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Are Your Digestive Problems Caused By Microbial Imbalance?

We recently caught an informative piece about an increasingly common digestive problem, called Crohn’s Disease, on NPR’s All Things Considered. Crohn's Disease is an inflammatory bowel disease conventionally thought to be an autoimmune disorder of the gastrointestinal tract, but new research suggests a link to the microbes in the colon. The research published in "Cell, Host and Microbe" indicates that the combination of microbes that live in the gastrointestinal tract, or the gut, may be the cause of this debilitating and painful condition. The specific microbes in question are bacteria and by cultivating a healthier balance of bacteria in the G.I. tract we can eliminate the symptoms of Crohn’s disease, if not cure it altogether.

 

Crohn's Disease May be Caused by Lack of Bacteria Diversity and Bacterial Imbalance

As we’ve mentioned in previous blog posts, bacteria – both good and bad – are responsible Women with digestive problemfor a fair amount of the abdominal pain and other digestive problems we see from our patients. Originally researchers thought the link between bacteria and the digestive dysfunction in Inflammatory Bowel Disease was from the absence of certain types of bacteria. However no consistent pattern of dysbiosis could be found, until now. 

The Massachusetts General study compared the bacterial strains in the guts of 447 Chrohn’s patients with those of more than 220 healthy people. The results of their findings, state that not only did individuals with Crohn’s Disease have a less diverse array of bacterial species, they also had higher concentrations of bacteria that trigger immune system responses. In particular, this study found that Chron's Disease correlated strongly with an increased abundance in bacteria which include Enterobacteriaceae, Pasteurellacaea, Veillonellaceae, and Fusobacteriaceae, and decreased abundance in Erysipelotrichales, Bacteroidales, and Clostridiales. 

Additionally, the guts of people with Crohn’s also had lower concentrations of bacterial strains associated with reduced inflammation while their concentrations of inflammation-inducing bacteria were higher. Similar finding were confirmed in more than 800 Crohn’s patients from other studies. The exact amounts and balances needed to re-establish healthy digestion was not discussed but this research opens the door for a more specific probiotic therapy.

As was noted by the author the important aspect of the bacteria is not that some are good but that there is a specific balance. When the balance is disrupted an abnormal immune response ensues. This is of particular importance for autoimmune diseased like Crohn's Disease because it is marked by an abnormal immune response in the digestive tract. In some cases the autoimmune response can travel to other areas of the body causing skin and joint disorders as well. All autoimmune disorders are conventionally thought to be genetic but that is now being called into question. Because of the known relationship of the digestive tract and immune system naturopathic physicians have focused their treatment of autoimmune diseases on the digestive tract for decades. As more research like this study emerges this approach is becoming more and more obvious. 

 

Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease include:

 

As severe as the symptoms of Crohn's Disease are the treatments are often not that effective. One of the only effective conventional treatments that provides relief for many patients is the use of powerful steroids, which can have serious side-effects. While there are other treatments they are not nearly as effective as the steroids. In severe cases patients with Crohn’s Disease have parts of their digestive tract surgically removed due to irreparable damage. (We should note that acupuncture can provide effective relief for multiple digestive disorders, including Crohn's).

 

Probiotics, a Healthy Lifestyle, and Acupuncture Can Relieve Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the treatment for Crohn’s and other disruptive abdominal ailments was as simple as re-establishing balance of the bacteria living in the colon. It is now becoming possible to identify which strains of bacteria are lacking and in excess. These approaches to diagnosis and treatment of digestive disorders are in the beginning stages of use currently, and they help us individualize and tailored treatment. Using specific probiotics and dietary measures we can suppress (as noted with SIBO) certain bacteria and help propagate others. In time this approach will likely become a staple and standard for treating digestive disorders. 

To get more information on how we can create a treatment plan incorporating diet, lifestyle, and natural treatments such as supplements and acupuncture for Crohn’s disease which can stop inflammation and get your immune system back in balance, click on the link below. 

To learn more about the severity your digestive symptoms are click in the link, digestive health quiz.

 

 

Take the Digestive  Health Quiz

 

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