Unlocking the Mysteries of Bowel Disorders :: Health and Disease

Unlocking the Mysteries of Bowel Disorders
by author Deborah Cramer

Many of us have experienced abdominal discomfort, usually from overindulging. People with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), however, have recurring and severe bouts of intestinal pain, bleeding, and diarrhea. This month, in the first of a two-part series on bowel disorders, alive looks at research that may provide relief for people with IBD.

People with IBD, specifically Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, need powerful medications to control symptoms and relieve pain. While these drugs can help, they have troublingside effects and many IBD patients hope for more natural options.

Current research is focused on three areas–uncovering the genetic origins of IBD, controlling disease symptoms, and preventing the disease. Gastroenterologists are encouraged by recent discoveries, but while exciting and full of promise, these results are quite preliminary.

IBD and Genetics

A consortium of Canadian and American researchers is only one among several study groups to have identified genes associated with IBD onset and symptomatology. Especially interesting work is underway to understand how different genes influence IBD onset and disease manifestation among racial groups. Researchers have only just discovered that African Americans with IBD have different genetic patterns than do their Caucasian or Asian counterparts. The hope is that these African American genetic variations will further the general knowledge about IBD and particularly about its heritability.

Treating IBD

IBD treatment leans heavily toward symptom control. Though certain foods are known to trigger attacks, recent work has shown that diet can also diminish symptoms. Among the most promising are several studies on probiotic bacteria such as those found in yogourt. These bacteria can decrease inflammation and the gas, pain, and bloating associated with the disease.

A recurring research question is whether micronutrients and vitamin supplementation are useful for IBD. One small laboratory study reported that high doses of selenium offered some cellular protection and prevented inflammation. Conversely, a US Public Health Service bulletin reported in 2004 that omega-3 fatty acids seemed to provide neither protection from relapse nor any reduction in inflammation.

Scientists studying cancer and IBD are interested in vitamin D as both diseases occur more frequently in northern climates. Other studies are investigating zinc, iron, aloe vera, and vitamin E supplementation as well as the anti-inflammatory properties of green tea polyphenols.

Prevention

A strong link between IBD in children and diet seems likely, based on a study comparing 130 young IBD patients with 202 healthy controls. The results indicate that a diet high in fruits, vegetables, fish, and dietary fibre seems to protect children from early-onset Crohn’s disease. Other work correlates these findings, demonstrating that obesity in children appears to increase the risk for ulcerative colitis and that obesity can worsen the disease in adults.

Future Challenges

Research has furthered our understanding of IBD but basic questions remain unanswered: What causes the disease? What is the inflammatory mechanism? What role does diet play? For patients and their physicians, the challenge is to provide optimum health by balancing diet and medication while waiting for science to unlock IBD’s long-held secrets.

Race Seems to Matter

The causes of IBD are unknown. The disease affects women and men equally and can begin in childhood. Race seems to matter–fewer cases occur in Asian populations than among Caucasians and African Americans, while Ashkenazi Jewish populations report significantly higher incidence rates. Climate, too, seems important, with higher incidences in temperate areas than in the tropics. IBD rates in the northern US exceed those in the south. Canada has one of the highest incidence rates of Crohn’s disease in the world (16.3 cases per 100,000).

Deborah Cramer has been a science and technical writer for more than 20 years. She is fascinated by scientific breakthroughs and believes that accurate information empowers us all.

Source: alive #305, March 2008

Beyond Survival
No pizza, beer, no cakes, cookies or pie! This is what I was told when I was first diagnosed with celiac disease. While this advice makes nutritional sense for everyone, these indulgences were particularly threatening to my healt.

The Magic of Muesli
More than 90 per cent of all foods North Americans eat have been tampered with in one way or another through chemical farming, processing, refining and now genetic engineering.

Liver Restoration
Perhaps because there is no Western orthodox medical treatment for the liver, the liver is, unfortunately, overlooked as the cause of many health problem.

Liberate Your Colon
"Don't let your health be stolen by a congested colon! If a person is not being rewarded with good health, vigour and energy after proper sleep, good nutrition and dietary supplements, then there must be a thief, stealin.

