Ulcerative Colitis Information

When people start talking about marshmallows, most people tend to think about that bag of big fluffy white snacks that people like to take with them on camping trips. However before these essential components to s'mores became a mass produced snack item, they were actually made from the root of a plant that could be found growing in the marshlands. The marshmallow plant, also known as Althea, has a white root that is slightly sweet to the taste. Along with being a traditional ingredient in everyone's favorite campfire snack, Marshmallow root was also used in traditional medicine to help soothe coughs, irritations and help to combat heartburn.

It's all about the mucilage

Marshmallow, or althea root (as most health food stores like to label it), contains a high percentage of mucilage. Mucilage is a substance that swells up and takes on a gel like consistency when it is mixed with water. This gel like substance can then coat the inner lining of your throat and esophagus and help protect and soothe it making it an ideal additive to natural cough and sore throat remedies.

This ability to coat and soothe also makes marshmallow root tea an ideal remedy for mild heartburn because of its ability to shield the lining of the esophagus from the harmful effects of stomach acid reducing inflammation and irritation. It is also thought to be helpful in cases of ulcers, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease because it can also help coat the lining of the stomach and intestinal walls.

Besides being used as a tea to help with a host of digestive and throat ailments, Marshmallow root can also be used as a paste to help soothe irritated skin. Simply mixed the powdered root with enough water to make a paste and apply it to the affected skin and then wrap with a layer of gauze. However, be sure to rinse off immediately if any itching or irritation occurs.

Side Effects

While drinking marshmallow root tea will help keep stomach acid from irritating the lining of your esophagus, there are also certain side effects that you should be aware of. Since mucilage does coat the digestive tract, it will also interfere with the absorption of prescription drugs so be sure to give it at least two hours to wear off before taking your daily pills. Marshmallow is also capable of affecting blood levels so people with diabetes or hypoglycemia should consult a physician before taking it.

I have been a holistic gastroenterologist for over 3 decades, and my line of work involves providing people with IBS support. This has brought me into contact with many clients who ask a lot of questions out of curiosity about their condition. There were some queries that kept recurring.

So, I decided to come up with a collection of questions that are frequently asked as far as my IBS support practice is concerned.

Q: Can IBS be classified as an Auto-Immune Disease?

A: Inflammatory Bowel Disease can certainly not be classified as an auto-immune disease because it is definitely not a disease at all. When one looks at it critically, you will note that the immune system does not attack the colon in IBS, Colitis, Ulcerative Colitis, or Crohn's disease. On the contrary, your immune system does its job by trying to help you.

A good example is if I cut my finger. The immune system will take charge of the situation and it works by a means referred to as "compliment." This is an old-school term that explains how the immune system goes about doing its work. The immune system usually becomes active locally and it acts by preventing the finger from getting infected. As much as it is active in this process, I cannot blame my immunity system for my cut finger. The same concept can be applied to the colon. In as much as the immune system becomes active, it cannot be held responsible for damaging the colon lining. On the contrary, it tries to act to prevent infection while at the same time trying to facilitate the healing process. Yet we still prescribe some drugs to help suppress the immune system.

Q: Can IBS be caused by NSAIDS?

A: One can easily get NSAIDS or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs over the counter. There are some, like aspirin and ibuprofen, which do not need a prescription. These are not known to cause IBS directly. They may cause stomach upsets due to their acidity but they are not responsible for conditions like IBD. However, they may worsen an already existing situation, especially before antibiotics have been used. Because of this, the NSAID may be able to penetrate the porous mucosal lining and end up irritating the wall of the GI tract.

Q: Is IBD hereditary?

A: This is not exactly the case. There may be some genetic tendencies for some body systems to develop a weakness towards a particular disease. As far as the gastro-intestinal problems are concerned, people do not get IBD without there being other underlying factors. What does "run in the family" are people who frequently use antibiotics. This environmental factor may affect the genetic tendencies and increase the chances of getting Crohn's disease or IBS.

Q. Some of my doctors are recommending the use of colonics as a means of increasing my fiber. Is that an idea worth taking up?

A: This is not recommended because it will only worsen the situation. Considering the colon lining is already inflamed, it is not a good idea to worsen this by dragging roughage over it. It is, however, a good idea to eat a diet that is low in fiber.

