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Alternative Names: Regional Enteritis or Ileitis.
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.
Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are known as the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). When the intestinal immune system does not function properly, many white blood cells accumulate in the inner lining (mucosa) of the gut. The white cells then release chemicals that lead to tissue injury in the form of inflammation. This inflammation of the mucosa can cause diarrhea, which is the most common symptom of IBD, with or without intestinal complications.
Causes & Development
The precise cause of IBD remains unknown. These diseases are believed to be caused by a combination of genetic and non-genetic, or environmental factors (such as infections) that interact with the body's immune system.
The two primary sites for Crohn's disease are the ileum, which is the last portion of the small bowel (ileitis, regional enteritis), and the colon (Crohn's colitis). The condition begins as small, microscopic nests of inflammation which persist and smolder. The lining of the bowel can then become ulcerated and the bowel wall thickened. Eventually, the bowel may become narrowed or obstructed and surgery may be needed.
Diagnosis & Tests
The diagnosis is suggested by signs and symptoms. Additional testing to help make the diagnosis may include barium X-rays of the upper and lower GI tract, flexible sigmoidoscopy, and sometimes colonoscopy. The last two tests permit a direct examination of the colon with a lighted tube inserted through the anus. During these tests, biopsies may be obtained to help make a diagnosis. Laboratory tests are also helpful and include evaluation of the blood and stool.
Because Crohn's disease often mimics other conditions and symptoms may vary widely, the correct diagnosis of Crohn's disease may take some time.
Laboratory Findings- Leukocytosis and increased sedimentation rate occur during the acute inflammatory phase.
- Hypochromic, microcytic anaemia due to chronic blood loss.
- Occult blood in stool due to intestinal mucosal bleeding
- Decreased serum albumin and total protein due to loss of protein from the intestinal mucosa and to impaired dietary intake.
- Increased alkaline phosphatase, serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transminase (SGOT) (AST {aspartate aminotransferase}) or bilirubin due to associated liver disease.
- Increased urine oxalate and calcium oxalate renal calculi due to increased colonic absorption of dietary oxalate.
Treatment & Prevention
Patients with Crohn's disease have very individual food intolerances. For some, they are lactose intolerant and feel better avoiding dairy products; for others, they avoid raw vegetables. There is no one prescription for all patients with Crohn's disease in terms of what to avoid.
Complications
Complications include Peritonitis, Gastrointestinal bleeding, Impaired intestinal absorption, Amyloidosis, Arthritis - synovial fluid similar to that of rheumatoid arthritis, but with negative rheumatoid factor, Ankylosing spondylitis.
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Signs, symptoms & indicators of Crohn's Disease:
Conditions that suggest Crohn's Disease:
Risk factors for Crohn's Disease: | | | | | Autoimmune |  Autoimmune Tendency |
Childhood |
Past vaccinations or past and future vaccination | Based on a study of 3,545 people who received live measles vaccine as children, their rate of developing ulcerative colitis was 2.5 times higher (3 times higher for Crohn's) compared to an unvaccinated group. |
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Circulation |
Hypercoagulation (Thickened Blood) |
Hormones |
Low Adrenal Function / Adrenal Insufficiency |
Infections |
Bacterial Dysbiosis| | During the early 1980s, exaggerated immunologic responses to components of the normal fecal flora were proposed as possible mechanisms behind inflammatory bowel disease. Little progress has been made in confirming or disproving this theory, although bacterial overgrowth of the jejunum has been found in 30% of patients hospitalized for Crohn's disease, in which it contributes to diarrhea and malabsorption. The demonstration of increased intestinal permeability in patients with active Crohn's disease and in healthy first degree relatives suggests the existence of a preexisting abnormality, such as dysbiosis, that allows an exaggerated immune response to normal gut contents to occur.
