Crohn's Disease - Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Interaction Concerns between Herbs, Vitamins, Drugs and Various Health Conditions?

Visit: Health Notes

List of High Protein Foods

Planning for a balanced high protien diet? Here's a convenient list of high protein foods.

More Crohns Disease Resources

What are the Symptoms of Crohn's Disease?

By the National Institue of Health

• Abdominal pain often in the lower right area,

• Diarrhea

• Rectal bleeding

• Weight loss

• Fever may also occur.

• Bleeding may be serious and persistent, leading to anemia.

Children with Crohn's disease may suffer delayed development and stunted growth.

Crohn's Disease Information

Use your browsers back button to navigate the Crohn's Disease menu below.

• What causes Crohn's disease?
• How is Crohn's disease diagnosed?
• What are the complications of Crohn's disease?
• What is the treatment for Crohn's disease?
• Can diet control Crohn's disease?
• Is pregnancy safe for women with Crohn's disease?
• Hope Through Research
• For More Information

Crohn's disease causes inflammation in the small intestine. Crohn's disease usually occurs in the lower part of the small intestine, called the ileum, but it can affect any part of the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus. The inflammation extends deep into the lining of the affected organ. The inflammation can cause pain and can make the intestines empty frequently, resulting in diarrhea.

The Digestive System

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the general name for diseases that cause inflammation in the intestines. Crohn's disease can be difficult to diagnose because its symptoms are similar to other intestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome and to another type of IBD called ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis causes inflammation and ulcers in the top layer of the lining of the large intestine.

Crohn's disease affects men and women equally and seems to run in some families. About 20 percent of people with Crohn's disease have a blood relative with some form of IBD, most often a brother or sister and sometimes a parent or child.

Crohn's disease may also be called ileitis or enteritis.

What causes Crohn's disease?

Theories about what causes Crohn's disease abound, but none has been proven. The most popular theory is that the body's immune system reacts to a virus or a bacterium by causing ongoing inflammation in the intestine.

People with Crohn's disease tend to have abnormalities of the immune system, but doctors do not know whether these abnormalities are a cause or result of the disease. Crohn's disease is not caused by emotional distress.

How is Crohn's disease diagnosed?

A thorough physical exam and a series of tests may be required to diagnose Crohn's disease.

Blood tests may be done to check for anemia, which could indicate bleeding in the intestines. Blood tests may also uncover a high white blood cell count, which is a sign of inflammation somewhere in the body. By testing a stool sample, the doctor can tell if there is bleeding or infection in the intestines.

The doctor may do an upper gastrointestinal (GI) series to look at the small intestine. For this test, the patient drinks barium, a chalky solution that coats the lining of the small intestine, before x rays are taken. The barium shows up white on x-ray film, revealing inflammation or other abnormalities in the intestine.

The doctor may also do a colonoscopy. For this test, the doctor inserts an endoscope--a long, flexible, lighted tube linked to a computer and TV monitor--into the anus to see the inside of the large intestine. The doctor will be able to see any inflammation or bleeding. During the exam, the doctor may do a biopsy, which involves taking a sample of tissue from the lining of the intestine to view with a microscope.

If these tests show Crohn's disease, more x rays of both the upper and lower digestive tract may be necessary to see how much is affected by the disease.

What are the complications of Crohn's disease?

The most common complication is blockage of the intestine. Blockage occurs because the disease tends to thicken the intestinal wall with swelling and scar tissue, narrowing the passage. Crohn's disease may also cause sores, or ulcers, that tunnel through the affected area into surrounding tissues such as the bladder, vagina, or skin. The areas around the anus and rectum are often involved. The tunnels, called fistulas, are a common complication and often become infected. Sometimes fistulas can be treated with medicine, but in some cases they may require surgery.

Nutritional complications are common in Crohn's disease. Deficiencies of proteins, calories, and vitamins are well documented in Crohn's disease. These deficiencies may be caused by inadequate dietary intake, intestinal loss of protein, or poor absorption (malabsorption).

Other complications associated with Crohn's disease include arthritis, skin problems, inflammation in the eyes or mouth, kidney stones, gallstones, or other diseases of the liver and biliary system. Some of these problems resolve during treatment for disease in the digestive system, but some must be treated separately.

What is the treatment for Crohn's disease?

