September 12, 2024

Ulcerative Colitis: A Symptom, Not a Diagnosis

Ulcerative Colitis: A Symptom, Not a Diagnosis

If you're struggling with ulcerative colitis, know that you're not alone—and healing is possible. Understanding the symptoms and causes of this condition can empower you to take control of your health.

Imagine you’re a world-class performer but can’t take a sip of water before going on stage.

Because even a tiny sip of water could trigger an uncontrollable bowel movement of blood and mucus.

This was the reality for one of my clients (let’s call her Michelle) who had been diagnosed with severe Ulcerative Colitis.

Michelle’s healthcare providers, like they tell many people with ulcerative colitis, told her they didn’t know why she developed ulcerative colitis, there is no cure, and it will continue to get worse as she ages. The best they could do for her was symptom management.

Michelle was only able to eat a few foods without severe symptoms, causing pain and consequences.

She was embarrassed about the anal fistula she had developed.

Every day was a struggle and she felt like she had run out of approaches to try.

Spoiler alert: She made a complete recovery.

How is that possible?

Maybe you’ve also been told Ulcerative Colitis is auto-immune, genetic, and permanent.

Mainstream medicine doesn’t know the cause of ulcerative colitis or how to fix it.

Keep reading as we use Michelle’s case to explain Ulcerative Colitis and your healing potential.

Key Takeaways

  • Ulcerative colitis creates inflammation and sores in your colon and rectum.
  • Mainstream medicine doesn’t understand the causes and seeks to merely manage symptoms in the treatment of ulcerative colitis.
  • Your body is capable of profound healing even if you have been diagnosed with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes long-lasting superficial inflammation and sores in your large intestine and rectum. 

In mainstream medical circles, the exact cause of UC is unknown, but it's believed to be linked to an overactive immune response in your digestive tract. 

I ask: “What’s causing the immune system to go into hyperdrive?”

Your body is an incredible healing machine. 

If the immune system is on high alert, there must be a reason. 

Figure out the reason, remove the cause, and let your body do what it knows how to do – heal.

Understanding Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) has various risk factors and involves an overactive immune response (1),(2). (More on why the immune system is overactive in a bit!)

Definition

Ulcerative colitis is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes superficial  inflammation and ulcers in the lining of your large intestine, or colon, and rectum. 


Risk Factors

Several factors that can increase your risk of developing ulcerative colitis include:

  • Age: It's often diagnosed before age 30 but can occur at any age.
  • Family history: Having a close relative with UC increases your chances. 
  • Ethnicity: If you're of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, you have a higher risk.
  • Medications such as antibiotics (especially before the age of five) or oral contraceptive use (3).
  • Infections from viruses, bacteria, fungi (4), or parasites(5),(6).
  • Sedentary lifestyle (7).
  • Poor diet (increased fat intake; increased soda consumption, etc.) (8).

There are also protective factors. 

A healthy lifestyle was found to decrease the development of IBD in high genetic-risk people by fifty percent in a recent study (9).

This reinforces other studies that found a healthy diet (10), rich in fruits and vegetables (11) is protective against UC. 

(My favorite protective factor? Having a childhood pet!)

 

But Isn't UC Genetic?

Recent studies look at ulcerative colitis as being the result of:

Genetic Susceptibility   +  A Dysregulated Immune System  +  Environment (12),(13)

(Let’s not forget that exposure to toxins in your environment such as mycotoxins, herbicides, pesticides, heavy metals, and pathogens can cause a dysregulated immune system!)

So yes, there is a genetic component to ulcerative colitis.

In fact, there are a multitude of genetic variants associated with the risk of developing IBD, including ulcerative colitis.

Over two hundred of these genetic variants alter the production and secretion of substances like (14):

    • Antimicrobial peptides (protein building-blocks that help defend against viruses, bacteria, and other invaders.)
    • Antibodies
    • Mucus
      • Makes the lining of your tissues slippery so invaders can’t stick.
      • Traps invaders so they can be expelled.
      • Protects underlying tissues.
    • Bile Acids
      •  Help digest fats.
      • Help regulate gut pH.
      • Act as signaling molecules involved in maintaining the integrity of the gut barrier as well as the function and composition of the microbiome (15).

Other genetic variants involve immune function and the interactions between the immune system and the microbiota (16).

Here’s the thing:

Just having a genetic variant or predisposition doesn’t set your health outcomes in stone.