Elimination diets can induce remission in Crohn's disease as effectively as prednisone. The primary bacteriologic effect of elemental diets is to lower the concentration of Lactobacilli in the stool drastically without altering levels of other bacteria. |
Yeast / Candida Infection |
Symptoms - Food - Intake |
(High) dairy product consumption| | Johne's disease is an infection that cows pass on to humans as irritable bowel syndrome. Johne's disease has no cure and costs dairy producers over $1.5 billion each year [Source: USDA]. The bacterium, Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP) causing Johne's is not killed by pasteurization and is passed onto consumers in milk, cheese and ice cream. Forty million Americans have irritable bowels and over 500,000 have gone on to develop Crohn's disease.
"Mycobacterium paratuberculosis RNA was found in 100% of Crohn's disease patients, compared with 0% of controls." [Mishina, Proceedings National Academy of Sciences USA: 93: September, 1996]
The bacterium (MAP) does not cause tuberculosis in humans, but there is growing evidence linking it to Crohn's disease. British tests, released in January 2000, showed that Mycobacterium paratuberculosis can survive pasteurization, prompting the USDA to re-examine 1999 tests that showed pasteurization kills it.
August 5th, 2003, London: British scientists have found a link between Crohn's disease and MAP. Professor John Hermon-Taylor and his team at St George's Hospital Medical School in London said they had detected MAP bacteria in 92% of patients with Crohn's disease, but in only 26% of patients in a control group.
"The rate of detection of MAP in individuals with Crohn's disease is highly significant and implicates this pathogen in disease causation," they said in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology. They called for Crohn's to be made a reportable disease, for more stringent milk pasteurization, for tests for MAP in dairy herds, and procedures for reducing MAP infection on farms.
Hermon-Taylor said an unexpected finding of the research showed that patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may also be infected with MAP. "In animals, MAP inflames the nerves of the gut," he said. "Recent work from Sweden shows that people with IBS also have inflamed gut nerves. There is a real chance that the MAP bug may be inflaming people's gut nerves and causing IBS." |
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Crohn's Disease suggests the following may be present: | | | | | Autoimmune |  Autoimmune Tendency |
Infections |
 Helicobacter Pylori Infection| | Drug therapies used to fight the ulcer-causing bacteria Helicobacter Pylori may help treat Crohn's disease. Researchers recently reported that "after treatment [with antibiotics against H. Pylori], clinical remission [of Crohn's disease] was achieved in all patients", regardless of the type of therapy received. At the same time, H. Pylori infection was eradicated in 28 of the 30 infected patients.
"What this shows is that by eradicating H. Pylori infection... we achieved a remission of Crohn's disease," Dr. Mantzaris explained. The authors stress that their findings do not mean that H. Pylori causes Crohn's disease. But it does raise the issue of "whether regimens aimed at eradicating H. Pylori in infected patients with Crohn's disease may also achieve remission of Crohn's disease." |
Bacterial Dysbiosis| | During the early 1980s, exaggerated immunologic responses to components of the normal fecal flora were proposed as possible mechanisms behind inflammatory bowel disease. Little progress has been made in confirming or disproving this theory, although bacterial overgrowth of the jejunum has been found in 30% of patients hospitalized for Crohn's disease, in which it contributes to diarrhea and malabsorption. The demonstration of increased intestinal permeability in patients with active Crohn's disease and in healthy first degree relatives suggests the existence of a preexisting abnormality, such as dysbiosis, that allows an exaggerated immune response to normal gut contents to occur.
Elimination diets can induce remission in Crohn's disease as effectively as prednisone. The primary bacteriologic effect of elemental diets is to lower the concentration of Lactobacilli in the stool drastically without altering levels of other bacteria. |
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Crohn's Disease can lead to:
Recommendations and treatments for Crohn's Disease: | | | | | Amino Acid / Protein | Not recommended:
 Glutamine| | Although glutamine is known to play a role in small intestine function, in Crohn's disease at least two studies have shown it to be mildly harmful. [J Parenter Enteral Nutr 24:196, 2000]
However, there are those who believe it to be beneficial, and advise 1,000mg L-glutamine twice a day. More research is needed. |
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Botanical |
 Robert's Formula| | See the link between Crohn's and Slippery Elm. |
 Chlorella |
Diet |
 Dairy Products Avoidance| | Mycobacterium paratuberculosis (Para-T) RNA (a bacteria causing Johne’s disease in cows) was found in 100% of Crohn's disease patients, compared with 0% of controls.
