Western Diet Triggers Colitis in Those at Risk

Heard of a study that was being published last year (although I can't seem to dig it up -- maybe you can) in Nature suggesting that western diets high in certain fats increases the risk of colitis in those that are genetically predisposed.  It might explain why we're seeing a higher incidence of the disease as more people switch to the western diet.  The introduction of these high amounts of fats causes an imbalance in gut bacteria, which could contribute to the onset of the disease.

Here's an excerpt:

Researchers at the University of Chicago found that concentrated milk fats, which are abundant in processed and confectionary foods, alter the composition of bacteria in the intestines. These changes can disrupt the delicate truce between the immune system and the complex but largely beneficial mix of bacteria in the intestines. The emergence of harmful bacterial strains in this setting can unleash an unregulated tissue-damaging immune response that can be difficult to switch off.

“This is the first plausible mechanism showing step-by-step how Western-style diets contribute to the rapid and ongoing increase in the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease," said study author Eugene B. Chang, MD, PhD, the Martin Boyer Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago. “We know how certain genetic differences can increase the risk for these diseases, but moving from elevated risk to the development of disease seems to require a second event which may be encountered because of our changing lifestyle."

And here's the article: Western Diet Triggers Colitis in Those at Risk

Could Sucralose (Splenda) Be A Contributor?

Saw an interesting article that suggested that Splenda (sucralose) was potentially to blame for the rapid rise in IBD in Canada.

I've never historically eaten any foods with Splenda in them, but perhaps other artificial sweeteners have a similar effect on the gut.

An excerpt:

The theory that Splenda may be a culprit in the rise of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) appears to be a reasonable one, echoing the results from a 2008 study published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, which discovered that Splenda:

• Increases the pH level in your intestines, and
• Reduces the amount of good bacteria in your intestines by 50 percent!

The Low FODMAP Diet

IBD and IBS must be becoming more widespread (or at least there must be more awareness about them), because I read an article in the Wall Street Journal about a new diet meant to address IBS. It's called the Low FODMAP's diet.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

The theory is that many people with IBS have trouble absorbing certain carbohydrates in their small intestines. Large molecules of those foods travel to the colon, where they are attacked by bacteria and ferment, creating the telltale IBS symptoms of gas, bloating, constipation or diarrhea.

A long list of foods—including dairy products, some fruits and vegetables, wheat, rye, corn syrup and artificial sweeteners—can potentially create such problems in susceptible people. Collectively, they're known as Fodmaps, an acronym that for stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols.

The general theories behind this aren't anything new. In fact, they are very similar to the Specific Carbohydrate Diet in some ways. But if you look at what's "legal" vs. "illegal", there are some serious contradictions between the diets. I suppose that's not necessarily surprising, though, as IBS and IBD are different. But just interesting that one diet doesn't address both. I wonder if that hints to the cause at all?

At any rate, here's the graphic from the WSJ article that covers some of the low and high FODMAP foods:

Broccoli Fiber Combats Crohn's Disease

Saw this article in Life Extension magazine about broccoli:

An article published online on August 25, 2010 in the journal Gut reveals that fibers found in broccoli and plantain block a stage in the development of the Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel disease. The stage involves a process known as translocation, which is the invasion of microfold cells (M-cells) lining the colon by bacteria, particularly E. Coli, which tend to adhere to one another.

Crohn’s disease is uncommon in countries whose citizens regularly consume fibrous fruits and vegetables, while the incidence of the disease has increased in Japan with the rise of Westernized dietary habits. Additionally, some enteral feeds have been shown to result in clinical remission. “It is therefore a plausible hypothesis that dietary factors may have either harmful or protective roles in Crohn’s pathogenesis as a consequence of their effects on the interaction between the host epithelia and intestinal microbiota,” the authors write.

Dr Barry J. Campbell of the University of Liverpool and his associates tested the effects of soluble fiber from leeks, apples, broccoli and plantain in cultured human M-cells. Concentrations of 5 and 50 milligrams per milliliter plantain fiber, and broccoli fiber concentration of greater than 0.5 milligrams per milliliter helped inhibit E. Coli translocation. While apple and leek failed to show an inhibitory effect, translocation of E. Coli was enhanced by the fat emulsifier polysorbate 80, which is included in some enteral feed solutions administered to Crohn’s disease patients and is a common dietary additive. The results were confirmed in epithelial tissue samples derived from humans who underwent surgery for colon cancer or colonoscopy.

