Junk food ingredient may be cause of bowel disease, research finds

A dairy ingredient in junk food may be responsible for rising rates of inflammatory bowel disease and other immune disorders.

Milk fat upsets the gut’s ecosystem, causing an influx of potentially harmful bacteria, scientists believe.
In some people, this can cause an extreme immune reaction, leading to irritable bowel syndrome and conditions such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
The discovery may explain why once rare immune disorders have become so common in the West over the past 50 years, study leader Professor Eugene Chang said.
He said this was the first mechanism that showed how western-style diets contributed to the rapid increase in IBD.
Tests carried out by the scientists have shown that milk fat – which is abundant in processed foods and confectionery – alters the composition of bacteria in the gut.
In certain people, this can disrupt the delicate balance between the immune system and the trillions of bugs – many beneficial – that live in the intestines.
After genetically susceptible mice were fed a diet high in milk fat, the rate at which they developed colitis trebled.

Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/901989-junk-food-ingredient-may-be-cause-of-bowel-disease-research-finds#ixzz225nLAHqh

Two minutes on.. Crohn's disease

What is it?

Crohn's disease is a rare, long-term ­inflammation of the digestive tract, ­especially the small intestine.

Diarrhoea, pain, fever and weight loss are all common symptoms.


Crohn's disease usually manifests ­itself in sufferers ­between the ages of ­15 and 30 and it can sometimes run in ­families, ­suggesting there may be a ­genetic component to its development. Smoking is a known risk factor.

What are the symptoms?

Diarrhoea

Abdominal pain

Fever

Weight loss

General feeling of malaise

About 10% develop other conditions linked with Crohn's, including a form of arthritis known as ankylosing ­spondylitis, kidney stones, gallstones and a rash called erythema nodosum.

What's the treatment?

Mild attacks of Crohn's disease may be treated with antidiarrhoeal drugs and painkillers.

For an acute attack, your doctor may prescribe oral steroids. As soon as symptoms subside, the dosage will be reduced to avoid the risk of triggering any side effects.

If your symptoms are very severe, you may need hospital treatment with ­intravenous corticosteroids.

In all cases, once the dosage of ­corticosteroids has been reduced, your doctor may recommend oral ­sulphasalazine or mesalamine to ­prevent recurrences.

An immunosuppressant drug, such as azathioprine, is sometimes considered.

You may also require dietary ­supplements, such as vitamins, to ­counteract malabsorption.

During severe attacks, you may need to be fed nutrients directly into a vein.


Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/advice/miriam/2011/10/31/two-minutes-on-crohn-s-disease-115875-23526522/#ixzz1dmRq0xnX