Chrons Disease

If it is allowed to become severe enough it can easily cause malnutrition

Because of this, there are some theories that some nutrients may play a role not only in controlling it, but possibly preventing it.

But even if these theories are not correct, there are several nutrients that should be supplemented for the simple fact that your body is losing them because of this disease. The nutrients that can help include vitamins, minerals, as well as several herbs.

What exactly is it?

Chrons disease is considered to be an inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation in the lining of your digestive tract, which can lead to several complications. These complications include mild to severe abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, and in some cases, it can also cause malnutrition.

Because the inflammation that this disease causes can very easily spread into the deepest layers of your bowel tissues, it is not only very painful, it can also become debilitating as well as life threatening if it not controlled.

What compounds Chrons disease even further is the fact that there is still nothing that will actually cure it, however, there are conventional medications as well as nutrients that can help to dramatically reduce the symptoms.

If these are successful, people that are affected by this disease can and do lead very normal lives. However, if nothing is done, it can be an entirely different story.

Symptoms:

Chrons disease has several signs and symptoms that can range from quite mild to severe, and these symptoms can gradually increase over long periods of time or they can attack with very little warning. It can also attack and then recede, only to attack again but with more intensity with each new episode.

The most common of all the symptoms is diarrhea as the inflammation affects the cells in your intestine, and as a result, it causes it to secrete large amounts of water and salt.

However, if the cramping that it causes is severe enough, this can also develop into diarrhea.

Cramping and abdominal pain is the next most common symptom as the inflammation causes the walls of some parts of your bowels to swell. Once they swell, they will eventually start to thicken as well as scar. Both of these conditions will affect any type of normal movements of content that is trying to pass through your digestive system.

If the disease is mild, there will be only slight discomfort, however, if it passes the mild stage these pains will be anything but mild.

Other symptoms will include blood in your stool, ulcers, as well as the most dangerous of all the symptoms, a reduction in your appetite and a gradual or sudden weight loss. It is this stage where malnutrition can develop.

However, the symptoms do not end there, as you may also experience fevers, severe fatigue, arthritis, as well as skin disorders that may be the result of inflammation of your liver of bile ducts.

Causes and Risk Factors:

Chrons disease still has no known actual cause but there are some very strong theories. For several years the medical community suspected the cause may be the result of stress or a poor diet, however that is no longer the case. The leading theories now are that it is either the result of a malfunction of your immune system or it is purely hereditary.

It is believed that there are several viral or bacterial infections that can trigger this disease, and when your immune system tries to fight these attacks off, your digestive tract become inflamed.

It is also believed that there are some people that have an abnormal immune response to these infections, and as a result, develop the disease.

Heredity is also believed to play major role as vast majority of people with this disease have mutations in a gene referred to as NOD2. One of the highest risk groups for developing this disease are people form a Jewish or European decent. Smoking also seems to play a major role as it seems to intensify the symptoms.

Vitamins and Herbs:

Chrons disease, even though it has no cure, does have some very effective natural forms of treatments. Because this disease can very easily affect your appetite and cause chronic diarrhea, your body loses several very vital vitamins and minerals. If surgery is done to remove parts of your intestine, this loss of nutrients can be even more dramatic.

The first nutrients needed are the mineral zinc as well as folic acid and vitamin B12. All three of these nutrients are extremely important in not only the maintenance of the cells in your intestine, they are also critical in repairing its cells.

Several of the drugs that may be used to treat this disease can very easily deplete the levels of zinc in your body and as a result, it must be supplemented.

It is very important to understand that if you have this disease, your body is losing these nutrients and they must be replaced. However, if they help to repair damages, they may also help to prevent them before they occur.

Vitamin D as well as Calcium is will also be very important with this disease as they work together to protect your bones. If you take corticosteroids for any reason at all, this drug depletes the levels of these two nutrients. However, one of the most important nutrients that you can take with Chrons disease is Omega-3 fatty acids that are found in fish oil supplements.

These fatty acids help to do two things; they reduce inflammation as well as help prevent it from reoccurring.

Glutamine is another very effective nutrient and this is an amino acid that helps your intestines function properly. If your intestines are fed with the correct nutrients before you develop this disease, there is a very good chance you may never get it.

There is no documented evidence that it helps to reduce any of the symptoms, but what is known is that it is critical for your intestines to operate at full capacity.

There are also several herbs that can help with your battle against Chrons disease. Although it is not recommended to use only herbs, some of them can be extremely effective when combined with vitamins. The first of these is Slippery elm which is a demulcent.

A demulcent is a substance that does two things; it protects tissues that have become irritated and it also helps them to heal.

The most effective method of taking this herb is in a powder form mixed with water which will absorb at a 90 percent of higher ration in your body.

The herb Marshmallow is also a demulcent but it is also an emollient. An emollient is a substance that helps to sooth any of your mucous membranes which can be severely impacted by this disease. Turmeric, another herb, is a very powerful anti-inflammatory agent and it does several good things in your body but perhaps nothing as powerful as reducing inflammation.

This herb is exploding in popularity in the United States in the last few years, but it has been used for centuries in other countries.

Summary:

Chrons disease can be a very dangerous disease that can lead to malnutrition. If you do suffer from it these nutrients must be supplemented as they are being lost in this process.

However, the real question to ask is if they are this critical in the helping the symptoms of this disease, can they also help to slow it down or even prevent it.

Natural Treatments for Chrons Disease

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