Ulcerative colitis is a disorder that causes inflammations and ulcers inside your colon, affecting the entire digestive system. The disease grows over time and symptoms start to worsen over a prolonged period, rather than the problem showing up suddenly. Severe cases of ulcerative colitis may even be fatal if treatment does not resolve some of the complications arising from the condition.

Causes of Ulcerative Colitis-
The exact cause for the inflammatory bowel disease is unknown. Improper diet and lifestyle can aggravate the symptoms, but do not cause the condition. Some possible causes for the disease include-

Improper functioning of the body s immune system causes it to recognize the colon as a foreign body.
Genetic factors and hereditary may also be held accountable in some instances.
Risk factors for the condition include old age and family history of the condition.

Symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis-
Here are some common symptoms associated with the condition-

Bloody diarrhoea
Rectal pain
Weight loss
Pain in the abdominal region along with cramping
Fever
Urgency to defecate
Inadequate bowel movement despite the feeling of urgency
How can you prevent ulcerative colitis?
Ulcerative colitis cannot be prevented as the exact cause for the condition is unknown. However, there are simple steps that will help manage the symptoms.

Diet change- You need to stop eating certain foods, such as, dairy products, beans, broccoli, cabbage and anything spicy. Instead, fibre intake must be increased drastically.
Exercise- Mild exercise or activities have a profound impact on managing the condition.
Avoiding stress
Drinking plenty of fluids
Role of Homeopathy in Managing Ulcerative Colitis-
Homeopathy follows a natural and holistic approach to deal with the condition. It does not merely treat the symptoms, but looks to cure the underlying cause for those symptoms. Homeopathic remedies will greatly bolster the overall condition of the body s immune system. Furthermore, the bloody diarrhoea accompanying the disease will also stop with proper homeopathic treatment.

Ulcerative Colitis - Does Homeopathic Treatments Work?

It is a known and proven fact that eating while consuming alcohol is necessary. One tends to grow hungrier, the more he or she drinks alcohol. This is because alcohol has the attribute to stimulate one s appetite in such a way that one would have you craving for food that is rich in salt and high in fibre. Consuming only alcohol ignoring the hunger would lead to several diseases like pancreatitis and issues with the liver.

Though the appetite of an individual during alcohol consumption tends to incline towards snacks like pizza, french fries, nuts and cheese cubes, it is wise to opt for healthier food choices. Salty food can worsen the dehydration effects of the body. And as the body tends to be dehydrated during drinking, it is better to avoid salty food. High-fibre food items are not good for the health either. It delays the digestion process, which is not a good sign for the body. Also, it is also not advisable to eat food in large portions before going to bed, especially after alcohol intake.

There is a variety of healthy food that one can eat along with alcohol

Soup: A clear soup, like chicken clear soup or vegetable clear soup, which has a broth-like texture, is a healthy choice. Creamy soup with cream of chicken or cream of mushroom should be avoided as it would make one heavy, thus delaying the digestion process.
Rice: Plain rice is said to be one of the best food that is easy to digest, paired up with a light vegetable dish. It is very nutritious as well.
Chicken sandwich: Grilled chicken sandwich without cheese and mayo is a healthy food tip as it contains sodium.
Popcorn: Popcorn does not contain fat, neither is it high-fibre. It is the best low-calorie food to go along with alcohol and it tastes really good too.
Wheat crackers: Wheat crackers contain whole grains. It is full of complex carbohydrates, which help the alcohol to absorb easily. It also consists of Vitamin B, which like potassium, gets reduced with the consumption of alcohol.
Banana: It is rich in potassium. Though an individual would never have a banana along with alcohol, it is healthy as the level of potassium should be taken care of while drinking alcohol.
Wheat bread: Wheat bread toast can be consumed with alcohol without butter or cheese. It is an alternative to wheat crackers for those who do not prefer it.
Oats: Cooked food is easy to digest with alcohol, so a pot of cooked oatmeal can be a healthy accompaniment. It can be spiced up a bit to add flavour.
Salad: Salad is refreshing and healthy at the same time. It can be bland, but it is better to have healthy salad as an accompaniment than having salty food with alcohol.
Milk cereal: Cereal, especially whole grain cooked with low-fat milk, is healthy.
By being aware of the right eatables, the ill effects of alcohol can be mitigated to a large extent.

Alcohol - 10 Healthy Foods that You Can Eat With It!