This bacteria becomes cultured in milk, and is not destroyed by normal pasteurization. Para-T crosses the species barrier to infect and cause disease in humans. Occasionally, the milk-borne bacteria will begin to grow in the human host, and irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn's disease results. The USDA estimates that 30% of America's dairy herds contain cows infected with Para-T. |
Therapeutic Fasting| | Fasting is an important element of treatment if a sustained remission is to be expected. |
Gluten-free Diet| | See the link between Crohn's and Sugar Avoidance / Reduction. |
Sugars Avoidance / Reduction| | Elaine Gottschall, author of Breaking the Vicious Cycle, has proposed that gut dysbiosis is a major cause of Crohn's disease, with small and large bowel fermentation being a key component. She has used a Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) restricted in disaccharide sugars and devoid of cereal grains to alter gut flora. When digestion of carbohydrates such as starches and some sugars is impaired, these items are poorly absorbed. Yeast and bacteria can then overgrow in response to these newly available nutrients, increasing toxic by-products and mucus production, resulting in further injury to the small intestine and malabsorption. Digestion is worsened - thus "the vicious cycle". The purpose of the SCD is to deprive the microbial world in the small intestine of food it needs to overpopulate and irritate. |
Not recommended:
 Raw Food Diet| | Foods that worsen diarrhea should be avoided: specific food problems may vary from person to person. Some people may need to avoid raw fruits and vegetables. |
Increased Fruit/Vegetable Consumption| | In one trial, patients (rather than doctors) were asked which foods aggravated Crohn’s disease symptoms. Those without an ileostomy said that raw fruit and tomatoes were among the most problematic foods, though responses varied from person to person, and other reports have come up with different lists. People with Crohn’s disease wishing to identify and avoid potential problem foods should consult a doctor. |
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Digestion |
Probiotics| | Use of a good probiotic product can help keep the bacterial flora in balance and reduce inflammation. Caution is advised with active inflammation, as bacteria may penetrate the gut wall and enter the blood stream. |
Hydrochloric Acid (Trial) |
Drug |
LDN - Low Dose Naltrexone |
Habits |
Tobacco Avoidance| | A study of 474 smokers with Crohn's disease found that patients who stopped smoking for more than 1 year had similar rates of flare-ups as patients who never smoked, and both groups had fewer problems than current smokers. Quitters, for example, had a 65% lower risk of flare-up than patients who were still smoking [Gastroenterology, April 2001]. Furthermore, smoking significantly increases the likelihood for Crohn's disease symptoms after surgery, particularly in women and heavy smokers. |
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Lab Tests/Rule-Outs |
Test for Helicobacter Pylori Infection| | Drug therapies used to fight the ulcer-causing bacteria Helicobacter Pylori may help treat Crohn's disease. Researchers recently reported that "after treatment [with antibiotics against H. Pylori], clinical remission [of Crohn's disease] was achieved in all patients", regardless of the type of therapy received. At the same time, H. Pylori infection was eradicated in 28 of the 30 infected patients.