Chewing Well Prevents Stomach Woes
How you eat is as important as what you eat and the simplest method for improving your digestion and overall health is to chew your food well.

Soothe Festive Belly Aches

Healthy Bugs
Probiotics is the name for these beneficial bacteria, which the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the US (FAO) define as "live microorganisms, which when administered .

De-Stress Your Digestion
The most common health complaint in North America is poor digestion. Consumers spend billions of dollars each year on over-the-counter medicines and prescription drugs designed to temporarily relieve symptoms of gastrointestinal distress.

The Best Colon-Cleansing Diet
If you experience constipation, bladder and kidney infections, vaginal yeast infections, bad breath, body odour, abdominal cramps, or toe- and fingernail fungus, your colon may be calling for a cleanse. Some say disease begins in the colon.

Wisdom Of The Human Body
"The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest the patient in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and preve.

Renewing Your Digestion
(Renew Life Press, 2002). Speaking from her office in Clearwater, Fla.

Gas? Bloating? Constipation?
Imagine a factory where the assembly line works in reverse, taking cars and dismantling them piece by piece until they are all but unrecognizable. That's essentially how your digestive system work.

Conquering Digestive Disorders
It's no fun when you get that bloated, gassy feeling after eating-so often considered a "normal" post-meal symptom in our societ.

Nourishing the Gastrointestinal Tract
Modern day agricultural practices include the use of germicides, radiation and fungicides meant to kill harmful bacteria and other micro-organisms. They also kill beneficial bacteria, leaving our foodstuffs virtually sterile.

Oh, What a Relief It Is
Every year more than 50 million people visit their doctors for digestive problems. As a result, acid blockers and antacids are two of the top-selling pharmaceutical products.

Gut Instinct
Almost all disease can be traced back to poor digestion. Good digestive health is more than just breaking down your food properly-it's essential for nutrient absorption, immune function, detoxification, and chemical and hormone production..

A Symbiotic Relationship
The body's gastrointestinal tract or gut is central to maintaining health as it is this set of organs that digests food to properly nourish the body. Good digestion requires normal flora (good bacteria) and a healthy pH balance in the gut.

Digestion
What do weight problems, skin conditions, allergies, fatigue, insomnia, arthritis, headaches, depression, yeast infections, constipation, and cancer have in common? These and dozens of other conditions may all be caused or worsened by poor digestion..

Colon Cleansing Made Easy

Digestive Woes
The digestive tract can be a friend and an enemy. Many variables such as stressors, genetic predisposition, and unhealthy lifestyle choices can interrupt the complex process of digestion and play havoc with our stomachs. Three simple strategies practised daily can help to manage stress for a stomach-friendly lifestyle.

Dealing with Digestion
Pain, bloating, belching, constipation, and a wide range of other distressing symptoms accompany digestive disturbances. Taking an honest look at dietary and lifestyle habits will usually offer the best clues to solving your tummy troubles.

As the Stomach Turns
The commercials make me crazy. They advertise over-the-counter or prescription medications that claim to treat heartburn, acid reflux, or general indigestion. And they always feature a bunch of fun-loving, portly guys out on the town for a night of sausage pizza, spicy chicken wings, and draught beer.

Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis
Diverticulosis is a condition in which there are small extruding pockets in the wall of the large bowel. Most commonly they occur in the descending colon or sigmoid colon, which is the last part of the bowel prior to its exit from the body. Diverticulitis is an inflammation of those pockets, which can lead to symptoms of diarrhea, pain and bleeding.

Renewing Life
In with the good, out with the bad. It's simple physiology, but when the digestive system doesn't function properly, optimum health can be elusive.

Go Foraging for Fibre
Are you getting enough fibre? Do you know how much you need each day?

Gut Reaction
Probiotics can have a beneficial effect on a wide range of inflammatory bowel disorders such as celiac disease, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis. They help to restore a healthy bacterial balance that not only supports the digestion process but also reduces inflammation in the intestine.

Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition in which gluten acts as a toxin and causes the absorptive surfaces of the small intestine to flatten. This prevents the body from receiving important nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

Andrographis
With the arrival of spring, many people follow their gut instinct and begin to focus on healthier eating and lifestyle habits in order to strengthen their resistance to illness and improve general well-being.