The liver is the engine of the human body. It is basically composed of 2 types of cells (a cell is the basic building block of the human body)   hepatocytes (liver cells) and cholangiocytes (bile duct cells). It also has other supporting tissue and their respective cells. The hepatocytes are by far the most numerous cell type, not surprisingly tumours (otherwise called mass or lump.  Tumor  means lump in Latin), of this cell form the majority of abnormal growths in the liver. Abnormal growths can be benign (that is, they do not grow rapidly, spread to other parts of the organ or to other parts of the body) or malignant (grow rapidly, spread to other parts of the organ and to other parts of the body, i.e. cancer). These abnormal growths from liver cells are Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH), Adenomas (the benign variety) and hepatocellular cancer (otherwise called Hepatoma/HCC, the cancerous type). What we need to recognize is that certain adenomas can turn into HCC, over a period of time. The other type of growths in the liver are those that have originated elsewhere in the body and spread to the liver, for example a growth of the breast spreading to the liver. These are in fact the commonest tumours of the liver. I will discuss these at a later date.

Benign growths of the liver

Common benign growths are Haemangiomas, FNH and Adenoma. Most of these are identified when a scan is performed as investigation for some other problem. Accurate diagnosis of the nature of these lumps is important to determine the type of treatment needed. This can be ascertained by a carefully selected scan like an Ultrasound, CT scan or an MRI. The technology of these scans is continuing to evolve and get better year on year. There are different types of Ultrasound, CT and MRI scans with different applications, based on whether contrast is used or not, the different phases of scanning, the type of MRI scanning sequence etc. Therefore, these scans although commonly available and used very frequently, need to be performed under the supervision of a team involving Liver doctors and radiologist who is well versed in the diagnosis of liver lumps, for accurate diagnosis without the need for unnecessary tests (Box 1).

Haemangiomas are by far the commonest. It is estimated that 5% of the adult population harbor this lump in their livers! They occur in both sexes and at all ages but are commonest between 30 to 50 years in women. Most of them are small, less than 4-5 cms in diameter and are are identified on Ultrasound. MRI and its various applications is the scan of choice for accurate diagnosis. This is crucial as most of them do not need treatment.

Focal Nodular Hyperplasia (FNH) are the second most common liver lumps. They are usually single and small (less than 4 cms) and occur in women between 35   50 years of age. About 2.5-3% of population harbor this lump in their livers. Special MRI techniques using special contrast agents is diagnostic and the findings are quite distinct from haemangiomas. Again treatment is not recommended apart from selected circumstances. Assessment in a dedicated Liver team is recommended for accurate diagnosis and a proper management plan to be formulated.

Hepatic adenomas (Hepatocellular adenoma, HCA) are rare lumps and occur in 0.2 to 0.3% of the population, again occurring mostly in young women during their reproductive period. They are again solitary and most usually 3-4 ms in diameter.

There are a couple characteristics which make this lump different from the previous 2, there is a strong relation between hormones the development of HCA and some of these HCA can turn into the malignant Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, accurate characterization and diagnosis of these HCA is essential. Sometimes biopsy of the lump, molecular and genetic tests maybe necessary to determine if the HCA has a high chance of progressing to HCC. Imaging tests are generally adequate, contrast MRI Liver and its different techniques is accurate in diagnosing HCA and sub-typing it, however CT and contrast-enhanced Ultrasound is sometimes necessary along with MRI.

Generally, a HCA in a male is recommended for surgical resection. While in women, discontinuation of the OCP pill/ any other such hormone is recommended for a period of 6 months, if the HCA does not have any worrying features and size is less than 5 cms. IF HCA is larger than 5 cms and has features suggestive of a high risk for change to HCC, surgery is advised. Again these decisions have to be made as a part of a Multi-disciplinary team (Box 1)

Malignant growths beginning within the Liver

As mentioned earlier, usually malignant growths which are seen in the liver spread to it from elsewhere in the body. Hepatocellular cancer/Hepatoma (HCC) is the commonest malignant tumour beginning within the liver, as apposed to those that spread to the liver from elsewhere. It occurs between 40-70 years of age and occurs commonly in men. It is estimated that 17000 new patients develop this tumour every year in India. The vast majority (> 80%) of these develop in patients who have chronic liver disease (cirrhosis). Importantly the number of HCC cases is increasing year on year as cirrhosis due to fatty liver disease, Hepatitis B (3% of Indian population carry this virus, ie nearly 40 million individuals) and alcohol are continuing to increase in India. Nearly overall it is the 4th or 5th most common cause of cancer and the second most common cause of cancer-related death. This is continuing to increase too. We do not have a national policy in India to screen and diagnose these lumps in the liver at an early stage. Most patients present at a late stage when effective treatment is not possible.