"What this shows is that by eradicating H. Pylori infection... we achieved a remission of Crohn's disease," Dr. Mantzaris explained. The authors stress that their findings do not mean that H. Pylori causes Crohn's disease. But it does raise the issue of "whether regimens aimed at eradicating H. Pylori in infected patients with Crohn's disease may also achieve remission of Crohn's disease." |
Test for Food Allergies| | Finding out which foods may be triggering the inflammatory reaction is an important part of treating this disease. Often wheat, corn, dairy, and eggs are involved as in ulcerative colitis. |
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Mineral |
Zinc
MSM (Methyl Sulfonyl Methane) |
Nutrient |
Superoxide Dismutase
Essential Fatty Acids| | A study by Japanese researcher Kuroki found that, compared with control subjects, Crohn's patients had lower concentrations of Omega-3 essential fats and higher concentrations of the monounsaturated fatty acids Omega-7 and Omega-9. These results indicate EFA deficiency. Among the fatty acids that correlated with the Crohn's disease activity index, EPA and total Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids showed the most significant negative correlations. The less of these fatty acids present, the worse the disease. [Digestive Diseases and Sciences; 1997; 42(6): pp.1137-41, Fatty Acid Patterns in Patients with Chronic Intestinal Disease, Metabolism 1996; 45(1): pp.12-23]
Fish oil, the only current means of getting EPA without equal amounts of DHA, may delay relapses in Crohn's disease due to its anti-inflammatory effect. Dr Belluzzi, MD tried a new way of delivering the fish oil to the intestine by putting it in a capsule that would not dissolve in the stomach for at least 30 minutes. As a result, the overall dose of fish oil could be reduced by a third and the unpleasant taste of the oil was avoided. 78 Crohn's patients took part in a trial for one year; 39 were given the fish oil and the other 39 were given a placebo in an identical capsule.
At the end of the year the doctors checked which patients were still in remission and which had experienced a flare-up of symptoms. 59% of the patients who took the fish oil were still in remission, compared with only 26% of those who were given the placebo.
About 10% of the patients who were given the fish oil dropped out of the trial because of increased diarrhea, but Dr Belluzzi believes that the coated fish oil capsules could offer an effective way to prolong remission for Crohn's patients. The patients involved in the trial had some evidence of mild inflammation before starting the trial and that the fish oil may have helped by treating this rather than by preventing inflammation from actually starting. He estimates that about 30-40% of Crohn's patients are likely to have a mild level of inflammation similar to those people involved in the trial. |
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KEY | | Weak or unproven link | | | Strong or generally accepted link | | | Proven definite or direct link |  | | Strongly counter-indicative | | | May do some good | | | Likely to help | | | Highly recommended | | | May have adverse consequences | | | Reasonably likely to cause problems |
GLOSSARY
Acute
An illness or symptom of sudden onset, which generally has a short duration.
Alkaline
A substance having a pH above that of neutral water (7.0) when in solution. Signified as pH (potential of Hydrogen), alkaline fluids, such as the blood (pH about 7.4), have the ability to neutralize acids (solutions below pH 7.0). Metabolic wastes are acids, and the alkaline reserve of the blood neutralizes them until they are excreted.
Anemia (Anaemia, Anemias)
A condition resulting from an unusually low number of red blood cells or too little hemoglobin in the red blood cells. The most common type is iron-deficiency anemia in which the red blood cells are reduced in size and number, and hemoglobin levels are low. Clinical symptoms include shortness of breath, lethargy and heart palpitations.
Anti-inflammatory (Antiinflammatory)
Reducing inflammation by acting on body mechanisms, without directly acting on the cause of inflammation, e.g., glucocorticoids, aspirin.
Antioxidant (Antioxidants)
A chemical compound that slows or prevents oxygen from reacting with other compounds. Antioxidants are substances that protect cells from oxidative damage caused by molecules called free radicals. These chemicals can damage important parts of cells, such as proteins, membranes, and DNA. Some antioxidants have been shown to have cancer-protecting potential because they neutralize free radicals. Examples include vitamins C and E, beta carotene, the minerals selenium and germanium, superoxide dismutase (SOD), coenzyme Q10, catalase, and some amino acids.
Arthritis (Arthritic)
Inflammation of a joint, usually accompanied by pain, swelling, and stiffness, and resulting from infection, trauma, degenerative changes, metabolic disturbances, or other causes. It occurs in various forms, such as bacterial arthritis, osteoarthritis, or rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis, the most common form, is characterized by a gradual loss of cartilage and often an overgrowth of bone at the joints.
