Ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory, often chronic disease of the colon, or large intestine. It affects the mucosa of the colon ie the innermost lining, and is marked by inflammation and ulceration. Ulcerative colitis often begins in the rectum and sigmoid colon and may extend upwards into the entire colon. Ulcerative proctitis is the name given to the condition when it affects only the rectum, or proctosigmoiditis when it affects the rectum and the sigmoid colon. If it affects only the left side of the colon it is called limited or distal colitis. When it affects the entire colon, it is called pancolitis or pan-ulcerative colitis. The symptoms for the three types differ. Symptoms of ulcerative proctitis or proctosigmoid include bloody diarrhea, cramps, and tenesmus (difficulty passing stool, pain). Symptoms of limited or distal colitis include loss of appetite, weight loss, diarrhea, severe pain on the left side of the abdomen and bleeding. Pan-ulcerative colitis presents with diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, cramps, and extensive weight loss.

It is rare for it to affect the small intestine.

Ulcerative colitis differs from another inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn's disease that can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract. Both conditions are marked by an abnormal response by the body's immune system. The immune system is composed of various cells and proteins, which protect the body from infection, but in people with IBD, the immune system reacts inappropriately. It wrongly recognizes food, bacteria and other materials in the intestine as foreign or invading substances, and launches an attack resulting in chronic inflammation, ultimately leading to ulcerations and bowel injury. IBD and IBS are not the same.

IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), which is sometimes called 'spastic colon', or 'nervous colitis', is a disorder that affects the muscle contractions of the colon, and is not characterized by inflammation.

Both Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are considered autoimmune illnesses and studies indicate they may be caused by a defect in the body's mucosal-lining defensive barrier which consists of glycoproteins called glycosaminoglycans or GAG for short. Wherever the barrier is defective toxins and pathogens can penetrate, causing inflammation, infection and ulceration. The defect and subsequent invasion allow fluid and protein to leak out, disrupting the vascular structure and connective tissue. Chronic inflammation causes scarring and the body's shift into a high-gear immune response - and autoimmune disease.

Rather than trying to halt the inflammatory response, with steroids and other immune suppressants it may be more effective to rebuild the GAG layer. Saccharide (glyconutrient) deficiencies have been found in patients with ulcerative colitis - they are deficient in many of the eight essential glyconutrients. For people with ulcerative colitis, glyconutrients, in Immunocal and Repair A Cell, may support the body to repair and rebuild the GAG layer and so prevent the inflammation and ulceration.

All bodies, not just those that have ulcerative colitis, need glyconutrients, in Immunocal and Repair A Cell, to support the body's ability to heal, repair, regenerate, regulate and protect itself

disclaimer] “These statements have not been evaluated by FDA. Products or treatment reflected on this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.”