Treatment for Crohn's disease depends on the location and severity of disease, complications, and response to previous treatment. The goals of treatment are to control inflammation, correct nutritional deficiencies, and relieve symptoms like abdominal pain, diarrhea, and rectal bleeding. Treatment may include drugs, nutrition supplements, surgery, or a combination of these options. At this time, treatment can help control the disease, but there is no cure.

Some people have long periods of remission, sometimes years, when they are free of symptoms. However, the disease usually recurs at various times over a person's lifetime. This changing pattern of the disease means one cannot always tell when a treatment has helped. Predicting when a remission may occur or when symptoms will return is not possible.

Someone with Crohn's disease may need medical care for a long time, with regular doctor visits to monitor the condition.

Drug Therapy

Most people are first treated with drugs containing mesalamine, a substance that helps control inflammation. Sulfasalazine is the most commonly used of these drugs. Patients who do not benefit from it or who cannot tolerate it may be put on other mesalamine-containing drugs, generally known as 5-ASA agents, such as Asacol, Dipentum, or Pentasa. Possible side effects of mesalamine preparations include nausea, vomiting, heartburn, diarrhea, and headache.

Some patients take corticosteroids to control inflammation. These drugs are the most effective for active Crohn's disease, but they can cause serious side effects, including greater susceptibility to infection.

Drugs that suppress the immune system are also used to treat Crohn's disease. Most commonly prescribed are 6-mercaptopurine and a related drug, azathioprine. Immunosuppressive agents work by blocking the immune reaction that contributes to inflammation. These drugs may cause side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea and may lower a person's resistance to infection. When patients are treated with a combination of corticosteroids and immunosuppressive drugs, the dose of corticosteriods can eventually be lowered. Some studies suggest that immunosuppressive drugs may enhance the effectiveness of corticosteroids.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the drug infliximab (brand name, Remicade) for the treatment of moderate to severe Crohn's disease that does not respond to standard therapies (mesalamine substances, corticosteroids, immunosuppressive agents) and for the treatment of open, draining fistulas. Infliximab, the first treatment approved specifically for Crohn's disease, is an anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) substance. TNF is a protein produced by the immune system that may cause the inflammation associated with Crohn's disease. Anti-TNF removes TNF from the bloodstream before it reaches the intestines, thereby preventing inflammation. Investigators will continue to study patients taking infliximab to determine its long-term safety and efficacy.

Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine caused by stricture, fistulas, or prior surgery. For this common problem, the doctor may prescribe one or more of the following antibiotics: ampicillin, sulfonamide, cephalosporin, tetracycline, or metronidazole.

Diarrhea and crampy abdominal pain are often relieved when the inflammation subsides, but additional medication may also be necessary. Several antidiarrheal agents could be used, including diphenoxylate, loperamide, and codeine. Patients who are dehydrated because of diarrhea will be treated with fluids and electrolytes.

Nutrition Supplementation

The doctor may recommend nutritional supplements, especially for children whose growth has been slowed. Special high-calorie liquid formulas are sometimes used for this purpose. A small number of patients may need periods of feeding by vein. This can help patients who need extra nutrition temporarily, those whose intestines need to rest, or those whose intestines cannot absorb enough nutrition from food.

Surgery

Surgery to remove part of the intestine can help Crohn's disease but cannot cure it. The inflammation tends to return next to the area of intestine that has been removed. Many Crohn's disease patients require surgery, either to relieve symptoms that do not respond to medical therapy or to correct complications such as blockage, perforation, abscess, or bleeding in the intestine.

Some people who have Crohn's disease in the large intestine need to have their entire colon removed in an operation called colectomy. A small opening is made in the front of the abdominal wall, and the tip of the ileum is brought to the skin's surface. This opening, called a stoma, is where waste exits the body. The stoma is about the size of a quarter and is usually located in the right lower part of the abdomen near the beltline. A pouch is worn over the opening to collect waste, and the patient empties the pouch as needed. The majority of colectomy patients go on to live normal, active lives.

Sometimes only the diseased section of intestine is removed and no stoma is needed. In this operation, the intestine is cut above and below the diseased area and reconnected.

Because Crohn's disease often recurs after surgery, people considering it should carefully weigh its benefits and risks compared with other treatments. Surgery may not be appropriate for everyone. People faced with this decision should get as much information as possible from doctors, nurses who work with colon surgery patients (enterostomal therapists), and other patients. Patient advocacy organizations can suggest support groups and other information resources. (See For More Information for the names of such organizations.)

