- Although diet might not be a direct cause
of Crohn's disease, it does play an important
role in treating symptoms and also
preventing reoccurrence, now there are some supplements
that can help and also some nutrients
that you ought to be aware of.
(twinkling bells)
In a previous video I looked at what
Crohn's disease is and where the research
is at for particular eating patterns.
In this video I'm looking at nutrients and supplements.
The role of specific nutrients
in Crohn's disease is a pretty busy area of research.
Studies consistently show a strong link
between high fiber intake and decreased risk
of Crohn's disease, it seems that an intake
of more than 22 grams of fiber per day is ideal
particularly from fruits, vegetables and legumes.
The potential mechanism behind this benefit
is not well understood, however many researchers
speculate that butyrate is largely responsible.
This is a byproduct produced when certain
types of fiber are fermented in the gut.
Currently the average U.S. adult consumes
only 16 grabs of fiber per day
with only 22 percent from vegetables
and 11 percent from fruit.
So immediately we can see that increased fiber intake
from fruits and vegetables would go
a long way to improving health.
Vitamin D deficiency has emerged
as a risk factor for Crohn's disease as well.
Animal models suggest that it may help
improve intestinal barrier function
and it might also assist in healing
the intestinal wall after damage.
Human trials have demonstrated that
2,000 international units per day of Vitamin D
may lead to reduced inflammatory markers
reduced intestinal permeability and overall
improvement in Crohn's disease management.
Vitamin D is a nutrient we get from the sun
but can also be supplemented well
so it's a good idea to get your Vitamin D checked.
Now let's look at some supplements
because there is a range of new products
that are designed to help treat Crohn's disease.
Only a select few of them are backed
by any scientific evidence though.
There's now good reason to believe
an imbalance in gut bacteria contributes to Crohn's disease.
Some evidence suggests probiotic
use may therefore be helpful.
Probiotics are bacteria we eat
specifically for health benefits.
However, the majority of good studies
so far are on animals or in test tubes.
If probiotics are indeed useful
the actual beneficial bacterial strains are unknown.
There's one promising human study
of 10 subjects with Crohn's disease, not in hospital
that previously failed to achieve remission
on medications, they were given a combination
treatment of probiotics mainly comprised
of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli.
And probiotics, which in this case was psyllium fiber.
Now this was given each day for 13 months on average.
Results found 7 subjects had improved
clinical symptoms of diarrhea and abdominal pain
two of those were able to come off their prednisolone
therapy while four could decrease their dosage.
Given that side effects are very rare
and there is beneficial potential
we can not yet say probiotics are useless
but we are just guessing about which types and how much.
That brings us to prebiotics which are a type
of fiber that feed your gut bacteria.
Research suggests that two forms of prebiotic
inulin and oligofructose encourage the growth
of beneficial bacteria in the gut.
Namely lactobacilli and bifidobacteria.
This is associated with reduced mucosal
inflammation in IBD at least in animal studies.
Fermentation of prebiotics in the gut also produces
short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate.
Now butyrate has anti-inflammatory effects
in the gut with supplements resulting in clinical
improvement in nine of 12 Crohn's disease patients.
So early evidence indicate prebiotics
may help but we have a lot to learn still.
Lastly I think it's worth mentioning
curcumin supplement which is the active
ingredient in the spice turmeric.
Now it seems to have powerful anti-inflammatory effects
that can affect several aspects of health.
Two human studies have shown benefit to IBD
when supplementing with around one gram of curcumin per day.
However the vast majority of participants
in these studies had ulcerative colitis
rather than Crohn's disease so whether
that matters is uncertain.
Also note that curcumin supplementation
should be taken alongside piperine
which dramatically improves absorption.
So look for curcumin supplements that contain both.
So in summary, eat a variety of fruit and vegetables
that you tolerate and enjoy.
This is so that you can get the minimum
22 grams of prebiotic fiber each day.
You should also check for any Vitamin D deficiency
and correct that, you can also consider
a curcumin supplement and perhaps even
a probiotic supplement however we don't know
what strains or what amount.
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