Fw: [HAWK_Health_Awareness] RE: Crohns

[Guest guest]

 Muhammad Ahmad Al-Masry

64, Muhammad Korayem Street,

Gomrok, Alexandria, Egypt

Tel: 0020-03-4800555

Fax: 0020-03-3082667

Web: massrii

massrii

 

 

 

----- Forwarded Message ----

Suzanne <suziesgoats

HAWK_Health_Awareness

Monday, December 1, 2008 6:24:13 PM

[HAWK_Health_Awareness] RE: Crohns

 

 

7 Steps to Controlling Crohn's Disease

For people with digestive issues, life tends to revolve around what you can and

can't eat and how far away from the nearest bathroom you dare to venture. That's

certainly the case with Crohn's disease, which along with ulcerative colitis is

one of the two most common forms of inflammatory bowel disease. Symptoms include

wrenching stomach pain soon after eating (typically in the lower right side) and

relentless diarrhea. It's relatively rare, but a new research finding suggests

that people with Crohn's are seven times more apt to carry bacteria that cause a

related gastrointestinal disease in cattle. The bacteria -- Mycobacterium avium

subspecies paratuberculosis or MAP -- has been found in milk in American

supermarkets, and some studies have found it in meat and cheese, raising the

possibility that it may be passed up the food chain to people.

IT'S GUT WRENCHING

Whether or not bacteria such as MAP cause disease in the intestinal tract is

largely a matter of threshold, explains Daily Health News contributing editor

Andrew L. Rubman, ND. A person with a healthy, intact digestive tract will

likely be able to resist infectious bacteria. But the large intestine is the

body's center of immunity, and when the digestive tissue becomes damaged and

inflamed, it becomes more susceptible to invasive microorganisms, be it MAP or

the increasingly infectious species of E. coli, Salmonella, and other causes of

food poisoning. If the balance of healthy versus harmful bacteria is disrupted

and/or tissue is damaged, people become less able to resist disease and it

becomes more difficult to treat. Dr. Rubman and I talked more about Crohn's

disease in general, and about natural support for people with this problem.

Little is known about the causes of Crohn's disease, although family history, an

overactive immune system and inflammation response, and environmental triggers

are all believed to play a role. It differs from ulcerative colitis (which

causes similar symptoms) because inflammation is deeper in the intestinal wall

and also potentially affects the entire gastrointestinal tract from mouth to

anus. Ulcerative colitis primarily affects the colon and small intestine.

There's no known cure for Crohn's and remedies offered by conventional medicine

are riddled with problems. In September 2008, the FDA ordered stronger warnings

for common Crohn's drugs -- infliximab (Remicade), adalimumab (Humira) and

certolizumab pegol (Cimzia) -- after an association with the risk of developing

fungal and yeast infections such as Candidiasis was found. Because conventional

treatments have significant side effects -- even when they work, and they don't

always -- more than half of

people with Crohn's disease turn to natural therapies.

NATURAL SOLUTIONS

Since Crohn's disease affects different people in different ways, Dr. Rubman

individualizes treatment for each patient, working in collaboration with his/her

gastroenterologist -- a strategy he suggests for all Crohn's patients since a

combination of natural and mainstream treatments seems to be most effective.

Dr. Rubman's natural solutions include...

* Probiotics. Health requires maintaining a balance between good and bad

bacteria in the digestive tract. Poor diet, stress or a digestive disorder such

as Crohn's can result in a takeover of the system by  " bad " bacteria, resulting

in symptoms such as diarrhea and gas. To restore a proper floral balance, Dr.

Rubman frequently prescribes a seven- to 10-day course of a probiotic supplement

composed of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidus. However, he

notes that it is important to have a stool test before treatment, in order to

ensure the proper probiotic formula is administered.

 

 

* Fish oil. A small British study found that fish oil taken with antioxidants

may help reduce the inflammation associated with Crohn's disease. Eat fatty fish

such as salmon, mackerel or sardines two or three times a week. In addition, Dr.

Rubman often prescribes one or more grams of an EPA-DHA fish oil capsule or

liquid daily.

 

 

* Vitamin B-12. When the bowel has been damaged by Crohn's disease, it may no

longer effectively absorb B-12. If you are tired and rundown, ask your doctor to

test you. Dr. Rubman prefers to prescribe sublingual B-12 rather than B-12

shots. " It's as effective, less expensive and certainly more comfortable, " he

notes.

 

 

* Acupuncture. Acupuncture has traditionally been used to treat inflammatory

bowel disease in China and is meeting with increasing mainstream acceptance in

the US. A small German study suggests that acupuncture may help improve quality

of life and general well-being in people with Crohn's disease by modulating

symptoms and may even result in a small decrease in inflammatory markers in the

blood. Find an acupuncturist in your area at the Web site of the American

Association of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine at

http://www.aaaomonline.org/45000.asp.

 

 

* Focus on whole foods, fresh fruits and vegetables. A diet that contains lots

of processed and fast foods -- like white bread, sugary desserts, etc. --

stresses the bowel and may trigger inflammation and worsen symptoms of Crohn's

disease. Disease-causing microorganisms thrive on foods like these. Many people

with Crohn's report that they feel better when they eliminate or significantly

cut back on processed foods and place a greater emphasis on whole foods, fresh

fruits and vegetables and moderate amounts of protein. Avoid milk and dairy

products as well as trans fats, as they can also irritate the intestinal track.

 

 

* Decompress. Many people with Crohn's find that their symptoms worsen during

stressful periods. If you find this to be the case, take steps to effectively

manage stress. Do whatever works best for you -- whether that is yoga or

meditation or dancing or tennis.

 

 

* Stay away from colonics. Many people are tempted to turn to this " quick fix, "

but Dr. Rubman warns that colonics can backfire and worsen symptoms. The large

intestine requires a healthy balance of microorganisms to function properly, and

colonics indiscriminately wipe out the good with the bad under the thinly

supported premise of detoxification.

To feel more in control of your disease and your life, learn more about Crohn's

and connect with others who are going through the same things you are. Join

message boards, chats, blogs and support groups (online or offline) at Web sites

such as www.ccfa.org, or those listed at

http://www.crohns-disease-and-stress.com/support.html and

http://ibdcrohns.about.com/od/onlinesupport/a/supportgroups.htm.

Acknowledging that a diagnosis of Crohn's disease is never good news, Dr. Rubman

urges those who have the problem to be optimistic -- it can often be controlled

without drastic drugs or a draconian diet, and quality of life need not suffer.

Source(s):

 

 

Andrew L. Rubman, ND, director, Southbury Clinic for Traditional Medicines,

Southbury, Connecticut.

 

 

   Suzi 

List Owner

http://health.HAWK_Health_Awareness/  

http://360./suziesgoats 

What is a weed?  A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.