Crohn’s disease is a chronic, inflammatory disease that can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract. It is an autoimmune disorder, meaning the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in the body.
Crohn’s disease is chronic, although there are periods of remission, when patients are symptom-free; followed by relapses, when symptoms flare up. Initially, it may affect only a small part of the gastrointestinal tract, but the disease has the potential to progress extensively. Complications outside of the intestine can occur. The cause of Crohn’s Disease is still unknown, but there is a hereditary tendency. First symptoms tend to occur in a person’s teens or twenties. Some cases are triggered by gastroenteritis which may be caused by a virus, bacterium, bacterial toxins, parasites, chemicals or drugs. Stress can cause flare ups.
It is believed that an immune reaction to bacteria in the bowel is an important factor in Crohn’s disease. Diet is a critical factor and dietary treatment often enables patients to heal their body naturally without the distressing side effects of prescription drugs.
Symptoms
- Diarrhoea – sometimes with blood
- Abdominal pain and tenderness
- Weight loss
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Sores and abscesses around the anus, which may have a discharge
- Other possible symptoms (not involving the intestine) – ulcers on the tongue or inside the cheek; painful, inflamed eyes; painful, stiff or swollen joints; sore, red lumps on the skin; inflammation around the bile duct; kidney stones and other urinary tract complications.
Dietary modification
There are no scientifically validated diets for inflammatory bowel disease. However, most people with Crohn’s can identify certain foods that trigger symptoms, particularly during inflammatory flares. Spicy and oily foods, insoluble fibre, nuts and seeds, caffeine and alcohol will all tend to exacerbate a flare-up, as will sugar and refined carbohydrates in general (including soft drinks and processed foods with added sugar).
Some people with Crohn’s disease have food allergies and have been reported to do better when they avoid foods to which they are allergic. The most common allergens are cereals, dairy, and yeast. People with Crohn’s disease lack the ability to metabolize histamine at a normal rate, so general avoidance of high histamine-containing foods should be a general guideline for sufferers.
Elemental diets containing amino acids (rather than whole proteins, which can stimulate allergic reactions) have been used extensively as primary therapy in people with Crohn’s disease, with remission rates comparable to those of steroid drugs. Avoidance of gas-producing foods (lentils, beans, legumes, cabbage, broccoli, onions etc), as well as raw fruit and vegetables, red meat and pork will also usually reduce symptoms.
Nutritional supplement treatment options
Vitamin D – Malabsorption is common in Crohn’s and can lead to a deficiency. Vitamin D status should be first evaluated by blood tests and dosaging of vitamin D supplementation should be carefully monitored.
EPA/DHA – Inflammation within the gut occurs in people suffering from Crohn’s disease. EPA/DHA has potent anti-inflammatory activity and has been shown to reduce relapse rates in controlled studies.
Saccharomyces boulardii – In double-blind research, diarrhoea caused by Crohn’s disease has partially responded to supplementation with this beneficial bacterium. A regular probiotic or prebiotic supplement may also help reduce inflammatory flares.
Vitamin K – In people with Crohn’s disease, vitamin K deficiency can result from malabsorption due to intestinal inflammation or bowel surgery; from chronic diarrhoea; or from dietary changes necessitated by food intolerance. In addition, Crohn’s disease is often treated with antibiotics that have the potential to kill beneficial vitamin K-producing bacteria in the intestines. Studies suggest that vitamin K deficiency is a contributing factor to the accelerated bone loss that often occurs in people with Crohn’s disease, so supplementation alongside vitamin D may well be of importance.
Multivitamin-mineral – Crohn’s disease often leads to malabsorption. As a result, deficiencies of many nutrients are common. For this reason, it makes sense for people with Crohn’s disease to take a high potency multivitamin-mineral supplement. In particular, deficiencies in zinc, folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and iron have been reported. Zinc, folic acid, and vitamin B12 are all needed to repair intestinal cells damaged by Crohn’s disease.
Vitamin A – Is needed for the growth and repair of cells that line both the small and large intestine.
Digestive Enzymes – People with Crohn’s disease may be deficient in stomach and pancreatic enzymes. Supplementing with enzymes might improve the nutrient malabsorption that is often associated with Crohn’s disease.
Botanical treatment options
Practitioners sometimes use a combination of herbs to soothe inflammation throughout the digestive tract. Marshmallow and slippery elm are mucilaginous plants that help soothe inflamed tissues.
A variety of anti-inflammatory herbs historically have been recommended by practitioners for people with Crohn’s disease. These include yarrow, chamomile, licorice and aloe juice.
Curcumin is an active compound in turmeric (Curcuma longa) that has anti-inflammatory activity; and has been shown to improve the symptoms of Crohn’s disease in some people.
Tannin-containing herbs may be helpful to decrease diarrhoea during acute flare-ups and have been used for this purpose in traditional medicine. Tannin containing herbs of potential benefit include agrimony (Agrimonia spp.), green tea, oak, witch hazel and cranesbill. Use of such herbs should be discontinued before the diarrhoea is completely resolved; otherwise the disease may be aggravated.
Article contributed by Dr Tracy S Gates, DO, DIBAK, L.C.P.H., Consultant, Pure Bio Ltd. Copyright © Pure Bio Ltd 2024. All rights reserved. Pure Bio Ltd are a leading UK supplier of the highest quality PURE nutritional supplements, based in Horsham, West Sussex.
Proud Winners of Southern Enterprise Awards, Best Nationwide Hypoallergenic Nutritional Supplements Distributor 2022 and 2023. Visit www.purebio.co.uk for all your nutritional supplement needs.
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