Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects over 1.5 million Americans. Both ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are inflammatory bowel diseases, and these are the 2 most common forms of IBD. Another type of IBD is called microscopic colitis, which occurs in the colon and can only be seen with a microscope. This should not be confused with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBD has a very prominent immune system component that leads to damage of the gastrointestinal tract. What could be causing the immune system to spiral out of control, resulting in so much discomfort and tissue damage?  While the exact cause of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis is unknown, we will be covering some potential causes along with natural treatments you may want to consider. Let’s first discuss the two major forms of IBD.

Ulcerative Colitis vs Crohn’s Disease? 

Crohn’s disease (CD) is classified as a chronic inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract that can damage any area, or multiple sections of this system from the mouth to the anus. Ulcerative colitis (UC) is also an inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract, but it tends to be a continuous inflammation of the large intestine/colon.

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease share some symptoms, including the following:

• Diarrhea, which may be bloody
• Constipation
• Bowel urgency
• Abdominal pain and cramping
• Reduced appetite
• Weight loss
• Fatigue
• Feeling that the bowels will not completely 

Symptoms that differentiate Crohn’s disease from ulcerative colitis: 

Note: these may or may not be present: 

• Mouth sores
• Anal tears
• Ulcers
• Narrowing of the intestine
• May have multiple areas of inflammation with normal tissue sections

Both destructive diseases are ultimately caused by uncontrolled inflammation. The inflammatory process is created by the immune system. The immune system is a highly complex system that requires constant regulation. Not only does it have self-regulating mechanisms, but the nervous system also plays a vital role in healthy and appropriate immune system responses. Ultimately, IBD occurs because the immune system is not being properly regulated; taking a functional medicine approach to this disorder may offer new hope for those who suffer with this condition.

Current medical treatment includes the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, immune-suppressing medication, or powerful antibiotics. While these drugs may provide relief, the long-term consequences of such treatment may lead to other significant health problems and do not address the underlying cause of this disorder.

Can Functional Medicine treat IBD?

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are considered to be autoimmune diseases. The cause is unknown, although heredity and early life factors appear to play a role.  Autoimmune conditions are not curable as far as we know in medicine today. What we do know is that diet and lifestyle have a significant impact on the expression of the disease.  It is always our goal in functional medicine to treat the root cause of illness but since the cause is unknown, we work to optimize all the determinants of health so that the body can be in the best position to heal and thrive.

What is the functional medicine approach to Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis?

An integrative medicine approach seeks to restore normal balance to the immune system once again. Addressing the true underlying problem, which is immune system dysregulation, can often be achieved through diet modification, nutrient replacement therapy and lifestyle modification. This approach works with your body and its natural self-regulating mechanisms.

Diet

Natural treatments for IBD may include dietary modification. Food intolerance or food allergy testing can help determine if certain foods are triggering a chronic and inappropriate immune system response. Some people find that dairy products aggravate their symptoms; dairy may be triggering their immune system, or they may not be producing sufficient enzymes to digest the milk sugar (lactose) which can lead to bloating and diarrhea. Others have noticed that high-fat and high-fiber foods cause problems for them. Reducing these may be helpful to start with, but improving gut health should be a primary goal of treatment so that these foods can be reintroduced later.

Stress and Lifestyle

There are certain lifestyle factors that may play a role in the activation of IBD. How a person handles stress may exacerbate an existing flare up or may activate a condition that has been in remission.  The immune system is negatively affected by exposure to moderate to severe forms of stress, especially if this stress is chronic. A functional medicine approach to stress and lifestyle would be to incorporate healthy stress management techniques such as meditation, for example.  Lifestyle habits recommendations may include avoidance of certain behaviors and incorporation of more health promoting habits.

Probiotics

Probiotics may also be beneficial for those suffering with IBD. The large bowel contains a tremendous number of health-promoting microorganisms; in fact, they outnumber the cells of your entire body by 10x. The various organisms living and thriving in your bowels help regulate the immune system and can therefore be an important part of any treatment plan. In addition to probiotics, there are nutrients called prebiotics which help feed and nourish the bacteria living in the bowel. It is important to understand that not all gut symptoms will respond well to probiotics.  It may be a good idea to seek the advice of an experienced health care professional to assess your condition to see if probiotics are a good adjunct to your health plan.

Neuroimmune Nutrients

No assessment or treatment plan for inflammatory bowel disease would be complete until the nervous system has been properly evaluated. You might be wondering what the nervous system has to do with your immune system. There is in fact, a rapidly emerging field in healthcare today that studies the connection between the immune system and the nervous system. This is very important to consider then treating IBD because the digestive tract has a very extensive and complex nervous system of its own; called the enteric nervous system (ENS).

According to the Journal of Neuroinflammation, “It has been known for some time that the ENS and the mucosal (digestive tract) immune system have the ability to regulate one another’s functions. Nerve cells are found in close proximity to immune cells in the mucosa.” “In general, inflammation-related changes in GI (gastrointestinal) function likely involve neurodegeneration and neuroplasticity in the ENS…”

Frontiers in Immunology published these facts about the connection between the immune system and the nervous system; “The crosstalk between the immune system occurs through a complex set of neurotransmitters, cytokines and hormones and is undoubtedly playing a crucial role in the regulation of the immune response. The ground-breaking idea that neurotransmitters could serve as immune modulators emerged with the discovery that their release and diffusion from nervous tissue could lead to signaling through typical neurotransmitter receptors on immune cells.” “Based on our and others’ findings, we can now conclude that intestinal neurons modulate the immune response directly into the gut wall.”

These last two paragraphs may have been a bit more science than you wanted to wade through but the point these medical journals are trying to make is that the nervous system and the immune system cannot be looked at separately. Problems with the nervous system will create immune system dysfunction. This is why the nervous system function must be considered when treating inflammatory bowel diseases.

One of the most common ways the nervous system begins to fail is that it is not able to produce sufficient neurotransmitters (the chemicals that permit nerve cells to talk to each other and control the function of other cells, including immune cells and organs). If the nervous system of your gut is failing to produce these neurotransmitters in sufficient quantities, normal function of the gut and the gut’s immune system will suffer.

In functional medicine we consider this a form of nutritional deficiency. When the deficient nutrients are provided in ideal quantities, the ENS is once again able to produce its most vital product, neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters permit the ENS to function as it should, as well as provide immune system regulation.

Often, these nutrients must be taken in supplemental form because sufficient levels cannot be obtained through the diet alone. Many people with IBD have higher neurotransmitter needs than those without the disease. Our goal is to provide the body with an ideal level of neurotransmitters so it can once again function properly. We do not know why some people need additional nutritional support in this area, but we have observed that they often respond well to this form of treatment.

Schedule An Inflammatory Bowel Disease Appointment Today

Inflammatory bowel disease should be considered an immune system and nervous system disorder. These two very complex systems of the body are intertwined and cannot be viewed or treated separately. A comprehensive assessment and treatment plan would therefore consider not only external causes, such as diet and gut flora balance but the regulating systems of the body, the immune system and the nervous system.

If you are looking for are interested in finding out how functional medicine may help you with your health concerns, reach out to us for a complimentary phone consultation.  If you live in Chicago, Plainfield, Frankfort, Aurora, St. Charles or Geneva, please contact us today!

Do your own research, inform yourself and ask lots of questions. When collecting information, you MUST consider the source. There is no shortage of false, misleading, outdated, profit-driven and utterly biased information in healthcare today; even from the most respected sources.