Hepatitis B is a vaccine-preventable disease, there are good drugs to treat it and decrease the risk of cirrhosis and HCC in HBV patients, therefore it is important to test for this virus infection. The fatty liver disease can cause chronic liver damage and HCC, regular exercise and consuming a balanced diet can reduce the risk of fatty liver disease.

The usual mode of detection of these growths is when a scan is done for some other reason. Occasionally patients can develop pain in the abdomen or jaundice which leads to an investigation. The treatment of HCC depends on the extent of tumour, the extent of the chronic liver disease (the stage of cirrhosis) and the overall condition of the patient. These patients are best seen, assessed and treated in a team (Box 1) which specializes in the treatment of Liver disease.

The best treatment for HCC is surgery. However, this is suitable only for certain carefully selected patients. This can take the form of liver resection (where a portion of the liver with tumour is removed) or liver transplantation (where the whole liver is removed and a donated liver (full or partial) is replaced into the patient. Indeed surgical has excellent survival rates; more than 75% of patients survive for more than 5 years after resection or transplantation making treatment for these cancers one of the most satisfactory.

Other treatments which can be combined with surgery in selected patients or can be combined with patients not suitable for surgery are different types of Interventional radiological therapy   chemotherapy or radiotherapy delivered through fine catheters introduced into the blood vessels of the liver (TACE: Transarterial chemotherapy, TARE: Transarterial radiotherapy) and or heat energy delivered to the tumour area by means of carefully placed needles/probes (RFA: radiofrequency ablation, MWA: microwave ablation).

HCC is unique cancer as its treatment should be tailored to the patient, the treatments are varied and range from catheter-based non-invasive treatment to major surgery and transplantation. This necessitates that HCC patients are best managed in a multidisciplinary team which is highly skilled in and specializes in the management of liver diseases.

Box 1: A liver tumour multidisciplinary team   Integrated Liver Care team

The team should be one with expertise in the management of benign liver lesions and should include a Hepatologist, a Hepatobiliary & Transplant surgeon, Diagnostic and Interventional radiologists, Medical oncologist and a Pathologist.

Each member of the team must hold specific and relevant training, expertise and experience relevant to the management of benign liver lesions.

The team should be one with the skills required not only to appropriately manage these patients but also to manage the rare but known complications of diagnostic or therapeutic interventions.

The Increasing Problem Of Liver Tumours In India!

The liver is a key organ in metabolism and will have some amount of fat. However, excessive fat accumulation in the liver can be abnormal and is referred to as fatty liver. If the fat content exceeds anything more than 5% to 10% of the liver s weight, it would be referred to as fatty liver.

Types - There are mainly two types based on causes:

Alcoholic fatty liver: This is very common in people who consume excessive amounts of alcohol. Even a one-off instance of binge drinking can cause increased fat accumulation in the liver, but it would not produce any symptoms though. Preexisting hepatitis, pregnancy, obesity, and genetic predisposition may also lead to alcoholic liver disease.
Non-alcoholic liver disease: This is the less common type of fatty liver, and there would be no alcoholic abuse history here. However, there could be genetic predisposition, obesity, autoimmune liver disease, malnutrition, which can lead to this condition.
Symptoms

Fatty liver disease is a chronic condition with insidious onset (meaning to say, the exact time of onset cannot be pinpointed). However, as the disease condition progresses, symptoms will become evident, which can trigger a medical evaluation to identify the fatty liver. Some of the symptoms include:

Excessive fatigue and weakness
Unexplained weight loss
Loss of appetite
Nausea
Trouble focusing and concentrating
Impaired judgment
Constant, slow enlargement of the liver can cause pain in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen (where the liver is)
There could be jaundice, where the skin and the white of the eyes turn pale yellow
Symptoms of liver failure, including increased levels of proteins in the chemical tests.
Diagnosis

As noted earlier, it is not easy to identify liver disease, as there are no specific symptoms. However, the above symptoms could point to a potential fatty liver.

Blood tests, especially for liver enzymes
Ultrasound, where the liver is imaged to look for any structural changes
Biopsy, where liver tissue is extracted to confirm the diagnosis of fatty liver
Treatment

There is no specific treatment for fatty liver. It can be managed through the following, where symptoms reduce in severity, and overall prognosis improves.