“These studies show that different dietary components may have powerful and contrasting effects on bacterial translocation across intestinal M-cells,” the authors conclude. “These effects may be relevant to the role of environmental factors in the pathogenesis of Crohn’s disease and suggest possible novel therapeutic approaches.”

This is related to an earlier post I had about broccoli. Eat your broccoli!

Meat Proteins Linked to Bowel Disease in Women

A new study from France revealed that eating lots of animal protein appears to increase the risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in women. The study was conducted on 67,000 women in France over a long time period to find risk factors for different diseases, including cancer and other common illnesses. There are no conclusions that are being drawn from the study, but it does suggest that diet does potentially play a role in the disease.

An excerpt:

Women who consumed the most protein were at more than triple the risk of being diagnosed with IBD, the researchers found; animal protein accounted for most of the risk. Risk was specifically associated with high intake of meat and fish, but not with dairy products or eggs.

While experts have long suspected that diet might play a role in inflammatory bowel disease, Carbonnel and his colleagues note, the only links identified previously were with eating a lot of fats and certain kinds of sugars. Those studies were more prone to error than forward-looking or prospective studies like the current investigation. There have also been several studies linking vitamin D deficiency to IBD.

Another excerpt regarding the potential link to IBD:

Meat could contribute to inflammatory bowel disease risk because digestion of animal protein produces many potentially toxic "end products," such as hydrogen sulfide and ammonia, the researchers note. Also, Carbonnel pointed out, a high-protein diet could alter the mix of bacteria that live in the colon.

The article doesn't comment on it, but I would argue that there is potentially another possible causation here. The reasons suggested are that the high intake of proteins is either generating toxic end-products or causing dysbiosis of the bacterial mix. If that were the case, though, this type of correlation would be present with other types of animal protein sources, including dairy and eggs. But there was not. (As an aside, I would also expect that other food types - e.g. starches, sugars, etc. - also produce these types of toxic end-products as well). I think another alternative cause could be the bacteria present in meat and fish stocks. Contamination from these food sources (e.g. MAP), could also be an explanation. Hopefully that's a third alternative they'll do additional research on. Either way, interesting study.

Olive Oil Good, Aspirin Bad

Saw results of two different studies. One was about how Olive Oil (specifically oleic acid) helps to prevent inflammatory bowel disease. The second was about how aspirin increases the risk of Crohn's Disease by five times!

The Hunt for an Autism Drug

Just read an interesting article in Business Week ("The Hunt for an Autism Drug") about how many companies are seeking drugs to treat autism. Apparently, 1 in 110 8-year old children in the US falls someone on the autism scale. That's a pretty staggering statistic when you think about it. Obviously autism is a very different disease from Crohn's, so why am I mentioning this? When I was reading the book Breaking the Vicious Cycle, they mentioned how the Specific Carbohydrate Diet showed improvement in children with autism. One start-up drug maker is looking at this link:

One of the most promising treatments in this category is a drug called CM-AT made by a startup called Curemark. Dr. Joan Fallon, the company's founder and CEO, observed that many autistics show a strong preference for foods high in carbohydrates and low in protein. A diagnostic test revealed that some autistic children lack enzymes that digest protein. As a result, these children produce fewer of the essential amino acids that are the building blocks for brain development and neuroreception. Fallon believes this deficiency is linked to the most severe symptoms of autism, and she says an early observational study of CM-AT, an orally ingested powder that delivers protein-digesting protease, showed "significant improvements." Curemark is enrolling patients in phase III clinical trials at 10 to 12 sites—the largest autism trial to date.

Seemed related and interesting so thought I would mention it.

The other thing I found interesting was the mention of epigenetics, which I think I'm going to do some further research on. The basic premise is that the environment can influence gene expression. So many diseases may be a combination of both genetics and environmental influences (pollution, viruses, diet, etc.). Perhaps that's why it is so hard to pin down a single cause for Crohn's, autism, and many other diseases.

