THE WESTERN DIET KILLS US YET AGAIN…Inflammatory bowel disease is when your body attacks its own gut. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s are the biggies. Not only are these diseases bad enough all on their own, but these conditions are associated with much higher rates of colorectal cancer. This particular study implicates the Western Diet (high in processed foods, animal saturated fats, artificial stuff, low in fruits and veggies, healthy oils, phytonutrients) in this progression from IBD to cancer. Adding more doom to the picture, it seems that the rates of IBD are going up in our children. This is likely a result of messing with the immune system too early with wanton use of antibiotics and vaccination (both of which skew the immune system towards autoimmunity). This makes it even more important to avoid antibiotics in children except in the most dire of circumstances, view each immunization with a magnifying glass and make sure they grow up knowing what fruits and veggies and olive oil look like and have no idea that you’re supposed to eat that brilliantly colored food looking product that comes in a box or plastic wrap.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Nuts, Inflammatory Death
WANT TO LIVE LONGER? EAT MORE OF THESE… It should come as no surprise that nuts are very good for us. The fats in them are well known to lower levels of inflammation and do wonders for protecting the heart. All nuts have benefits, although there are some generalizations. Almonds and cashews (owing to their fiber / phytosterol content) will help lower cholesterol. Walnuts and pecans are very potent antioxidants and will protect the heart. The bottom line is that you should eat a variety of nuts (preferably all mixed together in one scrumptious bowl with some dark chocolate mixed in…) to achieve the best balance of benefits. STRONG word of caution–avoid any added oils like cottonseed or peanut oil that are used for the processing. You must read ingredient labels and avoid these! Read More…
Proton-Pump Inhibitors, Cardiovascular
3RD LEADING CLASS OF MEDICATION LINKED TO HEART DISEASE? Given my understanding of human physiology, I consider the act of digestion and assimilation of nutrients to be one of the most important things that our bodies do. Off the top of my head, I can list at least 10 things that stomach acid is absolutely essential for. In other words–it’s REALLY important. Then consider the fact that age and stress begins to drastically lower our stomach’s production of acid. With this fact in mind, one would begin to ask how a class of drug that further lowers an already too little production of acid could hold the #3 spot in drug use. A very good question and one that I can’t really answer because it doesn’t make sense if one understands how digestion works. The proton pump inhibitors (names like Prilosec, Nexium, Aciphex, Protonix) shut down digestion. Because of this, they have been linked to osteoporosis, liver problems, weakening of the lining of the gut, C. difficile infections and now (as if the list already wasn’t bad enough), heart disease. Given how incredibly rare making TOO much stomach acid is, one should ask what is the purpose of this med being used in patients. The only viable use is if someone has a bleeding ulcer, in which case this class of drugs will save a life. Ironically, most people given PPIs are actually making too LITTLE stomach acid and supporting digestion (apple cider vinegar, digestive enzymes, stress mang’t) goes a long way towards eliminating symptoms.Read More…
New Variant of IBD Observed in Children With Developmental Disorders – (10-30-00)
New Variant of IBD Observed in Children With Developmental Disorders
Dr. Andrew Wakefield is truly a pioneer, and yet he has received an indescribable amount of criticism for his studies suggesting a possible link between the mumps vaccine and autism. And yet, like many old pioneers ridiculed by their colleagues, further research is confirming his findings. There appears to be a link between the health of the GI tract and autistic patients. While some may consider this ludicrous, to those of use familiar with functional medicine, it is very plausible.
Am J Gastroenterol 2000;95:2154-2156,2285-2295 Children with developmental disorders seem to be at risk of developing a distinct variant of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that lacks the typical features of either Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. “The combination of ileocolonic lymphoid nodular hyperplasia and colitis in children with developmental disorders distinguished them from developmentally normal children with similar symptoms (including abdominal pain and constipation) in whom lymphoid nodular hyperplasia and histopathological change were uncommon,” Dr. Wakefield and colleagues say. The accumulating evidence of a specific variant of enterocolitis in autism makes it “tempting to suggest that a gut-brain interaction” may be involved in the pathogenesis of what researchers are beginning to call “autistic enterocolitis,” the authors note. They explain that recent detection of opioid peptides of dietary origin in urine from some affected children is further evidence of this possibility. But in a related editorial, Drs. Eamonn M. M. Quigley and David Hurley, of the National University of Ireland in Cork, say that “there is, at present, insufficient evidence to establish either a direct or indirect link…between an inflamed gut and the brain, in autism.”