Q: Why is it hard for some Naturopaths to fix leaky gut syndrome?

A: Naturopaths are paths are good at treating most general problems. Problems that affect the colon are very complex and thus require Naturopaths who specialize in them. Unfortunately, most of them shy away from this condition. I have been dealing with this for 30 plus years to the point of developing my own Gastro-enterology method.

You do not have to face a lifetime of suffering from some form of IBS. Find the right IBS Support and get your IBS cured today!

There are many ways to improve Colitis symptoms one of the most effective that I have found is taking Probiotics regularly Did you know there is more bacteria in your intestinal tract than there are cells in your body?

Benefits of Probiotics -
o They reduce diarrhea
o They are anti-inflammatory
o They Manufacture B complex vitamins
o They help regulate bowel movements
o They create lactic acid that balances intestinal pH levels

There are many other benefits from Probiotic's but these are the main ones we are concerned with in Colitis. Probiotics really work by reducing your diarrhea and lowering inflammation levels in the bowel. When I first took the right type of Probiotics in the right quantity I was amazed at the results, they really improved my stool consistency back to normal in a matter of days.

There are several ways of getting Probiotics into your Diet -

Supplements - There are many many Probiotic supplements for sale out there and it can be confusing knowing which one to take. What you need if you have Colitis is a high powered probiotic with multiple strains of bacteria in it. The best types need to be refrigerated, to keep them fresh and ready for action when they arrive in your intestines. I take one sachet of probiotics containing 450billion live bacteria once a day before bed in a small amount of live goats yogurt. This I find very useful in keeping my bowels regular and my stools well formed. If I feel things are a little bit loose one day then I just take an extra sachet during the day and that gets things back on track.

Kefir - Kefir is a cultured, enzyme-rich food filled with friendly micro-organisms that help balance your "inner ecosystem." More nutritious and therapeutic than yogurt, it supplies complete protein, essential minerals, and valuable B vitamins. It really is amazing stuff and the good news is that you can make it at home yourself with very little effort or cost! Kefir provides a virtual Swat team of probiotics which get straight to work cleaning up your intestines. You make Kefir by putting Kefir Grains which look a bit like small bits of cauliflower - and are a living microorganism - into a jar of milk. The Kefir then eats up all the lactose in the milk and as a byproduct produces lots of natural living probiotics which when you drink them help your intestines to function better. I drink a glass of my own home made kefir every morning as part of my breakfast because as well as being an excellent probiotic it is also an excellent nutritious food.

Before we go into the side effects of antacids it's important to gain an understanding about what they are and what they can do.

Antacids are used in the treatment of acid reflux or GERD. Their alkaline properties are designed to neutralise stomach acid. They should not be confused with other GERD/Acid reflux treatments such as Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI's) and H2 blockers. These two types work differently as they effect the stomachs secretion of acid.

It's important to point out those antacids, PPI's and H2 blockers I've just mentioned will not cure or fix your condition - all they do is suppress the symptoms. By suppressing stomach acid they can temporarily ease the pain, however you need to keep using them.

The fact is, antacids should not be used for more than a period of 2 weeks, and this instruction is often emphasised on the packaging.

Adverse Effects Of Acid Suppression

The suppression of acid can eventually lead to a number of health complications. It turns out that stomach acid does more than prepare food for digestion. It plays a vital role in helping the absorption of nutrients, vitamins and minerals.

For example, vitamin B12 needs to be absorbed in the stomach. With a lack of acid this can lead to the malabsorption of B12 and many other vitamins. Vitamin B12 is essential for the body's metabolism as well as maintaining the functioning of the central nervous system.

Stomach acid also kills off any bacteria contained within the food we eat. Obviously with lower levels of acid the risk of food poisoning and bacterial infections such as E-coli increase.

Adverse Effects On The Digestive System

But most importantly, is how the overuse of antacids can disturb the micro bacterial balance of the digestive system. The key component, that ensures the health of your digestive system and your whole body, is the beneficial bacteria or micro flora that lines the walls of your intestines.

There are literally billions of these microscopic bacteria. They're like a protective wall that keeps out disease causing bacteria and toxins from overrunning your body. They also assist in the functions of absorption and elimination and if that wasn't enough they also support your body's immune system.

