Homemade Yogurt and Crohn’s Disease
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Although scientists don't know what causes Crohn's disease, they agree that what is happening to the body is a sort of friendly fire by the immune system.
The immune system’s job is to protect and go on the attack when the body is invaded by harmful bacteria and other substances. However, in Crohn's disease doctors suspect that the immune system cannot differentiate between harmful and beneficial substances.
During this attack process, white blood cells accumulate in the intestines causing inflammation, bleeding and injury to the bowels.
- An estimated 400,000 to 600,00 people in the United States have Crohn's disease.
- You are more susceptible to the disease if you were given antibiotics as a child, take birth control pills, eat an excess amount of sugar or smoke cigarettes.
- A recent study suggests that you are 5 times more likely to develop Crohn's disease if you have been regularly taking aspirin for a year or more.
- Men are twice as likely to get the disease as women.
- 20 percent of sufferers have a family member with the disease.
Bacteria Likely Suspect
The bacteria Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) has been implemented as the cause of Crohn's disease. MAP is the known cause of Johne's disease, which strikes cattle and can survive pasteurization and chlorination. It has been found in larger numbers within the intestines of Crohn's disease patients.
Crohn's Disease and Yogurt
Yogurt has long been suggested as a natural way to treat Crohn's disease. In her book Breaking the Vicious Cycle, Elaine Gottschall, a biochemist, recommends the Specific Carbohydrate Diet for treating intestinal diseases including Crohn's disease.
She recommends eating yogurt for at least 3 months before expecting results. Gottschall also recommends only homemade yogurt as commercial yogurts are too high in sugar (a suspected offender) and too low in probiotics.
A recent study by James O. Lindsay, M.D., at the Barts and the London medical center in the U.K., concluded that prebiotics supplements were not promising in treating the disease. After a 4 week study, Dr. Lindsay concluded that prebiotics had no greater effect on the participants' symptoms than did the placebo but that they did appear to improve the functioning of the immune system.
Crohn's disease is a complicated, painful and potentially deadly condition. It should never be left untreated or self-treated. However, for those that have the disease and have used yogurt, the individual reports are encouraging.
Crohn's Disease Story
Crohn's Boy
My Crohn's Disease
While the good bacteria in yogurt is regarded as beneficial to Crohn's sufferers, some have reported flare ups after eating acidophilus bifidus. This has been attributed to the Herxheimer reaction; a process where bacteria die off faster than the body can remove the toxins.
Based upon the risk factors, keeping your immune system functioning properly and your gut filled with good bacteria is just common sense. Think of yogurt as your ounce of prevention instead of a pound of cure.
If you have the disease be totally informed but talk to your doctor about any type of treatment.
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