Can Ulcerative Colitis Be Prevented?

I absolutely believe that ulcerative colitis can be prevented. Though nobody has specified what could have brought on this condition (infections, bacteria, etc.), I have given this plenty of thought. What could have caused it? Well, I have a theory.

I grew up on typical American fare (though I was raised in Japan, my family stuck to their "traditional" Western diet), the standard American diet, if you will, and this has done nothing good for me. Foods fried in Crisco, corn syrup, baked goods (I could eat five blueberry muffins with milk before bed), white bread, casseroles, Campbell's cream of mushroom soup, table salt, frozen pizzas, pies, you name it. Oh, and did I mention sugar, sugar, and more sugar?

And, unlike my waifish brother, I ate and ate and ate. My brother was picky; I was the one who could finish my plate and his. The fact that my brother doesn't really like American food, but typically reaches for Japanese food instead, could explain the differences in our intestinal health and body types. He's lean and has a fast metabolism. He doesn't really have any stomach problems. I was thicker, more prone to skin problems, and developed a far weaker stomach. I ate the way I did until I was 16 or 17 with no problems, besides the fact that I was chunky. Then suddenly, and it really did seem like it was overnight, I started having uncontrollable diarrhea. And the rest is history (read my other articles).

If I hadn't been exposed to all the hydrogenated fats, the refined carbohydrates, and especially the mounds and mounds of sugar that I loved (I have a very strong sweet tooth), my stomach would have no reason to cave in. But since it wasn't supported by the fruits, veggies and healthy oils that I should've been eating, it did. I believe so strongly in the influence of diet. I have considered all other possibilities, such as hereditary factors, etc, but none stand out as strongly as diet, particularly long-term diet. I am, of course, now following an entirely different diet regimen, but since it's only been about a year, as opposed to the 20 or 21 years that I've been unwittingly poisoning myself (yes, it's a strong word, but I have come to view my past diet as one full of toxins, additives, preservatives and other harmful things), I still have a lot to reverse.

Of course, I've seen a lot of progress with diet and nutritional supplements alone, so it only further supports my theory that diet is primarily responsible for the onset of my bowel condition.