But here's the thing, these bacteria can easily be destroyed by the overuse of antacids and antibiotics. When this happens the bad bacteria and the fungal infections such as Candida have a free reign to spread and cause havoc within your digestive system.

Once these bad guys take over there begins a gradual breakdown of the body's digestive health beginning with indigestion, bloating gas, diarrhea and constipation. This eventually progresses to more chronic conditions of ulcerative colitis and Crohns disease.

Other antacid side effects can include;

繚 Diarrhea

繚 Nausea

繚 Joint pain

繚 Itchy skin

繚 Rectal bleeding

繚 Flu like symptoms

繚 Fatigue

繚 Constipation

繚 Swelling around the feet and ankles.

The inflammatory bowel disease is a grouping of chronic gastrointestinal disorders that cause inflammation and ulceration on the digestive tract or bowels and can lead to many medical symptoms and signs, including abdominal pain, tiredness, fever, watery stools, blood in the stool, loss of appetite, and weight loss. The ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are the two most commonly occurring inflammatory bowel diseases. Although most of the symptoms of both these abdominal diseases are more or less same, these two diseases are two different medical conditions and require different treatment modalities. A brief explanation of the symptoms and other characteristics can be greatly helpful to understand the differences between these two inflammatory bowel diseases.

The Crohn's disease is a persistent inflammatory condition of the digestive tract and can affect anyplace from the mouth to the anus. Ulcerative colitis, on the other hand, mostly causes inflammation in the innermost lining of the colon and the rectum. In some individuals it affects the ileum, the last part of the intestine.

Ulcerative colitis normally causes pain in the left lower quadrant of the abdomen. Patients with Crohn's disease usually feel pain in their right lower abdominal quadrant. It typically creates patches of inflammation in an intermittent pattern in one or more organs of the alimentary canal, while colitis produces continuous inflammation in the colon and rectum.

A gastroenterologist performs a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy to identify whether the patient suffers from these bowel diseases. If the colon shows a thickened, cobblestone appearance, it can be concluded that the patient is having Crohn's disease. Likewise, granulomas or lesions of inflamed cells are commonly found in Crohn's while they are absent in ulcerative colitis.

In the patients with ulcerative colitis, ulcers occur only on the inner lining of the large intestine. The Crohn's disease ulcerations are deep and can penetrate into all layers of intestinal walls. Similarly, this disease can sometimes lead to many other complications, such as fissures, traumas, and fistulas.

Another interesting difference between these two diseases is that when smoking is a risk factor for the Crohn's disease and can lead to relapse of this disease, ulcerative colitis is regarded as no-smoker's disease as in some people smoking can be protective against it.

Sometimes, the inflammatory bowel disease is confused with another common gastrointestinal disorder, irritable bowel syndrome or IBS. The irritable bowel syndrome also has symptoms like abdominal bloating, pain, intestinal discomfort, diarrhea, and weight loss. However, this medical condition is not as serious as inflammatory bowel disease, but it can affect the quality of life of a patient.

People that suffer from Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis cannot describe what it feels like to suffer everyday from it. They can only say that it is like having a stomach flu that never goes away. The pain of is occurs randomly or is triggered by eating the wrong food or even stress. There is no wonder why discovering and treating it early is so important.

These two digestive conditions are incurable chronic diseases that affect your intestinal tract and are often grouped together as inflammatory bowel diseases since they share similar symptoms. They both cause abdominal pain and frequent diarrhea as well as swelling and sores along the tissue that lines your intestines. Crohn's disease attacks the digestive tract, from the mouth to the rectum; while ulcerative colitis usually normally is found only the outermost layer of the colon.

Here are a few ways you can learn how to diagnose inflammatory bowel disease and begin treatment immediately.

• A sigmoidoscopy test lets your doctor correctly diagnose ulcerative colitis through examining the rectum and left colon from taking detailed pictures. This procedure is done with inserting an endoscope, a tube with a camera on end, into your rectum. If you have any questions about your colon's health, expect to have one this performed.



• A colonoscopy is used by your doctor uses an endoscope to look at the rectum and entire large bowel while the patient is under sedation. They are routinely used to diagnose bowel issues such as Crohn's disease or IBS. Ask your doctor to perform one on you. This way they can have a complete picture of your rectum and in turn your colon's health. There are even times when tissue samples are taken for further examination. as well.