People with Crohn's disease may feel well and be free of symptoms for substantial spans of time when their disease is not active. Despite the need to take medication for long periods of time and occasional hospitalizations, most people with Crohn's disease are able to hold jobs, raise families, and function successfully at home and in society.

Can diet control Crohn's disease?

No special diet has been proven effective for preventing or treating this disease. Some people find their symptoms are made worse by milk, alcohol, hot spices, or fiber. People are encouraged to follow a nutritious diet and avoid any foods that seem to worsen symptoms. But there are no consistent rules.

People should take vitamin supplements only on their doctor's advice.

Is pregnancy safe for women with Crohn's disease?

Research has shown that the course of pregnancy and delivery is usually not impaired in women with Crohn's disease. Even so, women with Crohn's disease should discuss the matter with their doctors before pregnancy. Most children born to women with Crohn's disease are unaffected. Children who do get the disease are sometimes more severely affected than adults, with slowed growth and delayed sexual development in some cases.

Hope Through Research

Researchers continue to look for more effective treatments. Examples of investigational treatments include

Anti-TNF. Research has shown that cells affected by Crohn's disease contain a cytokine, a protein produced by the immune system, called tumor necrosis factor (TNF). TNF may be responsible for the inflammation of Crohn's disease. Anti-TNF is a substance that finds TNF in the bloodstream, binds to it, and removes it before it can reach the intestines and cause inflammation. In studies, anti-TNF seems particularly helpful in closing fistulas.

Interleukin 10. Interleukin 10 (IL-10) is a cytokine that suppresses inflammation. Researchers are now studying the effectiveness of synthetic IL-10 in treating Crohn's disease.

Antibiotics. Antibiotics are now used to treat the bacterial infections that often accompany Crohn's disease, but some research suggests that they might also be useful as a primary treatment for active Crohn's disease.

Budesonide. Researchers recently identified a new corticosteroid called budesonide that appears to be as effective as other corticosteroids but causes fewer side effects.

Methotrexate and cyclosporine. These are immunosuppressive drugs that may be useful in treating Crohn's disease. One potential benefit of methotrexate and cyclosporine is that they appear to work faster than traditional immunosuppressive drugs.

Natalizumab. Natalizumab is an experimental drug that reduces symptoms and improves the quality of life when tested in people with Crohn's disease. The drug decreases inflammation by binding to immune cells and preventing them from leaving the bloodstream and reaching the areas of inflammation.

Zinc. Free radicals--molecules produced during fat metabolism, stress, and infection, among other things--may contribute to inflammation in Crohn's disease. Free radicals sometimes cause cell damage when they interact with other molecules in the body. The mineral zinc removes free radicals from the bloodstream. Studies are under way to determine whether zinc supplementation might reduce inflammation.

For More Information

Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America, Inc.
386 Park Avenue South, 17th Floor
New York, NY 10016-8804
Phone: 1-800-932-2423 or (212) 685-3440
Email: info@ccfa.org
Internet: www.ccfa.org

Pediatric Crohn's & Colitis Association, Inc.
P.O. Box 188
Newton, MA 02468
Phone: (617) 489-5854
Email:
questions@pcca.hypermart.net
Internet:
http://pcca.hypermart.net

Reach Out for Youth with Ileitis and Colitis, Inc.
15 Chemung Place
Jericho, NY 11753
Phone: (516) 822-8010

United Ostomy Association, Inc.
19772 MacArthur Blvd.
#200
Irvine, CA 92612-2405
Phone: 1-800-826-0826 or (949) 660-8624
Fax: (949) 660-9262
Email: uoa@deltanet.com
Internet: www.uoa.org

The U.S. Government does not endorse or favor any specific commercial product or company. Trade, proprietary, or company names appearing in this document are used only because they are considered necessary in the context of the information provided. If a product is not mentioned, this does not mean or imply that the product is unsatisfactory.

National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse

2 Information Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3570
Email: nddic@info.niddk.nih.gov

The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC) is a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The NIDDK is part of the National Institutes of Health under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Established in 1980, the clearinghouse provides information about digestive diseases to people with digestive disorders and to their families, health care professionals, and the public. NDDIC answers inquiries, develops and distributes publications, and works closely with professional and patient organizations and Government agencies to coordinate resources about digestive diseases.

Publications produced by the clearinghouse are carefully reviewed by both NIDDK scientists and outside experts.

NIH Publication No. 03-3410
January 2003

Investigating the Fungal Causes of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

By David A. Holland, M.D.

