Whole Body Health

The discovery has yet to be confirmed by clinical trials, but it raises hopes for the estimated 170,000 Canadians with either Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.

Canada has one of the highest reported rates in the world for Crohn’s disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disorder that usually affects the lower small intestine.”Our data suggests for the first time that Vitamin D deficiency can contribute to Crohn’s disease,” said John White, an endocrinologist at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre.

White noted that people who live in northern climates — which receive less sunshine that is essential for the fabrication of Vitamin D by the human body — are especially vulnerable to Crohn’s disease.

White and his colleagues treated cancer cells in the lab with Vitamin D, and then carried out a micro-array or genetic analysis of those cells. They found that Vitamin D switched on two genes that are important in preventing or fighting Crohn’s disease.

“It’s reasonable to think that Vitamin D deficiency can contribute to the frequency of the disease,” White said. “Siblings of patients with Crohn’s disease that haven’t yet developed the disease might be well advised to make sure they’re Vitamin D sufficient.”

As for whether taking Vitamin D could be an effective treatment for Crohn’s, White was cautious, saying that would have to be demonstrated in a clinical trial.

The White study was published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Chemicals found in cannabis could prove an effective treatment for the inflammatory bowel diseases Ulcerative Colitis Disease and Crohn’s Disease, say scientists.

Laboratory tests have shown that two compounds found in the cannabis plant — the cannabinoids THC and cannabidiol — interact with the body’s system that controls gut function.

Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, which affect about one in every 250 people in Northern Europe, are caused by both genetic and environmental factors. The researchers believe that a genetic susceptibility coupled with other triggers, such as diet, stress or bacterial imbalance, leads to a defective immune response.

Dr Karen Wright, Peel Trust Lecturer in Biomedicine at Lancaster University, presented her soon-to-be published work at The British Pharmacological Society’s Winter Meeting in London.

She said: “The lining of the intestines provides a barrier against the contents of the gut but in people with Crohn’s Disease this barrier leaks and bacteria can escape into the intestinal tissue leading to an inappropriate immune response.

“If we could find a way to restore barrier integrity in patients we may be able to curb the inflammatory immune response that causes these chronic conditions.”

Dr Wright, working with colleagues at the School of Graduate Entry Medicine and Health in Derby, has shown that cells that react to cannabinoid compounds play an important role in normal gut function as well as the immune system’s inflammatory response.

“The body produces its own cannabinoid molecules, called endocannabinoids, which we have shown increase the permeability of the epithelium during inflammation, implying that overproduction may be detrimental,” said Dr Wright.

“However, we were able to reverse this process using plant-derived cannabinoids, which appeared to allow the epithelial cells to form tighter bonds with each other and restore the membrane barrier.”

The research was carried out using cell cultures in a dish but, interestingly, when the team attempted to mimic the conditions of the gut by reducing the amount of oxygen in the cells’ environment, much lower concentrations of cannabinoid were needed to produce the same effect.

Dr Wright added: “What is also encouraging is that while THC has psychoactive properties and is responsible for the ‘high’ people experience when using cannabis, cannabidiol, which has also proved effective in restoring membrane integrity, does not possess such properties.”

Source:http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091220175502.htm
The time or date displayed reflects when an article was added to Google News Dec.20, 2009

Often, arthritis can appear before the symptoms of IBD, especially in children with Crohn’s disease. If your child develops arthritis, Crohn’s should be considered, even if your child isn’t yet experiencing any intestinal symptoms and occult stool tests are negative.

Another form of arthritis called “spinal arthritis” – or spondylitis – can occur years before the onset of more common IBD symptoms, such as bloody diarrhea and abdominal pain. Spondylitis produces pain and stiffness in the lower spine and sacroiliac joints. A more sinister and rare form of spinal arthritis called “ankylosing spondylitis” can lead to inflammation of the eyes, lungs and heart valves. Both forms of spondylitis are serious illnesses that can severely limit your quality of life and lead to serious complications. It’s important to seek timely treatment or better yet, try to prevent the onset of arthritis if you’re at risk because you suffer from IBD.

Prevention is key for IBD sufferers.

If you suffer from IBD – be it either ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease - it’s important to talk to a doctor about preventative measures you can take to avoid arthritis. As the saying goes – and it’s particularly true in this case – the best offense is defense.

Clearly, people suffering from colitis and arthritis need to address both diseases. Otherwise, you’ll be simply relieving symptoms rather than treating the underlying cause. For example, NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen) along with steroid injections are often used to treat arthritis and lessen pain associated with it. But if you’re an IBD sufferer – beware! NSAIDs can irritate your intestinal lining and lead to more inflammation. It’s important that your treatment plan considers all aspects of both conditions.

If you’re overweight, try to lose weight. Your diet should be modified according to your body neeeds, avoiding specific triggers that lead to your symptoms. Although you need to follow a special diet (i.e. gluten-free in celiac disease or meat-free in gout and other arthitic pain), it is important to keep all the essential nutrients, especially protein, in balance with proper quantity and quality of minerals and vitamins. Controlling your nutrition will be the most important tool on your road to wellness.

For more information about arthritis treatment

Intestinal blockage can occur in people with Crohn’s disease. Blockage occurs because the intestinal wall thickens or swells from inflammation and scar tissue. Ulcers can also cause tunnels to form through the inflamed areas of the intestine or even the healthy parts. These tunnels are called fistulas. Sometimes pockets of infection, called abscesses, can form in and around the fistulas. Fistulas can be treated with medicine, but sometimes surgery is needed.

People with Crohn’s disease often don’t get the nutrients they need. If you have Crohn’s disease, you may not get enough protein, vitamins, or calories in your diet. If you aren’t getting nutrients, it may be because you

-have an upset stomach that keeps you from eating enough
-may be losing protein in the intestine
-may not be able to absorb nutrients from your food

 
Other problems that some people with Crohn’s disease suffer from are arthritis, skin problems, swelling in the eyes or mouth, kidney stones, and gallstones.