Bacteria (Bacterial, Bacterium)
Microscopic germs. Some bacteria are "harmful" and can cause disease, while other "friendly" bacteria protect the body from harmful invading organisms.
Bilirubin
A waste product of hemoglobin recycling, it is primarily excreted in feces, oxidizing into that familiar brown color (except for beets).
Calcium
The body's most abundant mineral. Its primary function is to help build and maintain bones and teeth. The body also needs calcium to carry nerve signals, keep the heart functioning, contract muscles, clot blood and maintain healthy skin. Calcium helps control blood acid-alkaline balance, plays a role in cell division, muscle growth and iron utilization, activates certain enzymes, and helps transport nutrients through cell membranes. Calcium also forms a cellular cement called ground substance that helps hold cells and tissues together.
Cancer
Refers to the various types of malignant neoplasms that contain cells growing out of control and invading adjacent tissues, which may metastasize to distant tissues.
Carbohydrates (Carbohydrate)
The sugars and starches in food. Sugars are called simple carbohydrates and found in such foods as fruit and table sugar. Complex carbohydrates are composed of large numbers of sugar molecules joined together, and are found in grains, legumes, and vegetables like potatoes, squash, and corn.
Celiac Disease (Gluten Sensitivity)
A digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People who have celiac disease cannot tolerate a protein called gluten. Common symptoms include diarrhea, increased appetite, bloating, weight loss, irritability and fatigue. Gluten is found in wheat (including spelt, triticale, and kamut), rye, barley and sometimes oats.
Chronic (Chronicity)
Usually referring to chronic illness: Illness extending over a long period of time.
Cobalamin (B12, B-12, Cobalamine, Vitamin B12)
Essential for normal growth and functioning of all body cells, especially those of bone marrow (red blood cell formation), gastrointestinal tract and nervous system, it prevents pernicious anemia and plays a crucial part in the reproduction of every cell of the body i.e. synthesis of genetic material (DNA).
Colitis
Colon inflammation, usually involving the mucus membranes. Mucus colitis is a type with cramps, periods of constipation, and copious discharge of mucus with feces. Ulcerative colitis has pain, inflammation, ulceration, fever, and bleeding, all interspersed at various times - a long and serious illness.
Colon (Colonic)
The part of the large intestine that extends to the rectum. The colon takes the contents of the small intestine, moving them to the rectum by contracting.
Colonoscope (Colonoscopy)
A thin, flexible 'telescope' that is passed up from the anus in order to examine the bowels.
Crohn's Disease (Crohn's)
Chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract. The most common symptoms are abdominal pain, often in the lower right area, and diarrhea. Rectal bleeding, weight loss, and fever may also occur. Bleeding may be serious and persistent, leading to anemia.
DHA
Docosahexanoic Acid. A metabolite of the omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid.
Diarrhea
Excessive discharge of contents of bowel.
Enteral
Referring to the inside of the intestinal tract.
Enteritis
Sometimes Enteritis regionalis: Localized inflammation of the intestine.
EPA
Environmental Protection Agency. Also: Eicosapentanoic Acid. A metabolite of the omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid.
Esophagus (Esophageal)
Commonly called the "food pipe", it is a narrow muscular tube, about nine and a half inches long, that begins below the tongue and ends at the stomach. It consists of an outer layer of fibrous tissue, a middle layer containing smoother muscle, and an inner membrane, which contains numerous tiny glands. It has muscular sphincters at both its upper and lower ends. The upper sphincter relaxes to allow passage of swallowed food that is then propelled down the esophagus into the stomach by the wave-like peristaltic contractions of the esophageal muscles. There is no protective mucosal layer, so problems can arise when digestive acids reflux into the esophagus from the stomach.
Essential Fatty Acid (EFA, EFAs, Essential Fatty Acids)
A substance that the human body cannot manufacture and therefore must be supplied in the diet.
