Inflammatory Bowel Disease, whether termed Colitis or Crohn’s, need not lead to hopelessness and a life of misery. Individuals under care that focus on the identification of the causes and also the implementation of health building measures and who discipline themselves in doing so, can almost always improve and often recover.
IBD is most directly involved with the gut lumen (intestinal tract), and this internal environment deserves our utmost attention. Three inter-related factors can contribute to the “‘internal milieu” or stress of the intestine; (1) Types of bacteria residing in the gut lumen. (2) Dietary intake, including nutrient density and the presence of dietary antigens -- a substance that when introduced to the body stimulates the production of anti-body. Antigens include toxins, bacteria, foreign blood cells of transplanted organs and antibiotics. (3) The integrity of the gut barrier or mucosa lining.
There are over 400 different species of micro-organisms that reside in the gut. Their balance has a profound effect on gut ecology and the individual’s health. Intestinal bacteria have many affects on us including inhibiting the growth of pathogens, producing toxins, producing vitamins, supporting or upsetting immune balance, protecting or damaging the intestinal membrane, initiating immune response and many other important factors.
The bacterial flora in an individual with Crohn’s disease is typically different than that of a normal gut with higher proportions of unfriendly bacteria that will upset the ecology balance of the gut. It has been recognized that probiotic (health promoting) bacteria can help significantly in the control of many intestinal pathogens such as Salmonella, E-Coli, H. Pylori and Shigella among others.