• After you doctor is finished with your colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy, he will get a copy of the pictures he took with the endoscope and use them to make a diagnosis. For example, with Crohn's disease, a doctor must find random patches of deep ulcers or looks for an even amount of inflammation in the colon that bleeds with contact to identify ulcerative colitis.



• If your doctor took a tissue sample, then they should look at it under a microscope for inflammatory cells called granulomas. This procedure helps better diagnose Crohn's disease and other health conditions.



• Another procedure your doctor may recommend you to undergo is a magnetic resonance spectroscopy. It is a variation of magnetic resonance imaging, also called an MRI, to help determine which of the two diseases you are suffering from. This helps to properly diagnose Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.



• Finally as a final precaution, ask your doctor to examine your small intestine for Crohn's disease with an upper barium X-ray. In this procedure, you have to drink a barium shake in order for the X-ray pictures taken and the images to properly show any potential issues.

I have suffered from Crohn's disease since I was eleven years old. At first the doctors did not know what was wrong with me and put my illness down to growing pains. They eventually diagnosed me with crohn's disease when I was fourteen. I had to endure several months of painful examinations and had two years off school as I was so ill. I was put on steroids and had to have operations to remove part of my intestine. I have tried lots of different prescription drugs over the years but they all had horrible side effects and made me feel so ill. It wasn't until I reached the age of 28 that I started to look for alternative medicines. One natural remedy for Crohn's disease is aromatherapy, which some people believe helps rejuvenate the body and promote healing. Many people believe that there is a strong link between the mind and body and that, by repairing the mind, they are able to repair the body as well. Using calming scents, users of aromatherapy soothe away mental and physical stress, allowing the body a chance to recuperate from the daily stresses that weaken the immune system. Maintaining a healthy immune system is a great natural remedy for Crohn's disease.

Controlling crohn's disease the natural way:

Herbalism is used to treat a multitude of problems by using the whole plant, rather than extracting a key ingredient. While modern medicine and herbalism work best together, they are often in opposition because each side believes their way is best. This natural remedy for Crohn's disease claims to treat the cause of the illness, as opposed to eradicating the symptoms. The theory is that all the medicine a person needs can be found already in nature and, that if they are used properly, the body will repair itself. A combination of herbs and other plants are used as a natural remedy for Crohn's disease in a multitude of ways. The herbs soothe the nervous system which, in turn, calms gastrointestinal distress. One of the best herbal remedies I have used is a product called Aloe MP Plus which is the best crohn's disease medication I have tried and is the ultimate crohn's disease natural remedy. I would not be without it. It has changed my life. The other product I use is called Esdifan which controls any diarrhea and allows me to eat foods which I would not normally be allowed to eat. They are both ways in controlling crohn's disease the natural way, with no side effects, which actually work.

There are multiple causes of cancer. It is a very complicated process but can be simplified to lifestyle choices, chronic inflammation, infections, and genes.

Lifestyle choices are the most important predictors of risk of diseases, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke and cancer. What we eat, drink, or smoke are instrumental in what kind of diseases we suffer from. Likewise, failure to exercise will affect our health.

Tobacco use is the most common preventable cause of cancers. It is associated with many cancers including mouth cancer, head and neck cancer, esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, and lung cancer among others.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned in February 2008 that 1billion people worldwide could die of tobacco-related causes this century unless urgent action is taken. The WHO's report includes these global statistics on tobacco deaths:

• 100 million people died of tobacco-related causes during the 20th century.


• Tobacco currently kills 5.4 million people per year.


• Tobacco use makes six of the World's eight leading causes of death -- including heart disease, stroke, and cancer -- more likely

Another cause of cancer is chronic inflammation. Some examples of chronic inflammatory conditions that lead to cancer include ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and Barrett's esophagus.

Inflammation stimulates tumor development at all stages; initiation, progression, and metastasis. Tumor recruited leukocytes secrete cytokines that enhance DNA damage and encourage growth of the cancer cells through production of blood vessels (proliferation and angiogenesis).

