Goat's Milk, A Great Alternative!

Many people living with crohn's disease have said that goat's milk is much better for them than cow's milk. Goat's milk  has smaller protein and fat molecules making it easier to digest. Also, goat's milk is more similar to human milk. It contains bioactive substances which stop the growth of harmful organisms. It doesn't stimulate an immune response and therefore there is no mucous. It has the highest source of selenium and it is alkaline and does not produce acid. Because the digestion is easier, the lactose passes through quicker and therefore it doesn't have time to ferment.
Look through this chart of comparison of goat and cow milk and consider it. I never tried it myself, but it is supposed to taste good and if it is really better for you- Why Not?


http://www.crohns.net/Miva/education/aboutgoatsmilk.shtml#Nutrient

Nutrient Comparison: Goat's Milk and Cow's Milk
	Goat's Milk	Cow's Milk		Goat's Milk	Cow's Milk
Weight (g)	244	244	Calories	168	150
Water (g)	212.4	214.7	Protein (g)	8.7	8
Carbohydrate (g)	10.9	11.4	Fat (g)	10.1	8.2
Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (g)	2.7	-	Saturated Fatty Acids	6.5	5.1
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids	0.4	0.3	Cholesterol (mg)	28	33
A (IU)	451	307	B-1 (mg)	0.12	0.09
B-2 (mg)	0.34	0.4	B-6 (mg)	0.11	0.1
Folic Acid (mcg)	0.7	12	Nicotinic Acid (mg)	0.7	0.2
B-12 (mcg)	0.16	0.87	Pantothentic Acid (mg)	0.76	0.77
C (mg)	3	2	Sodium (mg)	122	119
Calcium (mg)	326	290	Magnesium (mg)	34	33
Manganese (mg)	0.044	0	Zinc (mg)	0.73	0.93
Potassium (mg)	499	368	Phosphorus (mg)	270	227
Iron (mg)	0.12	0.12	Copper (mg)	0.112	0

Reduce Stress!

Stress has been found to be a possible a cause of crohn's disease. Crohn's disease is characterized by permeability in the intestine and it has been found that stress causes permeability. Corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) is secreted by the hypothalamus, yet when the body is stressed it is found to be released in the colonic crypts which results in intestinal permeability. Stress can also exacerbate the disease that is already existing. It has been found that people who are stressed are more likely to have a relapse.

It is very important do things to lower and take away the stress in your body! Take time to RELAX, make sure to EAT RIGHT, do some stretching or yoga exercises! It is worth the time that it takes to calm down and change your way of thinking. Stress not only has quality of life ramifications, it also affects your health!

http://www.crohns.net/Miva/education/articles/Stress_in_the_Etiology_of_Crohns_Disease.shtml

What to eat when you have a flare up?

Joy Bauer, an RD, gives a few suggestions of foods that are good to eat when having flare-ups. It is a time that most people don't even want to think about food, but it is still necessary to eat. She says that some of these foods that she gives are not the most healthy for a regular time, yet for these times when you are in middle of a flare up they are beneficial. This is because at these times the body can't handle fiber, it needs refined grains and easily digestible foods. 
White pasta since it is low in fiber and easy on the digestive tract.
Cream of rice cereal with added iron and zinc is a soothing option.
Bananas are well tolerated and add potassium.
Fatty fish like salmon is good since it has omega 3 Fatty Acids which help to ease inflammation.
Sliced hard cheese, which generally has no lactose, is a good way during flare ups to get the needed calcium. Greesy cheese foods are not good and may cause nausea.
Potato without skin has the potassium needed for fluid balance. The skin can aggravate the inflamed intestine.
Creamy yogurt soothes the GI tract with healthy bacteria.
Soft cooked carrots are an excellent source of beta carotene which is an antioxidant that helps with healing. The carrots are one of the only vegetable that is tolerated.
Hopefully these suggestions will be helpful!
http://www.everydayhealth.com/crohns-diet-pictures/joy-bauer-foods-to-eat-during-crohns-flare-up.aspx#/slide-12

Cautions with ADA medication

Many women who are faced with crohn's disease are prescribed a medication called Adalimumab (ADA). This medication helps to lower the inflammation, yet is may lower the immune system response. The medication messes with parts of the immune system and therefore the people on it have a higher risk for infection. Last year, they discovered that women on the drug who are pregnant can be passing this drug into the fetus. In the third trimester of pregnancy, the drug passes through the chord across the placenta. Babies that are born have the drug in their blood for at least 3 months after birth. This is a cause for concern and extra monitoring since the baby may now be more prone to infection. It is also reccommended not to give the baby any virus immunizations until it is out of his system. No one said that a woman who is pregnant should not take the drug, since there are more serious dangers for her and the baby if she were to stop the drug.
This is something to be aware of and not something to be so scared of. With the proper awareness, it is possible to prevent any problems from occuring to the baby.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110508134939.htm

