Archive for the ‘Crohn's Disease’ Category

6 Food Tips for Autoimmune Disorders

Monday, November 30th, 2009

A class of plant chemicals known as bioflavinoids has been found to dramatically reduce inflammation and improve symptoms associated with autoimmune disorders.

Tea: Both green and black tea contain the flavenoids, catechins and theaflavins, which are beneficial in autoimmune disease.

Apples: Apples, contain the flavanoid, quercetin that can reduce allergic reactions and decrease inflammation. Quercetin occurs naturally in certain foods, such as apples (with the skin on), berries, red grapes, red onions, capers, and black tea.

Carrots: Carotenoids are a family of plant pigments that include beta-carotene. A lack of carotenoids in the diet is thought to promote inflammation. Good sources of carotenoids include apricots, carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, spinach, kale, butternut squash, and collard greens.

Ginger: Recent studies show that ginger reduces inflammation by inhibiting prostaglandin and suppresses the immune system’s production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, reducing disease severity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Omega-3: Omega-3 essential fatty acids can counter the formation of chemicals that cause inflammation. Good natural sources include flaxseed oil and salmon.

Fiber: A healthy and active colon can decrease food sensitivity, which, in turn, can lighten the burden on your immune system. For maximum autoimmune health, increase the fiber in your diet.

Acupuncture Effective for Crohn’s Disease

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

In a study published in the journal, Digestion, acupuncture was found effective for treating Crohn’s disease.

Crohn’s disease is an autoimmune disease which involves chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The main symptoms of Crohn’s disease are abdominal pain, fever, fatigue and persistent, watery diarrhea. Symptoms range from mild to severe, and can come and go with periods of flare-ups.

In this German study, 51 patients with mild to moderately active Crohn’s disease had a decrease in disease activity after receiving 10 sessions of acupuncture. Study members also showed an improvement in general well-being and reported an improvement in quality of life.

Source: Joos S, Brinkhaus B, Maluche C, Maupai N, Kohnen R, Kraehmer N, Hahn EG, Schuppan D. Acupuncture and moxibustion in the treatment of active Crohn’s disease: a randomized controlled study. Digestion. 2004;69(3):131-9.