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, although distinguished by well-known characteristics, are collectively known as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). IBD is characterized by a host of symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal cramps, rectal bleeding, weight loss, fever, and a host of extra-intestinal symptoms, including disorders of the eyes, liver, gallbladder, muscles and joints, kidneys, and skin.1 The treatments usually focus on relief of symptoms with anti-inflammatory drugs or surgery (i.e. removal of the affected part of the intestines).

The cause of IBD remains “unknown.”

Some have implicated a viral etiology to IBD. In the medical journal The Lancet,2 Dr. Wakefield and colleagues found that three of four offspring in mothers that had measles during pregnancy developed severe Crohn’s later in life. Of note is that recurrent antibiotic-resistant pneumonia preceded the Crohn’s in every case.

This is important because antibiotics are known to increase the risk of fungal infection.3 Another study highlights this fact: an eight-year-old girl who was treated with antibiotics for recurrent upper respiratory tract infections developed intestinal candidiasis, an overgrowth of the yeast Candida albicans, in the gut.4

Other scientists have found carbohydrates to be a possible culprit. Two of three worldwide studies found the average intake of carbohydrates (including bread, potatoes, and refined sugars) to be much greater in those who developed IBD than in those who did not.4 Why would carbohydrates be implicated as a cause? Could it be that they are commonly contaminated with fungal toxins, according to a 2002 JAMA article and numerous agricultural publications, including the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology? 6, 7

In her book, “Breaking the Vicious Cycle,” Elaine Gottschall describes the cycle of intestinal mucosal injury, impaired digestion, malabsorption, bacterial overgrowth, and increase in bacterial by-products and mucous production, which lead back to intestinal mucosal injury. We all know that antibiotics can alter the normal intestinal flora or bacteria. These bacteria usually keep in check the relatively small amount of existing yeast in the intestines.

However, when antibiotics are taken for various purposes--and you can bet those kids in Dr. Wakefield’s study were given plenty of antibiotics--the normal, protective bacteria are eliminated, and yeast growth goes unchecked. The resulting effects range from “mild diarrhea to severe colitis, or systemic fungal or bacterial dissemination.”8 In Chapter 2 of our book, “The Fungus Link,” you read about the link between arthritis and fungus.

When fungi become systemic from gut inflammation and the overuse of antibiotics, you can see how the whole body--again, the eyes, liver, gallbladder, muscles and joints, kidneys, and skin--becomes involved in inflammatory bowel disease.

Still other scientists have directly implicated yeast and fungal toxins, called mycotoxins, in the cause of Crohn’s disease. Former World Health Organization expert Dr. A.V. Costantini has found that people with Crohn’s often have aflatoxin, a mycotoxin made by Aspergillus molds, in their blood. Barclay found that disease activity in patients with Crohn’s was lower while they followed a yeast-free diet, specifically avoiding baker’s and brewer’s yeasts.9

Some feel that the yeast, Candida albicans, may be the cause of Celiac disease, also known as Sprue, or gluten-sensitive enteropathy.10 Celiac disease, doctors presume, is caused by a reaction to a protein particle called gluten that exists in certain grains.

This allergic-type reaction leads to inflammation and often severe symptoms in not only the intestines but also the entire body. Conventional treatment therefore involves suppressing the inflammation and symptoms with anti-inflammatory medications. It also requires the avoidance of these particular grains. Ironically, corn is a grain that does not contain gluten. It therefore falls in the “okay to eat” list offered by conventional practitioners and dieticians. Little do most practitioners know that corn is universally contaminated with mycotoxins.

So, over-consuming corn, as so many Celiac patients do since they have few other choices of grains in their diet, is likely to propagate the illness. Many people have successfully treated (dare we say cured?) their Celiac disease by not only avoiding grains altogether--especially corn--but also including antifungal medications in their treatment regimen. Such antifungals may include the natural, coconut-derived fatty acid known as Caprylic acid (available over the counter), or stronger, prescriptive antifungals. These stronger medicines might consist of a combination of nystatin (a broad spectrum gut antifungal) and either itraconazole (Sporanox®) or fluconazole (Diflucan®).

Chapter 13 of “Principles and Practice of Clinical Mycology” deals entirely with fungal infections in the gut. They describe how Blastomyces dermatitidis, a fungus, can produce “granulomatous” lesions in the intestines.

