Category Archives: Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Oleic acid associated with lower risk of ulcerative colitis

Getting more oleic acids from olive or peanut oils for instance, might lower the risk of this inflammatory disease of the colon and rectum by as much as 90%, reported researchers at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England, during Digestive Disease Week. Continue reading Oleic acid associated with lower risk of ulcerative colitis

Nutraceutical therapy to treat juvenile Crohn’s disease

Most of patients with moderate-to-severe disease are in a constant catabolic state resulting in poor weight gain and growth failure.

Researchers at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, in New York City studied whether an exclusion diet combined with nutraceutical therapy could induce sustained remission of disease with weight gain, and enhance the ability for growth hormone to reverse growth failure. Continue reading Nutraceutical therapy to treat juvenile Crohn’s disease

A new tool to test the biological effects of biofeedback, meditation, and yoga

OK. Stay with me on this.

Kevin Tracey, MD is director and CEO of The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in New York. A well-respected researcher, Dr. Tracey discovered that the brain controls the immune system via the vagus nerve. Now he’s investigating the role of a molecule called tumor necrosis factor (TNF) as part of the immune system’s weapons against foreign invaders. TNF can cause pain and redness to an injury or infection. In excessive amounts, it can also cause shock and death.

What’s this got to do with CAM?

Maybe a lot.

Continue reading A new tool to test the biological effects of biofeedback, meditation, and yoga

Using probiotics to lessen diarrhea after radiation therapy

Radiation therapy can disturb bacterial colonies in the intestines and cause radiation-induced enteritis and colitis, leading to diarrhea in cancer patients.

In this study, researchers at the San Camillo Hospital in Rome, Italy used probiotics to reduce this complication. Continue reading Using probiotics to lessen diarrhea after radiation therapy

Probiotics effective in infants with enterocolitis

Necrotizing enterocolitis is a serious intestinal disorder. It affects 7% to 15% of very low-birth-weight (less than 1500-gram; 3.3 pound) infants. Death occurs in about 12 per 100,000 affected babies.

A review published in The Lancet concludes, “Probiotics might reduce the risk.” Although important questions remain. Continue reading Probiotics effective in infants with enterocolitis

Synbiotic 2000 fails to prevent a recurrence of Crohn’s disease following surgery

Complications of Crohn’s disease (CD) lead to surgery in 70% to 90% of patients, and most of them experience a relapse.

Synbiotic 2000 consists of a mixture of probiotics and prebiotics. The rationale for its use in this study was to alter the bacteria in the colon and hopefully lower the CD relapse rate after surgery. Continue reading Synbiotic 2000 fails to prevent a recurrence of Crohn’s disease following surgery