Fatty Acids (Fatty Acid)
Chemical chains of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms that are part of a fat (lipid) and are the major component of triglycerides. Depending on the number and arrangement of these atoms, fatty acids are classified as either saturated, polyunsaturated, or monounsaturated. They are nutritional substances found in nature which include cholesterol, prostaglandins, and stearic, palmitic, linoleic, linolenic, eicosapentanoic (EPA), and decohexanoic acids. Important nutritional lipids include lecithin, choline, gamma-linoleic acid, and inositol.
Gastrointestinal (GI, GI Tract)
Pertaining to the stomach, small and large intestines, colon, rectum, liver, pancreas, and gallbladder.
Glutamine
A "conditionally essential" amino acid, glutamine is considered to be a brain fuel. Glutamine has been used therapeutically for alcoholism, mild depression and to reduce the craving for sweets. Glutamine is very important in the functioning of the metabolism and muscle maintenance. Glutamine supplementation can help prevent muscle and other tissue breakdown by providing the body with nitrogen and fuel.
Helicobacter Pylori (Pylori)
H. pylori is a bacterium that is found in the stomach which, along with acid secretion, damages stomach and duodenal tissue, causing inflammation and peptic ulcers. Although most people will never have symptoms or problems related to the infection, they may include: dull, 'gnawing' pain which may occur 2-3 hours after a meal, come and go for several days or weeks, occur in the middle of the night when the stomach is empty and be relieved by eating; loss of weight; loss of appetite; bloating; burping; nausea; vomiting.
Ileostomy (Ileostomies)
An operation that makes it possible for stool to leave the body after the colon and rectum are removed. The surgeon makes an opening in the abdomen and attaches the bottom of the small intestine (ileum) to it.
Ileum
The lower two-thirds of the small intestine, ending in the ileocecal valve and emptying into the cecum of the colon. The last foot of the ileum is the only absorption site available for important dietary substances such as vitamin B12, folic acid, some essential fatty acids, fat soluble vitamins, and recycled bile acids.
Immune System (Immune Response, Immunity)
A complex that protects the body from disease organisms and other foreign bodies. The system includes the humoral immune response and the cell-mediated response. The immune system also protects the body from invasion by making local barriers and inflammation. The process may involve acquired immunity (the ability to learn and remember a specific infectious agent), or innate immunity (the genetically programmed system of responses that attack, digest, remove, and initiate inflammation and tissue healing).
Iron
An essential mineral. Prevents anemia: as a constituent of hemoglobin, transports oxygen throughout the body. Virtually all of the oxygen used by cells in the life process are brought to the cells by the hemoglobin of red blood cells. Iron is a small but most vital, component of the hemoglobin in 20,000 billion red blood cells, of which 115 million are formed every minute. Heme iron (from meat) is absorbed 10 times more readily than the ferrous or ferric form.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
A condition that causes upset intestines for a long period of time. It is very unpleasant to the sufferer but tends to be harmless and usually does not lead to more serious complaints. The symptoms vary from person to person and from day to day. In order to be diagnosed with IBS, a person must have at least three of the following symptoms: pain in the lower abdomen; bloating; constipation; diarrhea or alternating diarrhea and constipation; nausea; loss of appetite; tummy rumbling; flatulence; mucous in stools; indigestion; constant tiredness; frequent urination; low back pain; painful intercourse for women.
Jejunum
The lower end of the small intestine.
Kidneys (Kidney, Renal)
Bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist. They are located near the middle of the back, just below the rib cage. The kidneys are sophisticated reprocessing machines, each day handling about 50 gallons of blood to sift out about half a gallon of waste products and extra water. The waste and extra water become urine, which flows to the bladder through tubes called ureters. The actual filtering occurs in tiny units inside the kidneys called nephrons. Every kidney has about a million nephrons. In a nephron, a glomerulus -- which is a tiny blood vessel, or capillary -- intertwines with a tiny urine-collecting tube called a tubule. A complicated chemical exchange takes place, as waste materials and water leave your blood and enter your urinary system. The kidneys recycle chemicals such as sodium, phosphorus, and potassium and thus regulate their levels. Renal: Pertaining to the kidneys.