Good and Bad Foods for Inflammation

Crohn's disease is associated with anti-yeast antibodies. Monnon is part of the yeast cell wall. People with crohn's tend to have lower levels of lectin which bind the mannon and help to expell it out of the body.Because of crohn's lower innate immunity and lower levels of lectin, the anti- yeast antibodies form. These antibodies trigger an iinflammation and cause damage to the gut lining. People should avoid eating yeast products and other common allergens. Gluten containing foods such as wheat, rye, barley.. are all things to stay away from. Soy products, eggs and heavy proteins are often not tolerated. Try to maintain an anti-inflammatory diet. Omega-3 fatty acids are good sources of foods that can help to lessen the inflammation. Foods cotaining coconut, nondenatured whey proteins, berries, oregano, rosemary, cinnamon, and ginger are all anti-inflammatory foods that could help with the inflammation.

http://www.naturalnews.com/032341_Crohns_disease_prevention.html

Crohn's linked to Vit. D Deficiency

Vitamin D Supplements Could Fight Crohn's Disease

ScienceDaily (Jan. 27, 2010) — A new study has found that Vitamin D, readily available in supplements or cod liver oil, can counter the effects of Crohn's disease. John White, an endocrinologist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, led a team of scientists from McGill University and the Université de Montréal who present their findings about the inflammatory bowel disease in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

There have been studies which reported that a deficiency in vitamin D can be related to crohn's disease. Vitamin D is active in the immune response. Vitamin D acts on beta defensin which encodes and antimicrobial peptide and the NOD2 gene that alerts cells about invading microbes. If NOD2 is deficient it can't combat invaders. This finding is interesting to note since it is a simle way to help the disease. Vitamin D supplements are sold over the counter in all drug stores may be worth while to purchase.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100127104904.htm

The "Simple Carbohydrate Diet"

I came across a diet that was created for people with crohn's and other irritable bowel disorders. The diet was created based on a scientific knowledge. Crohn's is a disease where the immune function is not working properly. This can cause there to be an overabundance of bacteria in the intestines. Usually, there is a balance of good and bad bacteria in the large intestine. When there is a lot of harmful bacteria, if goes into the stomach and small intestine as well, causing digestion to slow. The bacteria now competes for the nutrients, thus the undigested nutrients stay in the gut. When the bacteria tries to break down these nutrients it causes fermentation which releases gas (which is also harmful for the body). When a person eats carbs, the nutrients can't be broken down and the bacteria and the byproducts of the fermentation cause further destruction to the small intestine increasing the damage to the digestive tract. The diet that is explained in the book is promoting simple carbohydrates, monosaccharides. This is because these carbs need less digestion and therefore there is not much for the bacteria to be able to break down. This will help the digestive system from continuing to be corrupted. Simple carbs are foods like fruits, honey, some vegetables, and some yogurts. The yogurt for this diet is a special yogurt that is fermented for 24 hours. The yogurt adds good bacteria into the gut to cause the balance of the bacteria to shift to the good.
There are many people who said that they tried this diet and it has worked for them. The book goes into full detail about the specifics of the diet. If you are struggling with Crohn's you may want to give the book a try!
http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/beginners_guide/the_science_behind_the_diet2.htm

"An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away"

Scientists Discover Anti-Inflammatory Polyphenols in Apple Peels

ScienceDaily (Nov. 30, 2011) — Here's another reason why "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" -- according to new research findings published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, oral ingestion of apple polyphenols (antioxidants found in apple peels) can suppress T cell activation to prevent colitis in mice. This study is the first to show a role for T cells in polyphenol-mediated protection against an autoimmune disease and could lead to new therapies and treatments for people with disorders related to bowel inflammation, such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease and colitis-associated colorectal cancer.

    WOW! Cool discovery, It's good that apples taste good!!!! It is definitely worth it to try it!!

www.sciencedaily.com/2011/11//111130100455.htm

Hi! My name is Pnina Garfinkel. I am currently a student at Kansas State University, pursuing a degree in dietetics. I have always loved food and I also find all science related subjects fascinating. (Now you understand my career choice....) I am a firm believer that eating properly is crucial to anyone's health, even if he/she is completely healthy. All the more so, for someone with a chronic disease. Unfortunately, many of us, if not all of us, know someone with one illness or another and wish we could help them in some way. I have a close relative who has Chron's disease and have witnessed firsthand the difficulties of coping with Chron's. According to the CCFA, Chron's disease afflicts roughly half a million people in the United States. Most of the people affected are adolescents and young adults, ages 15-35. As a dietetics student, I would like to spread awareness about how nutrition and the correct diet can positively improve the quality of life of someone afllicted with Chron's. Here are some of my findings!