Hi,
Ulcerative colitis is a form of inflammatory bowel disease . Ulcerative colitis is a form of colitis, a disease of the colon , that includes characteristic ulcers, or open sores. The main symptom of active disease is usually constant diarrhea mixed with blood, of gradual onset. IBD is often confused with irritable bowel syndrome , a troublesome, but much less serious, condition.
Those who recently quit smoking are at highest risk of ulcerative colitis, followed by those who have never smoked. Smokers have the lowest risk of getting ulcerative colitis. I would NOT recommend you start smoking again as there are many other diseases and cancers caused by smoking. I also had ulcerative colitis, and I never smoked. You can read more about it in my blog.
I have heard of that, but I cannot comment on it per se. I am an ex-smoker myself, and I would urge you not to return to smoking, if it has crossed your mind. However, I would like to say to I have been plagued with ulcerative colitis for 24 years. I have now been in remission for almost 5 years!!! What happened to bring on a remission period so long? I happened to change my diet due to another health problem. Basically, I stopped buying red meat and cooking it at home: beef, pork, lamb. We now eat lots of fish, and free-run chicken and turkey, as well as vegetarian meals. I still eat it out occasionally, but it is not a mainstay of my diet. If there is one thing I have learned about ulcerative colitis, it is mainly about the food you eat!!!