Peppermint Tea and Food Intolerance Test for IBS, Colitis and Crohn’s Disease.

I received the following inquiry from one of my blog readers:

“Hi Galina, thanks so much for the great blog! I was diagnosed with UC 6 years ago, but I’ve had symptoms since high school. I’ve tried to track which foods cause flare ups, but it seems very inconsistant. Coffee and soda are my two major triggers and I avoid them 95% of the time (which is hard because i love coffee!) and occasionally dairy and fruit cause a reaction. But I can go for long periods of time, sometimes up to a year, with no reaction to any of these.
What’s with the inconsistency? Also – I’ve noticed that mint tea always helps settle my stomach even when expensive prescriptions don’t help. Is there any
research that you know of about mint besides the home remedies? Thanks!”

Galina’s answer:

Thanks you for sharing!

How commonly eaten food can cause abdominal pain and discomfort.

There is a link between what you eat and your GI symptoms. Experts estimate that more than 52 million Americans suffer from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and IBD (ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease), which in many cases could be  caused by food intolerance. Remove the trigger foods, and the symptoms (bloating, gas, diarrhea, abdominal pain/cramps) can go away. I use comprehensive IgG4 Food Antibody Profile Test for my patients to identify their food intolerances because even healthy foods such as turkey, sweet potato, broccoli or blueberry can trigger GI symptoms in their sensitive gut.

IgG4 antibodies are associated with inflammation in the gut caused by “delayed” reaction to frequently eaten foods such as whole wheat bread, milk, eggs, peanuts, apples, nuts, corn as well as other 80 different foods.  After the test is completed, I recommend a diet based on the results of the test. Your daily menu should include foods that are right for your body and exclude foods that can have adverse effect on your sensitive gut.

Meanwhile, you can continue to drink mint tea if it works for you. Just remember while mint is good for relief of flatulence and indigestion in general, mint is not effective herbal remedy for healing ulcerative colitis. I know that from my own experience. That is the reason why I kept on searching for more effective natural solution for  Ulcerative colitis as well as Crohn’s disease and IBS.

I want to give you some important details about mint and its indications and usage.

Peppermint (Latin Name-Mentha piperita )
According to German Commission E (which is similar to The U.S. FDA) peppermint is used in Europe for  indigestion and intestinal cramps. Peppermint leaves should not be used if a patient has a history of gallstones or has indigestion associated with GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease).
Do not confuse spearmint with peppermint. Only peppermint contains about 45% of menthol (part of active digestive).

How to prepare peppermint tea:
Add 1 cup of hot boiled water (about 8 ounces) to 2 teaspoons of dried peppermint leaves. Cover the cup with a small saucer, and let it stand for 10 minutes.
Drink hot peppermint tea after or between meals. Enjoy!