Lactose Intolerance (Lactose Intolerant)
A condition caused by a lack of an enzyme called lactase, which, in turn, causes the body to be unable to digest lactose, a sugar found in milk products. Common symptoms, which begin about 30 minutes to two hours after consuming foods or beverages containing lactose, may include: nausea, cramps, bloating, gas and/or diarrhea. The severity of symptoms varies depending on the amount of lactose consumed and the amount that an individual can tolerate.
Lesion (Lesions)
Any damage to tissue structure or function; an abnormal change in body tissue caused by disease or injury. A scar is a lesion, as is cancer, a stomach ulcer or a pimple.
Leukocytosis
Having abnormally high numbers of white blood cells, usually the result of a non-viral infection.
Liver (Hepatic)
The largest and one of the most complex organs of the body, the liver is responsible for much of the metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. It is the site of much of the body's detoxification. It is connected very closely with digestion and the regulation of blood sugar, among many other functions. Found behind the ribs on the right side of the abdomen, it has many important functions such as removing harmful material from the blood, making enzymes and bile that help digest food, and converting food into substances needed for life and growth. Hepatic: Pertaining to the liver.
Malabsorption
Improper utilization of needed and available nutrients, either from impaired digestive function (such as B12 being unabsorbed because of gastritis), impaired absorption (poor Vitamin E absorption because of an inflamed ileum) or impaired transport (the diminished blood proteins of the advanced alcoholic). There are other causes as well.
Metabolism (Metabolic, Metabolize, Metabolizes, Metabolizing)
The chemical processes of living cells in which energy is produced in order to replace and repair tissues and maintain a healthy body. Responsible for the production of energy, biosynthesis of important substances, and degradation of various compounds. Also defined as the sum total of changes in an organism in order to achieve a balance (homeostasis): Catabolic burns up, anabolic stores and builds up; the sum of their work is metabolism.
Milligram (mg, Milligrams)
0.001 or a thousandth of a gram.
Monounsaturated Fatty Acid (Monounsaturated Fatty Acids, MUFA, MUFAs)
A Monounsaturated Fatty Acid is missing one pair of hydrogen atoms in the middle of the molecule. The gap is called an "unsaturation". Monounsaturated fatty acids are found mostly in plant and sea foods. Olive oil and canola oil are high in monounsaturated fatty acids.
Mucous Membranes (Mucosa, Mucous Membrane, Mucus Membranes)
The membranes, such as the mouth, nose, anus, and vagina, that line the cavities and canals of the body which communicate with the air.
Mucus (Mucous)
The viscous, slippery substance that consists chiefly of mucin, water, cells, and inorganic salts and is secreted as a protective lubricant coating by cells and glands of the mucous membranes.
Occult Blood
Usually detected through an occult blood test: A test used in screening for blood found in the stool, sputum or urine. The most common test is for hidden blood in the stool, also known as a stool guaiac or hemoccult test, which usually indicates the presence of ulceration or cancer.
Placebo (Placebos)
A pharmacologically inactive substance. Often used to compare clinical responses against the effects of pharmacologically active substances in experiments.
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, PUFA, PUFAs)
A polyunsaturated fatty acid is one that is missing more than one pair of hydrogen atoms. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are mostly found in plant and sea foods. Safflower, sunflower, corn and soy oils are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Probiotic (Probiotics)
Derived from the Greek word for "life." Probiotic refers to organisms and substances which contribute to intestinal microbial balance. They are beneficial or "friendly" intestinal bacteria.
Protein (Proteins)
Compounds composed of hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen present in the body and in foods that form complex combinations of amino acids. Protein is essential for life and is used for growth and repair. Foods that supply the body with protein include animal products, grains, legumes, and vegetables. Proteins from animal sources contain the essential amino acids. Proteins are changed to amino acids in the body.
Rheumatism (Rheumatoid)
General term applied to conditions of pain, or inability to articulate, various elements of the musculoskeletal system.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
A long-term, destructive connective tissue disease that results from the body rejecting its own tissue cells (autoimmune reaction).