These genes must be “turned on” or “turned off.”


Lifestyle choices, toxic exposures, and environment promote or suppress these genes (17).

This means you have more control over your health and treatment options than you ever thought possible!

Now that we understand the genetic component to ulcerative colitis, let’s consider the involvement of the immune system.

Immune System Involvement

UC is tied to your immune system's response. 

Normally, your immune system protects you by fighting harmful invaders. 

These invaders use allll kinds of tactics to suppress your immune system and evade detection.

But this confuses your immune system and can cause it to go a little crazy.

For people with UC, the immune system produces auto-antibodies against the lining of the colon. 

This causes the body to mistakenly attack these tissues, causing inflammation and ulcer formation typical of UC.


Symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) affects the large intestine and can have both gastrointestinal and extra-intestinal symptoms. 

Common Symptoms of UC

UC primarily affects the colon and the rectum, causing chronic inflammation and ulcers.

  • Diarrhea is a frequent symptom and may occur with blood or pus (18), making you afraid to be more than 5 steps from your bathroom.
  • Episodic bouts mark the remitting and relapsing nature (19). (Just when you think it’s over, it starts up again.)
  • Abdominal pain and cramping are common, especially during flare-ups (20). These can make you feel nauseous and like your intestines might fall out.)

  • Many people experience urgent bowel movements, sometimes accompanied by rectal bleeding.

  • Other mild to moderate symptoms include fatigue, fever, and weight loss due to the body’s constant struggle with inflammation. (You’re scared to eat anything because it will cause you to run to the bathroom.)

  • Mucus in the stool, which indicates the lining of the large intestine is severely inflamed.

Having these symptoms may continuously severely impact daily life and well-being.


Effects Beyond the Colon

UC doesn’t just affect the intestines; it can have other impacts on your body:

  • Some people may experience symptoms with their skin, eyes, and joints.
  • Fatigue and weight loss are frequent due to malabsorption or the body's inflammatory response.
  • There can be extra-intestinal involvement, affecting places like the lungs (21).
  • Increased risk of candida (22). (A systemic yeast infection? This is adding insult to injury.)
  • Can lead to psychological conditions such as OCD, ADHD, and Autism spectrum disorders (23).
  • Increased risk of dementia (24).
  • An increased risk for colorectal cancer among long-term UC patients (25).

Symptom Suppressive Approach vs. Generative Healing Approach in Ulcerative Colitis

When living with ulcerative colitis, there are two main approaches: allopathic and generative healing. Each path tackles the condition differently, targeting either the symptoms or the root cause.

Allopathic Symptom Suppression Approach to UC Treatment

Symptom suppression, commonly seen in the allopathic model, aims to provide immediate relief from symptoms like abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. 

This approach often uses medications such as steroids and anti-inflammatory drugs to control inflammation.

These meds, when used to treat ulcerative colitis, can have multiple side effects and may make you feel worse. (Have you listened to the end of a pharmaceutical commercial? The list of side effects they rattle off sounds worse than the original symptoms!)

When those don’t work, they resort to saying you need surgery to remove your colon and entire sections of your gut! 

This model does not resolve the causes of the inflammation, pain, and diarrhea.

While symptom suppression can offer relief, it's like putting a band-aid on a deeper wound. 

Even worse, this model can perpetuate chronic illness.

Remember Michelle? She had been treated under the allopathic model for years. Getting worse – with no relief in sight.

Generative Healing Approach to UC Treatment

Generative healing is a different model that focuses on addressing the root causes of chronic symptoms such as ulcerative colitis. 

This method aims to create an environment in your body where healing can naturally occur. 

The principles of bio-regulatory medicine guide this approach. 

By removing interference, such as toxins or stressors, your body can start to heal.

This method looks at the problem from an inside-out perspective, focusing on what’s happening within your system rather than just the diagnosis and treatment of outward symptoms.

Key generative healing steps in our work with Michelle included focusing on her internal terrain, testing for mold and other toxins, and assuming she was infected with parasites. 

Focus on Internal Terrain

Think of your internal terrain as a terrarium, fishbowl, or pond.

The health of the system is completely dependent upon the surrounding environment, what is put into the system, and what might be lacking from the system.

The same is true of your body.

We must look at deficiencies, toxicities, and flow.