Infections are well documented to lead to malignancy. Some examples include:

• Helicobacter pylori; Gastric lymphoma


• Schistosomiasis; gallbladder and bladder


• Epstein Barr Virus; lymphoma


• Human Herpes Virus 8; Kaposi's sarcoma


• Chlamydia species; ocular lymphoma, lung cancer, and cervical cancer


• Human Papilloma Virus; cervical cancer, oral cancer, and anal cancer

GENES AND CANCER

Genes are the blueprint to the body. There are 20,500 protein encoding genes (exons) in the human genome (Human Genome Project) and many more non-encoding sections (introns). There are 2-3 meters DNA/cell, 2 X 1013 meters per human body. There are two major types of cancer genes, tumor suppressor and oncogenes.

Tumor Suppressor Genes have multiple functions. Some slow down cell division such as the retinoblastoma gene (RB1). Others are involved in DNA repair such as the mismatch repair genes in hereditary colon cancer (hMSH2, hMLH1). Finally, some genes are involved in regulating natural cell death. This is called apoptosis and the p53 tumor suppressor gene works in this area.

Proto-oncogenes control normal growth, mutated, they become oncogenes. These cause normal cells to grow out of control and become malignant. Oncogenes can exert their effect on a wide array of cellular processes including growth factors, growth factor receptors, signal transducers, transcription factors, and programmed cell death regulators. There are more than 100 known oncogenes. Common oncogenes and their function appear below.

Common Oncogenes

Growth factors: sis (PDGF)

Growth factor receptor: erb B-1, erb B-2

Signal transducer: abl, ras

Transcription factor: myc

Apoptosis: bcl-2

There is no inevitability between presence of genes and cancer (or disease). For instance, protein transcripts for the bcr-abl gene involved in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) are present in up to 69% of the population but only 1:100,000 people will ever get CML. Many of us have cancer genes in our bodies, but the majority of us will not get the diseases because the genes are turned off. The process by which genes are turned on or off is called epigenetics and it is a growing field of study in cancer and other diseases.

EPIGENETICS

Epigenetic changes are modifications to the genome that are heritable during cell division but do not involve a change in DNA sequence. Expression of genes is not regulated by the DNA sequence, which is the same in every cell, but by epigenetic marking and packaging. This process regulates chromatin structure through DNA methylation, histone variants, post-translational modifications, nucleosome positioning factors or chromatin loop and domain organization.

How can this cause cancer? Well, if a tumor suppressor gene is abnormally turned off, or an oncogene is turned on, then carcinogenesis can occur. One key to abnormal gene expression is methylation of the genome. To go further, some explanation of terms is necessary.

DNA contains four bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymidine, but there is a fifth base methylated cytosine. DNA methyl-transferase (DNMT), produces methyl-cytosine where cytosines precede guanine (CpG). The CpG areas are not symmetric but clustered in CpG islands located at promoter regions. The promotor region is the region at the beginning of a gene and it controls the start of gene transcription. If the promotor is off, then the gene nevers is expressed. Abnormal methylation in cancer has been known for 20 years. Hypo-methylated areas turn on normally silent areas such as virally inserted genes or inactive X-linked genes. Hyper-methylated areas silence tumor suppresser genes. Both of these processes can mean trouble.

In conclusion, many factors lead to cancers. Probably the most important is our lifestyle choices such as what we eat or smoke. Other factors include chronic inflammation, infections or abnormal gene function. The study of how genes cause cancer by being turned on or off is called epigenetics. It is a fascinating area of research and will surely change our whole perception of cancer and disease in the future.

As mentioned in the previous posts, Ginger is one of the best detoxifying herbs recommended in all cleansing programs including the 3 day detox diets. It's indeed brought about by nature discovered by alternative medicine experts especially in China, India and other countries practicing this way of naturally treating diseases.

According to these alternative medicine practitioners, Ginger has both the light, soothing effects for body cleanse while its nutrients strongly targets detoxification inside the body. Ironic but interesting, Ginger is also considered best detox herb so far which can be added onto different dishes, spices and even drinks nowadays in which the kitchen would never miss it in a basket.

What Are Ginger's Health Benefits?

Having been used for more than 3 centuries now, Ginger has been the favorite medicinal ingredient also considered as culinary herb. Why? Because not only by having its unique taste, unlike most spices the Ginger still retains its medicinal value while it grows under ground. In fact, it's mistaken as the "Ginger root" but it's actually Ginger's rhizome which is more likely a subterranean stem than a root.

