It started with a diagnosis I refused to accept
My name is Jeroen le Duc. In 2015 I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. I was losing weight rapidly (eleven kilos in a single week at one point), I was in pain every day, and my gastroenterologist handed me a prescription for immunosuppressants and told me this was something I'd have to manage for the rest of my life.
I drove to the pharmacy, stood in front of the medication aisle, and thought: I'm not doing this. Not because I was foolish, or because I thought I knew better than my doctors. But because something in me refused to believe that suppressing the symptoms was the only option, without anyone ever asking why my gut was inflamed in the first place.
What I found when I started looking
I started reading. Not health blogs or wellness influencers, but published research. Clinical studies on gut permeability, the microbiome, the role of nutrition in inflammatory bowel disease, natural compounds that had been tested in actual trials. And the more I read, the more I realised that there was a whole body of science that nobody in my medical team had ever mentioned.
I changed my diet. I tested my gut bacteria. I worked with the science on leaky gut, zonulin, oleic acid, curcumin, and probiotics. Within six months I had no symptoms. More than eight years later, I still don't (and I've never used medication for Crohn's disease).
I'm not saying this to suggest it's easy, or that what worked for me will work for everyone exactly the same way. But I am saying that the question "why is my gut inflamed?" deserves a real answer. And most people never get one.
From my own recovery to guiding others
After my recovery I started sharing what I'd learned. First informally, then professionally. I founded Eerste hulp bij Darmklachten (First Aid for Gut Problems) in the Netherlands. Today we're a team of seven specialised practitioners who guide people with IBS, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis through personalised recovery programmes.
Our approach combines orthomolecular nutrition with functional diagnostics. We test what's actually happening in your gut (stool analysis, food intolerance testing) before recommending anything. Then we build a plan around what we find. No standard protocols, no one-size-fits-all diets. Programmes typically run four to six months, and 90% of our clients report improvement within the first two weeks.
Colitis Recovery exists because the information that changed my life shouldn't be locked behind a language barrier. The articles on this site are grounded in the same published research and clinical experience that we use every day in our practice. If you're looking for personalised guidance, you can learn more about what we offer on our website.
What this site is (and what it isn't)
This is not a medical website. I'm not a doctor, and nothing on this site replaces the advice of your gastroenterologist. What I can offer is context: clearly explained, research-based information that helps you understand what's happening in your body, so you can ask better questions and make more informed decisions about your own health.
Every article is written honestly. I don't promise cures, I don't sell supplements, and I won't tell you to stop your medication. What I will do is show you the science that most doctors don't have time to discuss, and share what I've seen work in my own recovery and in the hundreds of people we've guided since.