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You may have ulcerative colitis (UC) if you are experiencing frequent diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, or blood in your stool. It is an autoimmune disease that affects your colon and rectum. You develop the disease when your immune system becomes overactive and mistakenly attacks your intestines, leading to ulcers and inflammation in your gut.

Modern medicine offers relief by managing symptoms, but Ayurveda focuses on treating the root cause. According to Ayurveda, an imbalance in Pitta and Vata doshas, along with unhealthy eating habits and a poor lifestyle, can trigger or worsen UC. In this article, you’ll explore the Ayurvedic and modern causes of ulcerative colitis, helping you take the right steps toward long-term healing.

Ayurvedic Causes of Ulcerative Colitis

Ayurveda believes you develop ulcerative colitis mainly due to an imbalance in your Pitta and Vata doshas. Pitta dosha, which governs your digestion and metabolism, increases excessive heat and acidity in your intestines. This leads to inflammation. Similarly, Vata dosha disrupts your normal bowel movement and make you susceptible to dryness, irregular stools, and bloating.

How Your Diet Can Trigger UC

Your certain eating habits can worsen your ulcerative colitis. These foods can irritate your gut and aggravate your Pitta and Vata doshas:

• Spicy, oily, and fried foods trigger inflammation and acidity.
• Excessive caffeine, alcohol, and carbonated drinks can irritate your gut lining.
• Fermented and processed foods can create excess heat in your body and worsen your symptoms.
• Cold and dry foods can disturb your Vata dosha and make you prone to irregular digestion and bloating.

If your diet is high in these trigger foods, your UC symptoms might be harder to control.

Environmental and Seasonal Factors

The area where you live and the climate around you can impact your ulcerative colitis.

• Hot and humid weather increases Pitta and can inflame your gut.
• Exposure to toxins and pollution weakens digestion and affect your gut immunity.
• Cold and dry climates aggravate Vata and disrupt your bowel movements.

Making small adjustments like avoiding direct exposure to heat and pollution and eating a seasonal diet can help you feel better.

Lifestyle Factors That Worsen UC

Have you ever noticed that being stressed worsens your digestive issues? Ayurveda links mental and physical stress to Pitta and Vata imbalances, leading to severe flare-ups.

• Excessive workload and stress can disturb your gut function.
• Irregular meal timings can weaken yoru digestion and slow down healing.
• Overexertion or lack of rest can drain your energy and affect your gut health.
• Late-night eating habits can disturb your natural digestion and increase heat in your gut.

Your ulcerative colitis might be more difficult to manage if you are feeling overwhelmed or frequently anxious.

Modern Causes of Ulcerative Colitis

Modern science is trying to identify the exact cause of ulcerative colitis. But factors like genetics, immune dysfunction, environmental factors, and gut microbiome imbalances are suspected to make you prone to the disease.

Genetic Factors – Is UC in Your DNA?

You have a higher risk of developing the disease if someone in your family has ulcerative colitis. Certain genetic mutations can increase the risk of UC but not everyone with these genes will develop UC.

Immune System Dysfunction – When Your Body Attacks Itself

Your immune system protects you from disease-causing germs. But in ulcerative colitis, it mistakenly attacks your Intestinal (colon) lining. As a result, you experience chronic inflammation, ulcers, and digestive problems. Researchers believe you may develop UC from:

• Abnormal immune response to your gut bacteria.
• Prolonged immune activation due to infections or allergens.
• Overproduction of inflammatory chemicals.

This constant attack damages your intestines and make digestion painful.

Environmental and Dietary Triggers

Your risk of ulcerative colitis can also depend on what you eat and where you live:

• You may experience inflammation from eating a diet high in processed foods, sugar, and unhealthy fats
• Your gut lining may become weak from smoking, air pollution, and exposure to toxins can weaken your gut lining.
• Your digestion and immune function may get disrupted due to chemical additives in your food.

Gut Microbiome Imbalance – Are Your Gut Bacteria Healthy?

Your intestines contain millions of bacteria. Many of these bacteria play a role in your digestion. But if these bacteria become imbalanced, you may experienceUC.

• Taking antibiotics and medications can kill beneficial bacteria in your gut.
• Infections and stress can reduce your microbial diversity.
• Not eating enough fiber and probiotics can allow harmful bacteria to thrive in your body.
• Keeping your gut bacteria balanced is key to improving UC symptoms.

Conclusion

With a better understanding of the causes of ulcerative colitis, you can start making better choices. While modern medicine focuses on suppressing symptoms, Ayurveda works by treating the root cause of your UC with changes to your diet, stress management, and natural healing practices. Consider an Ayurvedic approach if you’re looking for long-term relief from ulcerative colitis.