Role of microecology in chronic inflammatory bowel diseases – (01-18-03)
Role of microecology in chronic inflammatory bowel diseases
I had a patient come in yesterday that had spent 10 days in bed from a serious case of diarrhea. She went to a GI “specialist” who gave her a drug for colitis that made the diarrhea worse. After she contacted him, he suggested she try it AGAIN!!! Much the same result. Just amazes me sometimes–I really get the feeling that some (if not closer to “many”) specialist do not understand the physiology of the organ system they devote so much time to. This patient went back to her PCP because she was sure the specialist was going to kill her. She was put on a course of antibiotics and improved. When she saw me I gave her some probiotics to restore her GI environment to a more healthy state. I’m sure these same probiotics would have been just as effective (if not more) than the antibiotics.
Early Measles Infection Linked to Inflammatory Bowel Disease – (08-03-00)
Early Measles Infection Linked to Inflammatory Bowel Disease
More information on the link between measles and other diseases than don’t show up until much later in life. Although the researchers were hesitant to suggest a link with the measles vaccine, the link does seem to come up again and again in research circles.
Am J Gastroenterol 2000;95:1480-1485 Early measles infection may increase the risk of developing Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, according to researchers from the Mayo Clinic. In the study, they identified individuals who had been diagnosed with measles before the age of 5 years from 1950 to 1966 through the Mayo Clinic and the Rochester Epidemiology Project. Of this initial group of 1,164 eligible cases, 662 completed a questionnaire to determine if the patient had subsequently developed Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, or symptoms of undiagnosed disease. Overall, the researchers found six cases of Crohn’s disease and six cases of ulcerative colitis that could be confirmed by the patients’ physicians. Based on the incidence of cases in Olmsted County, Minnesota, they would have expected significantly fewer cases: 1.9 for Crohn’s disease and 2.0 for ulcerative colitis. Seventy-five percent of the cases had measles before the age of 2 years, the authors note, but this did not reach statistical significance. The investigators also emphasized that their study did not consider the effect of measles vaccination, and “unless more compelling data become available to implicate measles vaccine as a risk factor for inflammatory bowel disease, we fully support the current recommendation for universal vaccination against measles.”
Iron may worsening inflammatory bowel disease – (07-07-00)
Iron may worsening inflammatory bowel disease
This becomes a catch-22 because many patients with IBD are enemic. It may be possible to use a higher quality iron supplement so absorption is better and no iron will make it into the large intestine.
European Journal of Clinical Investigation 30 (6), 505-510 Iron supplements may increase disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease through the production of the hydroxyl radical. Oral as well as rectal administration of iron resulted in increased pro-inflammatory cytokine production in IL-10-/- mice. We conclude that dietary or topical administered iron increases pro-inflammatory cytokine production in the colon of IL10-/- mice. No significant increase of histological intestinal inflammation was observed.
Anti-TNF, IL-10, antibiotics in indometacin-induced bowel inflammation – (10-18-01)
Anti-TNF, IL-10, antibiotics in indometacin-induced bowel inflammation
This is an interesting article that implicates both TNF-alpha and anaerobic bacteria in the development of Crohn’s disease. So we are using fancy new drugs to block TNF-alpha (we all know my opinion on THIS one…); where is the other half of the therapy designed to address to harmful bacteria? A global approach to Crohn’s includes probiotics, avoidance of refined sugars and managing insulin levels and obesity (both stimulate TNF-alpha production).
Synergy : Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics 15 (11), 1827-1836