RNA
A ribonucleic acid found in plant and animal cells; a complex protein chemical. Important in the coding of genetic information with DNA carrying information from the nucleus of the cell into the cytoplasm.
Serum
The cell-free fluid of the bloodstream. It appears in a test tube after the blood clots and is often used in expressions relating to the levels of certain compounds in the blood stream.
SGOT (SGPT)
SGOT and SGPT: Liver enzymes that are normally only present in minute quantities in the blood, but become elevated under a variety of circumstances, particularly hepatitis.
Small Intestine (Small Bowel)
The small intestine lies between the stomach and the large intestine. It is about 6 meters (20 feet) long and its primary function is to digest (break down) food and absorb nutrients (vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats). The small intestine makes up more than 70% of the length and 90% of the surface area of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
Spondylitis
Inflammation of one or more vertebrae.
Stomach
A hollow, muscular, J-shaped pouch located in the upper part of the abdomen to the left of the midline. The upper end (fundus) is large and dome-shaped; the area just below the fundus is called the body of the stomach. The fundus and the body are often referred to as the cardiac portion of the stomach. The lower (pyloric) portion curves downward and to the right and includes the antrum and the pylorus. The function of the stomach is to begin digestion by physically breaking down food received from the esophagus. The tissues of the stomach wall are composed of three types of muscle fibers: circular, longitudinal and oblique. These fibers create structural elasticity and contractibility, both of which are needed for digestion. The stomach mucosa contains cells which secrete hydrochloric acid and this in turn activates the other gastric enzymes pepsin and rennin. To protect itself from being destroyed by its own enzymes, the stomach’s mucous lining must constantly regenerate itself.
Superoxide Dismutase (SOD)
An antioxidant enzyme which helps protect cells from free-radical damage.
Synovial Fluid
Synovium
Tuberculosis
Also known as TB, Consumption or "The White Plague", tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis, usually affecting the lungs but possibly also the brain, kidneys and bones. Patients may at first be symptom-free or experience a flu-like illness. In the secondary stage, there might be a slight fever, night sweats, weight loss, fatigue and various other symptoms, depending on the part of the body affected. Tuberculosis of the lung is usually associated with a dry cough that eventually leads to a productive cough with blood-stained sputum. There might also be chest pain and shortness of breath.
Ulcerative Colitis (Colitis Ulcerosa)
Ulceration of the colon and rectum, usually long-term and characterized by rectal bleeding or blood in the stool, frequent urgent diarrhea/bowel movements each day, abdominal pain.
USDA
United States Department of Agriculture
White Blood Cell (WBC, White Blood Cells)
A blood cell that does not contain hemoglobin: a blood corpuscle responsible for maintaining the body's immune surveillance system against invasion by foreign substances such as viruses or bacteria. White cells become specifically programmed against foreign invaders and work to inactivate and rid the body of a foreign substance. White blood cells are composed primarily of neutrophils, monocytes and lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are either T-cells or B-cells. T-cells (CD3 cells) are divided into T-helper (CD4 cells) and T-suppressor/cytotoxic (CD8 cells) cells.
X-rays (X-ray)
High-energy radiation used to take pictures of areas inside the body.
Yeast
A single-cell organism that may cause infection in the mouth, vagina, gastrointestinal tract, and any or all bodily parts. Common yeast infections include candidiasis and thrush.
Zinc
An essential trace mineral. The functions of zinc are enzymatic. There are over 70 metalloenzymes known to require zinc for their functions. The main biochemicals in which zinc has been found to be necessary include: enzymes and enzymatic function, protein synthesis and carbohydrate metabolism. Zinc is a constituent of insulin and male reproductive fluid. Zinc is necessary for the proper metabolism of alcohol, to get rid of the lactic acid that builds up in working muscles and to transfer it to the lungs. Zinc is involved in the health of the immune system, assists vitamin A utilization and is involved in the formation of bone and teeth.
Last updated: Nov 01, 2009
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