A natural compound found in foods such as spinach, almonds, and sweet potatoes may aggravate gut inflammation in people with Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis, because their intestines appear to handle it differently.
Dealing with the daily stresses and discomfort of Crone’s Disease or
Inflammatory Bowl disorder can make you old before your time…
According to an abstract of a new study report, “Spinach, almonds, and sweet potatoes are often praised for their nutritional value. But new research from the UNC School of Medicine suggests that for people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a naturally occurring compound in these foods may contribute to intestinal inflammation.”
‘Damned if you, damned if you don’t’
So it appears for INC and Crone’s sufferers who are trying to identify sources of valuable nutrients that don’t exacerbate their conditions!
Researchers at The University of North Carolina (UNC) have determined that some common healthy foods – even some superfoods, such as spinach (pictured, top of page), almonds, and sweet potatoes – have been identified by new science as unsuitable for sufferers of Crone’s Disease (CD) and Inflam-matory Bowel Disorder (IBD). And that’s too bad. It’s hard enough for Crone’s and IBD sufferers to eat around their existing food-bombs and still manage to consume a complete, healthy diet.
What they did
Oxalate is a natural compound found in all plant foods. Even in a healthy digestive system, most oxalate from the diet passes through the body and is eliminated in stool.
The science team examined gene activity, oxalate levels in stool, and dietary patterns in people with IBD and in people without the disease. They also carried out experiments in mice and cultured cells to investigate how dietary oxalate might influence inflammation in the intestinal lining.
What they found
One of the most striking findings of the study involved people with Crohn’s disease. They had signif-icantly higher levels of oxalate in their stool than people without IBD, even though the two groups regularly consumed similar amounts of plant-based foods.
But the overall finding, that the foods tested appeared to make gut inflammation worse in both CD or IBD subjects and non-sufferers alike may be a cause for general concern.
The takeaway
“For patients living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, this research opens a genuinely new therapeutic angle; one that connects the food on their plate to the inflammation in their gut,” said team member Dr Shehzad Z. Sheikh, Professor of Medicine and Genetics. “Diet is one of the most powerful, modifiable levers we have in medicine, and this study gives us a molecular framework to start using it more precisely.”
My take
Way back when I was just breaking into the ‘News’ game, I knew a fellow named Jimmy whose whole family suffered from Crone’s to some degree or other. Jimmy, his mother and his sister all struggled daily to control their bowel inflammation, and the associated ills and discomforts. Their chronic disease ruled their lives.
I’ve lost track of Jimmy over the years. But I hope he’s heard of this new development through his current gut specialist. And I wish him and his all the best in a much healthier and more comfortable future…
~ Maggie J.