| Fish oil contains useful omega 3 fatty acids, the two main components are docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). These fatty acids are both polyunsaturated which makes them great for health in general, as well as their anti inflammatory affect. |
| You need a concentrated source of fish oil to have a worthwhile anti inflammatory effect on your body, and make a difference in your Crohn’s Disease. |
| If fish is not handled properly, by the time you get to eat it any benefits may have been lost. The anti inflammatory properties that were there will have even less effect. Instead the best choice is to consume it from a high quality fish oil supplement. |
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To get a good fish oil supplement, be sure it contains good amounts of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), so you can get the most anti inflammatory effect possible.
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Buy one that has been tested for heavy metals and mercury, as many fish do have mercury in them. You do not want to get mercury along with your fish oil, as it is very bad for your heath.
Another thing that you want to do when buying a good fish oil supplement is to get one that is a liquid. Fish oil that is in liquid form is absorbed by your body much better than fish oil that is in a capsule.
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If you have a bad flare up you may not absorb the capsule and the fish oil could pass right through your system without doing its job. This is a waste of your time and money, you may not get the results you were hoping for if you are not absorbing the capsules.
Using liquid fish oil avoids this problem and makes sure that you have the best possible chance to get the full anti inflammatory benefits of the fish oil.
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| If you do not like the taste of fish then the easiest way to take the fish oil is with a meal so the food masks the taste. This is the best way to take fish oil, not only does it hide the taste of the fish oil having it with food can help you to absorb it better.Read more at healcrohnsnow.com |
| While the SCD is the best-kept secret of IBD management, adjunctive therapies help speed resolution of symptoms and improve the margin of success. It has long been noted in the conventional management of IBD that antibiotics like Flagyl have value in ameliorating pain, diarrhea, and bleeding. |
| For the same reason, herbs with natural antimicrobial effects are used to advantage in Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis. These include grapefruit seed extract, golden seal, artemisia, sanguinaria, gentian and garlic. These substances can be used to reduce proliferation of harmful intestinal bugs like Staph and Klebsiella and Proteus. Progress of therapy can be monitored with stool tests like the Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis from Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratories. |
| Some studies suggest that IBD is a form of exaggerated allergic response to the presence of intestinal bugs that healthier individuals–or those less genetically susceptible–tolerate with ease. Innovative modern allergy desensitization techniques are being pioneered in colitis and Crohn’s. They are aimed at rapidly reducing hyper-sensitivity to bad bugs and candida–an intestinal fungus that may wreak havoc in the GI tract. |
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Indeed, the yeast connection is an important one in IBD. Some studies have shown increased sensitivity to Brewer’s and Baker’s yeast in colitis and Crohn’s sufferers. Avoidance of yeast and sugars with the Candida Diet, as well as the use of anti-fungal herbs and medications, often speeds resolution of IBD.
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| Certain herbs and nutrients have anti-inflammatory effects in the intestines. Ginkgo biloba, known for its circulatory-enhancing effects, has demonstrated anti-disease activity in some studies of IBD. Herbs like licorice and the bioflavonoid quercitin have soothing effects on the intestinal wall. Aloe vera can help to heal ulceration. Chinese herb formulations containing, among other things, extract of cinnamon and angelica, relieve spasm and inflammation and dissipate pathological heat. |
| The amino acid L-Glutamine has been shown to possess healing affects on gastrointestinal mucosa. Fish oil, containing the vital Omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acid EPA, can help break the inflammatory cycle in colitis as it does in rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. Shark cartilage too has been touted in IBD. Some studies support the use of bromelain as an anti-inflammatory, and surprisingly, certain properties of red-hot capsacin from cayenne peppers have led to research in its application to IBD. Certain short-chain fatty acids, especially butyrate, work well in colitis when administered orally or via enema. |
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Research shows that some of the damage in IBD is caused by free radicals. Antioxidants can offer protection, but studies show many IBD sufferers to be deficient in critical free-radical scavengers like beta-carotene, C, E, zinc, and selenium.
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Difficulties arise, too, from overzealous supplementation even though patients may be lacking critical nutrients. High doses of C and minerals like zinc and magnesium can irritate the intestines and worsen diarrhea. Iron is often poorly tolerated, and its direct introduction into the intestines may paradoxically worsen disease by promoting free radicals locally.
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Putting “good” bacteria back into the intestines can also enhance recovery. Supplements of acidophilus, bifidus and sacchromyces boulardi, (a digestive flora frequently used in Europe) can restore bowel function to normal. Experimental work is now underway with medically-administered specific “inoculations” of beneficial flora via enema.
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External treatments like castor oil packs were often advocated by Edgar Cayce in his readings on Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis. Castor oil is also known as palma Christi, or literally, “the hand of Christ,” because of its superb healing properties.
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Many patients with IBD are adrenally-suppressed due to frequent treatments with prednisone, with the result that they are chronically fatigued and vulnerable to stress, infection and allergy. Partial alleviation can be accomplished with a prescription of DHEA, an adrenal hormone often found to be deficient in IBS sufferers.
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| Recent research indicates that regeneration of damaged intestinal mucosa can be hastened with a substance called epithelial-derived growth factor (EDGF).Read more at www.drhoffman.com |
