing discomfort. This article explains what we currently know about the role of diet in ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis is a chronic type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), like Crohns disease, that affects the colon (large intestine). Recent studies estimate that IBD affects 2 million people worldwide (1). Ulcerative colitis causes inflammation and sores in the inner lining of the colon. Inflammation often begins in the rectum, but it can spread throughout the large intestine. This brief video gives a more detailed look at the disease: Summary: Ulcerative colitis is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation and sores in the colon. Ulcerative colitis is thought to develop when a person at genetic risk is exposed to certain environmental stressors. These environmental stressors either change the … Continue reading →