Feb 11, 2022 | Knowledge Base
Yes, viral infections can cause Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis!! When you get infected with a virus it never ever leaves you. It remains (hopefully) latent inside forever. In the event, your body has a big challenge the viruses can reactivate. You see this in cold sores. And in the reactivation of Epstein Barr virus which is seen in the majority of long covid sufferers. Why do viruses reactivate? It’s due to you being under metabolic stress. Something as simple as wiping out your good gut bacteria with a necessary course of antibiotics can do it. This is because 70% of your immune cells live in your gut! The good news is that you can get viruses back into latency so they are not harming you. I did this with a collection of viral infections that had kept me ill for 8 years.
The cytomegalovirus can cause uveitis (an inflammatory eye condition) AND inflammatory bowel disease. I first saw this in a patient a couple of years back who had come to me with Crohn’s AND uveitis. Alarm bells rang immediately. I use Elispot and cutting-edge PCR testing to check for viruses when relevant. Even if you’re on immunosuppressant medication the Elispot test works.
Some other complications of cytomegalovirus can include hearing loss, vision loss, seizures, lack of coordination, immune suppression, hepatitis, inflammation of your retina, pneumonitis, oesophagitis, high blood pressure, polyradiculopathy, transverse myelitis, subacute encephalitis, heart disease, and aortic aneurism.
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Dec 3, 2020 | Knowledge Base
Despite there not being many conversations about it, IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) is a severe condition and an umbrella term for an inflamed digestive tract. IBD refers to two kinds of inflammation:
Ulcerative Colitis: If you have inflammation and ulcers in your colon and possibly your rectum, you’re dealing with Ulcerative Colitis.
Crohn’s disease: Crohn’s disease refers to a severe inflammation of your digestive tract and it can spread to other tissues too.
Why is it crucial to deal with IBD as soon as it happens? The problem is that the infamous Bowel Disease is a type of auto-immune disease. As the condition worsens, the body’s immune system begins to attack itself. IBD generally isn’t a fatal medical problem, but it does need medical supervision and natural therapies because it may create life-threatening situations.
What action can you take: The cause behind the bowel disease “isn’t known” BUT THERE ARE PROVEN LINKS TO ANTIBIOTIC USE, HIGH GRAIN-CARBOHYDRATE DIETS, INDUSTRIAL EMULSIFIERS IN PROCESSED FOODS, GUT INFECTIONS AND NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES (ESPECIALLY VITAMIN D, RETINOL, ZINC AND B VITAMINS SUCH AS B5 AND FOLATE). We do know the factors that aggravate it. Processed diet, low fibre diets, poorly-managed stress, a family history of IBD, sedentary life, smoking, whether you live in an industrialized country or not – all these factors and more contribute to your likelihood of getting IBD.
Here are a couple of things you should keep in mind:
Micro-nutrients: Make sure your intake of micronutrients meets the optimum (not the minimum) requirement. This varies from person to person depending on your genetics and life stressors. A healthy intake of nutrients like Zinc, Folate, and Vitamin D can have a lasting impact on your body, protecting you from any chances of having IBD. Even if you do contract IBD, the presence of the three nutrients can help your body heal much faster. Zinc helps heal the tissues in the gut, Vitamin D significantly reduces the chances of getting IBD (is essential for day to day gut repair) and Folate helps maintain or repair the digestive tract and intestines.
Anti-inflammatory foods: The whole point of bowel disease is that it inflames the bowel and this inflammation spreads to other tissues. Regularly eating anti-inflammatory foods or adding bioavailable forms of vitamins and minerals as part of your diet can really help. SUPPLEMENTAL OMEGA 3 IS OFTEN VERY HELPFUL IN ULCERATIVE COLITIS BUT NOT IN CROHN’S, WHERE IT’S BETTER TO JUST EAT FISH RATHER THAN SUPPLEMENTING. Omega 3 oils help fight inflammation, but you’ll also need the right vitamins and minerals required by the body to make use of the Omega 3 oils.
Stress: Stress is a major factor in causing or aggravating IBD. Stress can cause your body to use up most of the anti-inflammatory nutrients from foods you’ve consumed. That’s how the body reacts to stress. Of course, you should maintain a healthy diet and take measures to lower stress. But if you know you’re more stressed than usual, MAKE SURE TO GET A NATURAL WHOLE FOOD DIET RICH IN DIFFERENT COLOURS OF VEGETABLES, HERBS AND SPICES, OMEGA 3 OILS FROM FOOD, ADEQUATE PROTEIN AND CUT BACK ON THE NUTRIENT ROBBERS LIKE REFINED FOODS, INDUSTRIAL EMULSIFIERS, ALCOHOL AND STIMULANTS. AND GET LOTS OF WATER.
Want more information about how nutritional and lifestyle change could help you heal your bowel?
To book your FREE quarter hour phone consult call +353 87 9816666 NOW or email anna@annacollins.ie
