Column #9

The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) says medication and a five-food-group diet can help control these diseases leading to “a full and rewarding life.”  Then it says 70% of Crohn’s victims will require surgery which initially makes symptoms disappear. But 30% of them experience recurrence of their symptoms within three years and up to 60% within ten years, so surgery is not a cure. That’s “a full and rewarding life”?

The drugs prescribed for Crohn’s disease suppress the immune system’s inflammatory response which the CCFA claims causes the symptoms. But suppressing the immune system does not address the root cause of inflammation. That’s why medications work somewhat for 30% of the victims. Even though billions have been spent on this disease, there remains no cure.

In my opinion drug companies make poor spokesmen for nutrition. Doctors are too often influenced by drug companies and thus unlikely to provide sound nutritional advice. But in a CCFA video they state Crohn’s may not be caused by bad reactions to specific foods. They recommend the USDA’s five food group diet to reduce symptoms and promote healing. They like Omega-3 fatty acids but claim dosages are unknown. They also ignore anecdotal evidence of successes with diet because it is not scientific.

Crohn’s, like other chronic diseases, is strongly associated with diet. An improper diet is abusive and causes bodies to fail often in predictably inherited ways. If some Crohn’s victims subdue their disease with diet, it makes sense to pay attention to what they ate especially if their diet is the same diet that suppresses most other chronic diseases.

Microbiologists explain that Crohn’s symptoms are usually caused by mycotoxins produced from fungal infestations. Fungi infect the intestines when the immune system is weak. Once established, fungi put out mycotoxins when they are “fed” sugars (high glycemic foods) and carbohydrates. Mycotoxins cause inflammation and may literally eat holes in the intestinal lining.

The most effective remedy for chronic diseases is a broad-based metabolical approach. That can either be a risky drug cocktail or a far safer natural diet.

Suppressing Crohn’s through diet starts with probiotics to restore gut flora and the elimination of all carbs from grains, starches, and sugar. At the same time the immune system must be strengthened with nutrient dense foods that balance the Omega-6 (n6) and the Omega-3 (n3) fatty acids 1:1 by weight. The best foods are wild caught seafood, grass-fed meats, n3 chicken, n3 pork, and most green leafy vegetables. A daily fish oil supplement may hasten the 1:1 balance of inflammatory n6 and noninflammatory n3 fatty acids.

To reduce inflammation and stop fungi from producing mycotoxins, avoid high n6 foods and high glycemic foods. This includes sugar, syrups, honey, grains, seeds, nuts, potatoes, vegetable oils, many fruits, and all grain-fed meats.

This “anecdotal approach” has a great track record for helping Crohn’s victims have a truly full and rewarding life.

To your health.

Ted Slanker

Ted Slanker has been reporting on the fundamentals of nutritional research in publications, television and radio appearances, and at conferences since 1999. He condenses complex studies into the basics required for health and well-being. His eBook, The Real Diet of Man, is available online.

For additional reading:

I Had Ulcerative Colitis  (A true life story.)

Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Inflammation and Autoimmune Diseases