Most of the times, people are seen using the dried ginger one but there are also powdered gingers for easy consumption helping fight digestive ailments and breaking down proteins even better. Also it's convenient because you may keep the sliced off rhizome in the refrigerator for long (around 3 weeks max) and use it for future purposes as long as it's not totally peeled.

One of the best 3 day detox benefits ginger has is the gas reduction. Most people complain about having increased gas while they enhance protein intake. But with the help of adding ginger into food, it relieves feeling bloated of gas and in turn eases nausea, motion sickness as well as feeling to vomit every morning.

Can Ginger Help Fight Away Diseases?

Yes it can. Actually it helps reduce inflammation wherein it can be used to treat diseases resulting to inflammation such as ulcerative colitis and arthritis. Additional studies show that ginger boosts anti-inflammatory through inhabitance of herpes simplex virus replication.

While detoxification enhances natural body cleansing and repairing it also allows the body to have better defenses against virus carried diseases such as fever and flu. Also, it helps stimulate blood circulation to prevent clotting which lead to chronic and deadly cases.

Thus, Ginger's healing and detoxifying properties include shogaols, volatile oils and gingerols both responsible for not only its pungent taste but also its healing processes soothing the digestive system. The volatile oils help sustain digestive enzymes which neutralizes acids and supports the whole digestion process. As a result, you can say good bye to stomach discomfort, diarrhea and even constipation.

Quick hint: One good 3 day detox diet tip for you to consider ginger's health benefits is through a ginger tea. Prepare a tea by steeping about 5 slices of ginger in hot water. Otherwise, add ginger into as many dishes as you can and combine it with garlic for best results.

Forgiveness is a virtue every true believer or follower of Jesus Christ should desire. It is one of God's attributes that portray us as his true children. If we are God's children then we must learn to forgive just as Christ forgave those who crucified him.

What then is forgiveness?
It is the act of letting go of offenses. It is an act of treating an offender as though he never offended you. Forgiveness is the act of declaring free one who deserves to die or deserves to be punished.

Why should we forgive? There are several reasons why we must learn to forgive those who offend us, and set them free from prisons in our hearts.

1. It makes us to be like Christ: Jesus Christ set us an example of what it means to forgive by not holding those who condemned and crucified him guilty. He asked the father to forgive them for they knew not what they were doing (Luke 23:34). Deacon Stephen followed the example laid down by Christ when he asked God not to charge those who stoned him to death (Acts 7:59-60). In the same vein, we who profess Christ today must follow his example by forgiving those who sin against us. That is the only way we can show the world that we are his true children/followers.

2. It releases us from prison: Failure to forgive our neighbours their sins puts us in spiritual prison. The only way can live a life of spiritual freedom is to cultivate the habit of forgiveness. The word of God tells us that the reason the servant of the king was imprisoned was because he failed to forgive his fellow servant (Matt.18:23-35).

3. It makes our prayers unhindered: Jesus made it clear to us that if we asked anything in faith we would receive it. However, if we fail to forgive whosoever has sinned against us, our prayers to God would be hindered. Forgiveness therefore makes it possible for our prayers to get to God smoothly (Mark 11:24-26).

4. We receive forgiveness: Our forgiveness is directly tied to our willingness to forgive others their sins. God will not set us free from our sins unless we set free those who sin against us. Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, and in the middle of the prayer he declared "And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us..." (Luke 11:4). Forgiveness therefore, is a give and take thing. You must first give in order to receive; and when you give you must receive in return.

5. It gives us joy: Being able to forgive is a very difficult and exceptional thing. So when we are able to do it our hearts are filled with great joy.

6. It improves our physical lives: Refusal to forgive brings a great deal of stress to our system. Certain disease conditions are known to result from psychological or emotional stress. These diseases which are otherwise known as psychosomatic disorders are sometimes a product of stress resulting from our inability to forgive. Examples of such diseases are eczema, asthma, migraine, ulcerative colitis, etc. The only way we can get rid of them is to unburden our hearts of unforgiving spirit.

7. It Promotes love and unity: Love and unity can never exist in an atmosphere where there is hatred and malice. When we learn to forgive we promote love and unity amongst us. And as believers we can always achieve our heart desires when there is forgiveness, love and unity