The toxicities are often in the surrounding environment and can take the form of mycotoxins, herbicides, pesticides, heavy metals, viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, EMFs, and more.

Healing cannot occur unless we explore and address the internal terrain and the external environment.

In Michelle’s case, her health issues started in her childhood.

She had childhood asthma due to mold in the home. It was so severe she had to sleep outside, or she would be up all night, coughing.

She had additional mold exposure as an adult in her current home.

Then Michelle became pregnant. Doctors put her on medications to control her symptoms, and she had a horrible health spiral.

Michelle had massive mycotoxin exposure plus chemical exposure in the form of prescription medications. (In addition to other deficiencies and toxicities that stem from living a typical American life!)

Her internal terrain was polluted, and her body didn’t have the resources to heal.


Test for Mold and Other Toxins Immediately

As soon as Michelle came to our practice, she was immediately tested for mold. (A simple urine test.)

Mold releases mycotoxins that can damage your gut lining, leading to inflammation and increased intestinal permeability (26). 

This makes your digestive system more vulnerable to infections, parasites and other issues.

Mycotoxins also distress your liver and compromise your immune system (27). 

Michelle’s mycotoxin levels were sky-high: Citronin, Ochratoxin A, and Gliotoxin.


Liver Involvement

Mycotoxins (and other pollutants of your internal terrain) cause liver distress, leading to impaired detoxification. 

When your liver is overburdened, it can't effectively process waste and toxins, leading to inflammation and other issues.

If your drainage pathways are bogged down and your liver is congested, you can’t rid your body of invaders or waste.

Think of a stagnant pond or fish tank with a broken filter. (Gross!)


Assume Parasites

Parasites are an often overlooked factor in digestive disorders, so checking for signs of parasitic infections is crucial. 

Parasites are real, and parasitic infections are incredibly damaging to your health.

But often people are in denial and think it can’t happen to them. (I know – I used to be one of them!)

Parasitic infections are very common and can be one of the root causes of many health issues.

We assumed Michelle was infected with parasites because, as we say, “Mold travels with friends.”

The early and cumulative mycotoxin exposure left Michelle’s gut vulnerable to parasites.

These invaders cause chronic inflammation (28), disrupt your gut, stress your liver, and impair your immune system (29).

Parasites are pleomorphic (30), meaning they can change their shape, biological functions, and even their reproductive modes in response to their environment.

This means they can change to better evade your immune system, damage your gut, and hunker down and feed off you for the long-term.

Parasites can even cause ulcerative colitis (31).

A New Perspective on Ulcerative Colitis

By using the lens of the Generative Healing model, focusing on the internal terrain and the external environment, testing for mold, and assuming parasitic infection, we were able to give Michelle hope and a new perspective on ulcerative colitis.

It finally made sense.

All of Michelle’s ulcerative colitis symptoms were also symptoms of mold toxicity and parasite infection. 

(Or, perhaps her mold toxicity and parasitic infection were mistakenly labeled as ulcerative colitis?)

But what about the immune system involvement? 

Why do so many studies point to immune system dysregulation in ulcerative colitis? Let’s look at that next!


How are Autoimmune Digestive Conditions Like Ulcerative Colitis Related to Toxins?

Autoimmune digestive conditions like ulcerative colitis can be influenced by invaders and toxins that lead to issues such as inflammation, endothelial damage, dysbiosis, and immune system dysregulation. (What a mouthful!) Here, we explore how these connections unfold.

Inflammation

Inflammation is a non-specific protective mechanism in the body, and it’s the first stage of healing after an injury.

Your super-smart body literally “turns up the heat” and brings white blood cell “enforcers” to get rid of unwanted pathogens!

Infections and toxins like mycotoxins from mold, heavy metals, and pesticides trigger systemic inflammation. 

This means that your entire body, including the digestive system, can be “on fire.”

In autoimmune issues, your body sees part of itself as the enemy, resulting in a cycle of attack and inflammation.

In ulcerative colitis, this shows up as inflammation of the colon and rectum, which is a hallmark symptom of ulcerative colitis.

Inflammation can also decrease mucus production in your gut. 

Mucus protects the lining of your digestive tract, so less mucus means more irritation and pain. 

Endothelial Damage

The endothelium is the thin layer of cells lining the interior surfaces of your respiratory tract, digestive tract, and blood vessels. 