Not surprisingly, this same type of lesion has also been seen in patients with Crohn’s disease. Another fungus called Histoplasma produces intestinal disease with symptoms such as diarrhea, weight loss, fever, and abdominal pain--sound familiar? The common lesions seen in the gut with this infection were “masses or ulcers mimicking inflammatory bowel disease or carcinoma.” The authors concluded that histoplasmosis should be a “serious consideration” in an immunocompromised patient with signs and symptoms of IBD.11

Back to the big word “immunocompromised,” which means the immune system has been compromised, or weakened. We strongly disagree that you must have cancer or AIDS or be on chemotherapy to have a weakened immune system. Just smell the air on your way to work or look at our standard American diet (SAD), or even look at the number of antibiotics we consume from childhood on. Could these be impeding our immune systems? Most antibiotics are mycotoxins--fungal derivatives.

Mycotoxins are commonly found in our grain food supply. Mycotoxins can suppress our normal immune function. Therefore, anyone who has taken an antibiotic or consumes grains or sugar qualifies as a potentially immunocompromised person.

We’ve seen thus far that, in just about every case of inflammatory bowel disease, conventional treatment involves the use of anti-inflammatories. Well, researchers at the Washington University in St. Louis took a bold step and did a study where they offered patients with Crohn’s disease an immune stimulant instead.12 They used a medicine called Leukine--a naturally-occuring molecule called Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF).

And though they faced harsh criticism from scientists at other universities for doing this, they obtained amazing results: of the initial 15 patients in the study, 12 did “significantly” better overall, while eight went into complete remission! Every one of the half a million patients with Crohn’s disease in America should know about this study.

But they shouldn’t feel they need to rush in to their doctor’s office to get this expensive shot (it costs around $300 per milliliter--that’s $1,500 per teaspoon).

Rather, they should learn from this study: by giving an immune booster, these doctors were able to put 53 percent of the cases into total remission. That almost implies that an infection is at the root of the disease, and that by assisting the body’s immune system the medication helped the body overcome the “infection,” or the disease.

Typically, an anti-inflammatory medicine merely controls the symptoms of the disease--it doesn’t cure it. That’s because it rarely addresses the true cause of the disease. In other words, if the wrong diet is constantly consumed, or if damage (i.e. yeast overgrowth) is never reversed from previous antibiotic use, a cure can almost never be achieved. In this case, we feel that the “infection” in the intestines of Crohn’s patients is caused by fungi and their mycotoxins.

Incidentally, you can boost your immune system much less expensively and without a prescription by taking beta-glucans (see seagateproducts.com or nsc24.com). Using probiotics--Lactobacillus acidophilus, etc. (see natren.com)--is also extremely vital in reversing antibiotic damage, since these good bacteria can keep yeast and fungi from re-establishing themselves in the intestines.

Anyone who has been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease knows the misery these diseases can cause. Given the alternatives for treatment--more immune-suppressing drugs and surgery--we think it would be worth a trial on a program that includes a low-carb diet and antifungal medications or supplements. A 1944 Johns Hopkins Clinical Mycology book stressed the importance of following a low-carb diet while treating yeasts.13 If a fungus or mycotoxin is truly involved, all of these approaches will do more than just suppress the symptoms of or “manage” the disease--they can actually cure it.

References:

1. Journal of Musculoskeletal Medicine. Nov. 1996. Pp 28-34.
2. Wakefield. The Lancet. 1996. 348:315-317.
3. Baldwin, Richard S. The Fungus Fighters: Two Women Scientists and Their Discovery Cornell University Press. Ithaca and London. 1981.
4. Ruiz-Sanchez, et al. Intestinal candidiasis. A clinical report and comments about this opportunistic pathogen. Mycopathologia. 2002;156(1):9-11.
5. Heaton, K. W. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Allan, R.N., Keighley, M.R.B., Alexander-Williams, J., and Hawkins, C.F. [Eds.]. Churchill Livingstone, New York. 1990
6. Etzel, R. Mycotoxins. Journal of the American Medical Association. 287(4). Jan 23/30, 2002.
7. Council for Agricultural Science and Technology. Mycotoxins: Risks in Plant, Animal and Human Sytems. Economic and Health Risks. Task Force Report Number 139. Jan 2003. CAST. Ames, IA.
8. Saadia, Roger and Lipman, Jeffrey. “Antibiotics and the gut”. European Journal of Surgery. 1996. Suppl. 576:39-41.
9. Barclay, G. R., et. al. (Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology. 1992. 27:196-200.
10. Nieuwenhuizen, W., et al. Is Candida albicans a trigger in the onset of celiac disease? Lancet. 2003 June 21;361(9375):2152-2154.
11. Kibbler, C. C., et. al [Ed.]. Principles and Practice of Clinical Mycology 1996. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., West Sussex, England
12. Hesman, T. WU Researchers have developed controversial Crohn’s treatment. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Nov 8, 2002. http://aisweb.wustl.edu/
    alumni/atwu.nsf/srohns.
13. Conant, et al. Manual of Clinical Mycology. WB Saunders, Philadelphia. 1944.

