Ulcerative Colitis

Updated July 12, 2025

Ulcerative Colitis

The following statement is a direct quote from Michael D. Gershon, MD from the March 2002 edition of Functional Medicine Update by Dr. Jeffrey Bland. Dr. Gershon is a professor and chairman of the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology of Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons.

"When I was a student ulcerative colitis was thought to be a psychosomatic disease. We now know ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are autoimmune diseases. There was something called the ulcerative colitis personality, which I think was real enough, but it wasn't that thinking bad thoughts put holes in your colon so much as having holes in your colon caused you to think bad thoughts. The gut has a real ability to cause mental disease. When you look at studies that show one form of anxiety or another, depression, or other psychoneurotic conditions in patients with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), you really wonder about the relationship. Is it primarily in the head or is it primarily in the bowel? It could be either. If your entire life is devoted to pain from your gut and intestinal agony, you can become crazy from it."

How does this information from a brilliant medical researcher make you think about the possible effect of your emotions on your gut health? Could your emotions be worsening or causing your food allergy, dairy intolerance, intestinal gas, diarrhea, constipation, reflux, indigestion, hemorrhoids?

COMMON CAUSES
-Food allergy and food sensitivity
Dairy, wheat, and sugar are common, but many more exist. We are all unique.
-Nutrient deficiencies
Essential fatty acids (fish oil), anti-oxidants

TREATMENTS
-Remove foods that are allergens or cause food sensitivity
    Elimination diets and/or allergy testing using a blood sample.
-Supplement with nutrients that have been shown to be beneficial
    Essential fatty acids - fish oil - 6-12,000 mg per day
    Lipoic acid - 300mg per day
    Vitamin C - 2-4,000mg
    Vitamin E - 800 iu
-Remove environmental sources of allergy and sensitivity
-Exercise
-Spinal adjustment can in some cases provide relief

DRUG TREATMENT

WHAT TO READ
A Gradual Vegetarian by Lisa Tracy
Detecting Your Hidden Allergies by William Crook, M.D.
Dr. Braly's Food Allergy and Nutrition Revolution by James Braly, M.D.
Healing Nutrients by Patrick Quillin
The 20 Day Rejuvenation Diet Plan by Jeffrey Bland, PhD
The Allergy Cookbook - Tasty Nutritious Cooking Without Wheat, Corn, Milk, or Eggs, by Ruth A. Shattuck

COMMENTS BY DR. YOUNG