Scientists Link Diet and Immune System

Saw this article about Australian scientists that found a "direct link" between diet and how the immune system functions. The scientists found that a specific short-chain fatty acid (created when bacteria breaks down dietary fiber) binds with an immune cell receptor to influence immune response. The article didn't provide many details on the exact findings, but they were hopeful that it could help explain how dietary changes could be a contributing factor in the rise of autoimmune disorders.

Here's an excerpt:

"When (immune cells) go bad they cause inflammatory diseases, so asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease ..." Prof Mackay said.

"We think one of the mechanisms for their normal control is short chain fatty acids binding to this receptor.

"And if we were to speculate on the real significance of this, we believe firmly that the best explanation for the increase in inflammatory diseases in western countries ... is our changes in diet."

A lack of dietary fibre could also be behind the rise in type 1 diabetes, Prof Mackay said.

The research suggests that having a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds would reduce a person's risk of autoimmune disease.

Just Say No To Antibacterial Burgers

Read a good Washington Post article about the extreme use of antibiotics in our livestock and food supply. An astonishing 70% of antibiotics used in the US are used for the raising of livestock (primarily in disease prevention rather than treatment). That means were are steadily getting small doses of antibiotics through our food supply our entire lives. But those antibiotics lets us keep our food cheap and accessible for the masses, right? How could we eliminate it? I thought this excerpt was good:

There's also the argument that the pennies we're saving on each burger are being spent in our hospitals. A 2005 study out of Tufts University estimated that antibiotic-resistant infections add $50 billion to the annual cost of American health care. On the other side of the coin, a National Academy of Sciences study found that eliminating non-therapeutic antibiotics from animals would cost only about $5 to $10 per person per year. I'd pay that for a lower risk of super-staphylococcus.

That's very reasonable.

50% of Type 1 Diabetics Show Adverse Immune Response to Wheat

Saw this post on Celiac.com about a recent study in Ottawa that found that nearly half of people with Type 1 Diabetes showed an abnormal response to wheat proteins. Here's an excerpt:

Dr. Scott’s results offer the first suggestions that T cells

Small lymph cells created in the thymus which orchestrate the immune system\'s response to infected or malignant cells. Also known as T lymphocytes. T cells in the immune systems of type 1 diabetics are also more likely to have adverse immune reactions to wheat. His results also suggest that such over-reaction is tied to genes associated with type 1 diabetes.

According to Dr. Scott, the research suggests that "people with certain genes may be more likely to develop an over-reaction to wheat and possibly other foods in the gut and this may tip the balance with the immune system and make the body more likely to develop other immune problems, such as type 1 diabetes.”

Dr. Scott adds that the immune system has to find "the perfect balance to defend the body against foreign invaders without hurting itself or over-reacting to the environment and this can be particularly challenging in the gut, where there is an abundance of food and bacteria.”

In side comments that accompany the paper, diabetes expert Dr. Mikael Knip of Finland suggest that the team's results "add to the accumulating concept that the gut is an active player in the diabetes disease process.”

Nothing ultra-new here relative to previous studies that led to the SCD diet, but interesting to see this applied to Type 1 Diabetes.

Is Soy Bad? Type 1 Diabetes and Leaky Gut

I came across a blog post about Type 1 Diabetes (again thanks to Google Alerts) where the author talks about why Soy is bad and how it may have contributed to the recent (i.e. last 30 - 40 years) growth in Type 1 Diabetes or other autoimmune disorders. I thought it was pretty interesting. The idea (regarding Type 1 Diabetes) is that soy damanges the gut mucosa, causing a leaky gut, thereby allowing large proteins (e.g. gluten) directly into the bloodstream where they cause an immune response around the body.

Now, I don't have Type 1 Diabetes so that's only partially interesting for me. But the process described in the post raises some interesting questions. One of the things mentioned was that there are diabetes related genes that have been found (and that have been present for decades), but recent environmental (or in this case diet) changes are making those genes get expressed more than they previously were. Could something similar be happening in Crohn's? I need to research leaky gut syndrome some more and perhaps it makes sense to continue broadening my research beyond Crohn's to other auto-immune disorders.