Digestive Wellness Clinic

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

What is Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) ? What causes IBD ? What treatments are available ? What can diet do to help

IBD is an inflammatory condition of the digestive tract. The condition shares many of the characteristics of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), but it is quite different in aetiology. The two most common types of IBD are Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis

Crohn's Disease can occur anywhere along the digestive tract, from mouth to anus, but is most commonly found in the colon and ileum, near the ileocaecal valve.

Ulcerative Colitis involves a continuous inflammation of the mucosal lining of the colon and/or rectum.

The following common symptoms may be present:-

• abdominal pain, cramping or tenderness
• diarrhoea and/or constipation
• rectal bleeding
• weight loss
• awakening during the night

IBD is considered to be an auto-immune disease where the body attacks itself for some reason. The causes are multifactorial, but the four main theories are:-

• infection (bacterial, fungal or parasite) - which can all cause a leaky gut
• hypesensitivity to antigens in the gut wall
• inflammation of blood vessels
• food sensitivities

Medical treatments consist of anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids, immune suppressants, antibiotics or surgery. Medications can provide some relief to symptoms, but some carry risks with long term use, such as bone loss and depletion of important vitamins and minerals.

Food sensitivities play a significant role, especially to grains and cow's milk, which are commonly found to cause inflammation in the digestive tract of people suffering from IBD.

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet eliminates sugars and grains and can work especially well for people with Crohn's Disease.

Avoidance of sulphur-containing foods (eggs, cheese, milk, icecream, mayonnaise, cruciferous vegetables) also appears to be helpful with some patients.

As a result of continual irritation and bleeding of the gut wall, sufferers of IBD will often experience malabsorption of nutrients. Minerals, such as zinc, which plays a vital role in wound repair, are often found to be deficient. This also applies to copper, iron, folic acid and vitamin B12. Anti-oxident nutrients such as vitamins A,and E, selenium, glutthione, and superoxide dismutase may be needed.

Testing for food sensitivities and gut imbalances (Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis) as well as ascertaining vitamin and mineral status are all recommended. Each case is different and a qualified nutritionist will be able to decide on the best options.

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