Crohn's Disease Resources

Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) This non-profit organization supports both medical research and patients. The web site includes weekly features and regular news updates on IBD. Registration is free and worthwhile to access archived articles, news, and forums. Lookup an IBD doctor in your area.

ACCAQ: Australian Crohns and Colitis Association (Queensland) Inc. A voluntary, non-profit organisation established for people who have either Crohn's Disease or ulcerative colitis, their relatives and friends, and for those with an interest in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), both professionally and otherwise.

Crohn's & Colitis Association - Netherlands Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis association of the Netherlands (in Dutch).

Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada (CCFC) This organization is the Canadian cousin of the CCFA and this site, recently relaunched, provides basic info, brochures, an IBD book list, and the CCFC Journal.

Crohn's and Colitis Support Groups South Africa Crohn's and ulcerative colitis support group of South Africa.

European Crohn's & Colitis Organization ECCO is the umbrella organization of the national study groups performing and coordinating research work in the field of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Frederick County Crohn's/Colitis Support Group Local support group for citizens of Frederick County, Maryland. http://www.fred.net/jdblake/

German Crohn's and Colitis Association - DCCV Self-help organization for people with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis in Germany. Primarily for German speaking patients.

IBD Network A get-together of Crohn's and ulcerative colitis support groups of Japan. It includes almost all groups in Japan. It is voluntary non-profit organization.

KidswithIBD.org Site with materials for advocacy and awareness efforts on behalf of children with IBD. Use sample letters to write to congress, local newspapers, magazines, celebrities or talk shows, etc.

National Association for Colitis & Crohn's Disease (NACC) - UK This British-based charity provides information and support to those with colitis or Crohn's disease, fund raising for welfare services and research.

National Institutes of Health - Digestive Diseases This site includes information on Crohn's and other digestive diseases supplied by the federal government's National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases at the NIH.

Osaka IBD Self-help organization for people with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis in Osaka, Japan. It is voluntary non-profit organisation.

Pediatric Crohn's & Colitis Association, Inc. Organization committed to helping children and families with IBD better understand Crohn's and Colitis. Share concerns and offer support.

Spanish Crohn's-Colitis Association - ACCU Official support organization for Crohn's and colitis in Spain (in Spanish).

Swiss Crohn's and Colitis Association - SMCCV Non-profit association with the object of helping as many people as possible living in Switzerland and suffering from CD or UC.

UK Digestive Disorders Foundation The charity for research & information on all digestive disorders. The DDF exists to help sufferers with practical guidelines; fund research into digestive diseases; provide information.

"Antibiotics are known to increase the risk of fungal infection." [3]

Most antibiotics are mycotoxins--fungal derivatives. Mycotoxins are commonly found in our grain food supply. Mycotoxins can suppress our normal immune function. Therefore, anyone who has taken an antibiotic or consumes grains or sugar qualifies as a potentially immunocompromised person."
- David Holland, M.D.

"Research indicates that beta-1,3-glucan, in particular, is very effective at activating white blood cells known as macrophages and neutrophils. These cells provide one of the immune system’s first lines of defense against foreign invaders. A beta-glucan-activated macrophage or neutrophil can recognize and kill tumor cells, remove cellular debris resulting from oxidative damage, speed up recovery of damaged tissue, and further activate other components of the immune system." [7, 8] - Health Notes

Where can I find Beta 1,3 Glucans?

Beta 1,3 Glucans 120 tablets 200 Mg $8.98 Dosage: One (1) to three (3) tablets daily, preferably with a meal.

Does Not Contain: Corn, wheat, sugar, salt, starch, dairy, citrus, fish or animal derivatives, preservatives, artificial colors or flavors.

Click below to search for product number VS-1755

Shopping with us is safe. 

Test Your Immune System

Does your immune system need a boost? This test by Dr. Linda Page is quick and easy