Parasites and toxins such as mycotoxins, industrial chemicals, and heavy metals can damage this layer, impacting blood flow and nutrient delivery. 

Damaged intestinal endothelium contributes to intestinal permeability, a condition often referred to as "leaky gut."

A leaky gut allows toxins and bacteria to enter back into your bloodstream instead of being eliminated, further triggering your immune system. 

This sequence of events can increase the inflammation and ulcers associated with ulcerative colitis, making you feel worse.

Dysbiosis

Dysbiosis is a term describing an imbalance in your gut microbiome (32). 

Parasites and toxins like pesticides, herbicides, and mycotoxins can disrupt the balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut (33). 

This imbalance can lead to changes in microbiome composition. For example:

  • Increased gram-negative bacteria, which produce lipopolysaccharides (LPS) that increase inflammation and decrease the integrity of the intestinal lining (34).
  • Increases in E. Coli and Klebsiella species (35).
  • Decreases in butyrate-producing species (36). (Butyrate modulates intestinal balance and decreases inflammation.)

Such shifts can decrease stomach acid and alter bile acids (37), both of which are critical for digestion. 

This imbalance can worsen digestive issues and exacerbate ulcerative colitis symptoms. 

Immune System Dysregulation

Autoimmune conditions occur when your body mistakenly attacks itself. 

Think about it from your body’s perspective.

It knows there’s a threat, but due to the evasive tactics of parasites and mycotoxins, it’s not sure exactly where the threat is coming from.

Parasites and toxins further confuse the immune system by mimicking the body’s own cells. (This is called “molecular mimicry.”)

The more confused your immune system gets, the less able it becomes to discriminate between the body’s cells and those of invaders.

The immune system concludes it’s better to be safe than sorry, leading to the destruction of even its own cells.

Studies show that:

  • Viruses, fungi, etc. in the host microbiome lead to IBD either directly via inflammation or indirectly via alterations to the immune system (38).
  • An altered microbiome can lead to the increased production of T-Helper 1 and T-Helper 17 lymphocytes (39).
    • Th1 cells produce interferon and tumor necrosis factor alpha, which promote tissue degradation and the death of epithelial cells (40).
    • Th17 cells produce interleukin 17A and 21, which promote extracellular matrix degradation (41).
  • Serum and mucosal autoantibodies against intestinal epithelium are found in IBD (42). (Autoantibodies make your own cells targets of your immune system.)

The takeaway: Toxins (from mold, herbicides, pesticides, heavy metals, etc.) are the underlying drivers of autoimmune and gastrointestinal conditions. 

They suppress your immune system and turn you into the perfect host for pathogens like viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites, accelerating your health issues.

In Michelle’s case, her massive mycotoxin exposure and resulting parasitic infection caused systemic inflammation, endothelial damage, and dysbiosis. 

Her immune system went into overdrive, resulting in the autoimmune presentation of ulcerative colitis. 

Conclusion

So, what happened with Michelle?

We guided her in cleaning up her internal terrain and external environment, and that allowed her body to release and flow.

We did a major mold detox, and parasites came out of her for almost a year.


During that time, we also did a series of liver flushes that allowed her to release thousands of stones.

Healing is a state of flow, just like a moving stream is clean and a stagnant pond is dirty.

Healing from ulcerative colitis is possible, but no one can do it for you. 

I invite you to take the first step and consider your internal terrain. Join our FREE Reversing Chron's and Colitis Summit!

You can do this and we’re here to support you every step of the way!

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn more about the concerns people have regarding ulcerative colitis.

Why do you assume parasite infection in patients with Ulcerative Colitis?

Parasitic infections trigger inflammation in the digestive tract. Some experts believe that parasites might contribute to the immune system's incorrect response, leading to conditions like inflammatory bowel disease and ulcerative colitis. 

Is Ulcerative Colitis Fixable?

While mainstream medicine says ulcerative colitis is a chronic type of inflammatory bowel disease that can be managed but not cured, I’ve had a very different experience. By addressing root causes such as mold and parasites, I’ve had hundreds of clients restore their health and vitality, even from an “incurable” condition like ulcerative colitis.

Can a Generative Approach to ulcerative colitis treatment work?

Absolutely! A generative approach involves holistic therapies and strategies that focus on optimizing the internal terrain and external environment to promote overall well-being. Integrating lifestyle changes, dietary adjustments, and stress management improves overall health.

 

Citations

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