Diabetes control: There is a relation between how well diabetes is controlled and severity of fatty liver. Improving diabetes control ensures fatty liver does not progress.
Alcohol: Cutting down or even better quitting alcohol, definitely helps improve symptoms. If it is alcohol induced fatty liver, alcohol should be stopped.
Weight management: Obesity and fatty liver are related, so weight management is essential.
Healthy diet: Eating a healthy diet and regular exercise regimen also helps improve symptoms of fatty liver.

Fatty Liver - Signs You Are Suffering From It!

Sugar is the trigger to most of the diseases an adult faces in present times. Sugar is not only harmful for adults, but can pose severe threats to the health of a child as well, if not administered in monitored proportions. But again, sugar is indispensable when it comes to sweetening your drinks and desserts. In order to prevent yourself from the health hazards of sugar, you should know more about its scope and effects.
1. Sugar can lead to a fatty liver: Fatty liver is a troubling issue faced by many across the globe. It is wrong to think only alcoholics are subjected to this health condition. People who exercise little and consume huge amounts of fructose are also exposed to the threat of this disease. When a person doesn't do enough to burn up the existing amount of glycogen in his or her liver and take in fructose repeatedly, the liver turns that fructose into fat, impairing one's liver capabilities to a great extent.

2. Sugar may make you resistant to Leptin: Leptin is a hormone released by your fat cells. The hormone is particularly necessary as it sends signals to your brain telling it you are full and won't be requiring any more food. Fat people have more number of fat cells and thus additional Leptin too. The Leptin becomes inactive due to the effects of heightened blood triglycerides and insulin, both of which counter its functioning.

3. It is addictive and there lies the key to temptation: Sugar is enormously addictive. If you like sweetened products, you will find it hard to resist your cravings for cakes, cookies or chocolates. Sugar accelerates dopamine secretion; this hormone makes a person feel good. Dopamine is the hormone released on the consumption of drugs such as cocaine.

4. Calories in sugar are not balanced out with any mineral or vitamin: Because of its lack of nutrient value, sugar is said to have empty calories. Food items rich in sugar tend to make a person lethargic and slackened while depriving them of essential minerals and vitamins. It is therefore, best to not allow children to have pastries, chocolates or puddings in excess.

5. Sugar leads to extensive tooth decay: Sugar can accumulate on your teeth if you are having too many sweetened food items. This causes your teeth enamel to wear away, making it more prone to cavities and dental caries.

Why You Should Stay Away From Sugar?

The most common dietary problem that every vegetarian comes across is protein deficiency. It was a widely acknowledged fact that animal products are the best protein sources. However, it is no longer so, and vegetarians everywhere can now rejoice!

Here are the 13 best sources of protein for vegetarians:

Green peas: Green peas are legumes, which are a very good protein source. They contain 7.9 grams of protein per serving.

Quinoa: Grains usually contain very little protein, but quinoa is unique. It contains 8 grams of protein per serving, and contains all nine important amino acids that your body needs for repair and growth.

Nuts and nut butter: Nuts are a good source of proteins and healthy fats. However, eat them with caution, as they do contain 160 calories per serving. Butter made from nuts like peanut butter and almond butter is also a good source of protein.

Beans: Beans are available in a variety of colours and shapes, but all of them have one thing in common that is the high level of protein.

Chickpeas: Chickpeas are also from the legume family, so they also contain high amounts of protein; 7.3 grams of protein in only half of a serving.

Tofu and tempeh: Tempeh and tofu are both soy products and they have the highest amount of vegetarian proteins, about 15-20 grams per serving.

Edamame or soybean: Edamame or soybean is excellent for snacking. They contain 8.4 grams of protein in just half a cup.

Leafy greens: Vegetables usually do not contain much protein, but eating green vegetables will significantly add to your protein consumption. For example, you can eat one cup of cooked broccoli as that contains 8.1 grams of protein.

Hemp: Blend hemp seeds in smoothies or baked goods to get your daily dose of protein. Hemp contains 10 grams of protein per tablespoon.

Chia seeds: Chia seeds contain 4.7 grams of protein per two tablespoons, making them excellent sources of protein.

Seitan: This is a meat substitute made from wheat gluten and it contains 36 grams of protein per serving (about half a cup).

Non-dairy milk: Milk made from soy (best non-dairy protein source), almond, rice and hemp are good dairy substitutes.

Unsweetened cocoa powder: This will surprise you, but bitter cocoa contains nearly 1 gram of protein per serving (1 tablespoon)! 
All the above-mentioned food items are the best source of proteins for vegetarians. So, enjoy them with no worry.

Know Excellent Sources Of Protein For Vegetarians!

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