Fighting Crohn's Disease

Crohn's disease is a painful and often debilitating inflammatory disease of the intestinal tract. Crohn's affects at least 500,000 Americans, and millions more worldwide. Sadly, this condition can be termed "a disease of the young" because it primarily targets young people in the prime of life, between the ages of 15 and 25.
WHAT ARE SYMPTOMS OF CROHNS
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhea
• Weight loss
• Poor appetite
• Fever
• Night sweats
• Rectal pain
• Rectal bleeding

Crohn's is mostly caused by a bacteria.

With Crohn's, one theory is that it is passed to humans in milk, suggesting that it may be caused by a bacterium. Researchers found Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP) bacteria in 92% of patients with the disease.
The discovery that the MAP bug is present in the vast majority of Crohn's sufferers means it is possibly causing the intestinal inflammation.
Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) causes Johne's Disease in many species of ruminants. Johne's disease (pronounced Yone-es) or paratuberculosis is an incurable wasting disease of adult cattle that is being increasingly recognized in the United States. Since prevalence rates in U.S.-slaughtered cows range from 2 to 18 percent, Johne's disease is now considered a major problem. It is of more conce
in dairy herds than beef operations since there are a larger percentage of cases in the dairy cattle population than in beef. This difference is probably unrelated to specific breed susceptibility but reflects differences in management practices and close confinement, both of which favor easier transmission of the organism. Therefore, the major problem is the infected dairy herd.

According to a study conducted by the USDA in 1996, in the United States, between 20% and 40% of dairy cattle herds are infected with MAP. (Results of a new USDA survey will be published in 2003 based on data collected in 2002. With Johne's disease increasing at an alarming rate, undoubtedly the new figures will be higher, perhaps significantly higher, than those in 1996.)

Since MAP is not classified as a human pathogen, meat, milk and other products from animals infected with MAP may be continually entering the human food chain. There is a wealth of evidence which appears to indicate that MAP is capable of surviving the food processing methods that we employ to protect us from disease, such as cooking and pasteurization.

Crohn's disease is also known as a wasting disorder in which the immune system no longer functions properly. The numerous symptoms experienced happen because the body virtually "shuts down." The immune system is activated only when the body is exposed to harmful invaders. In patients with IBD, however, the immune system is abnormally and chronically activated in the absence of any known invader. The continued abnormal activation of the immune system results in chronic inflammation and ulceration.

Concerns about MAP and the scientific studies which suggest a connection to Crohn's disease in humans raise concerns about food safety.

What are the chances that live MAP is in our food?

It is an undisputed scientific fact that live MAP is excreted in the milk of infected cattle. Interestingly enough, scientific studies published in peer-reviewed journals have determined that MAP may be capable of surviving U.S. pasteurization standards.
As a bit of history, in 1993, the first scientific study was published indicating that MAP may survive pasteurization standards used in the U.S. This study was ignored by federal agencies responsible for food safety in the U.S.

Much later, in 1998 when University of Wisconsin researchers published their findings that MAP was able to survive current U.S. pasteurization standards, this study was again ignored by U.S. Federal Agencies cognizant of food safety.

All in all, during the period 1993 through 2000 -- seven long years -- nine (9) scientific studies came in from the U.S. and around the world which suggested that MAP may survive current U.S. pasteurization standards/practices and all of them were tossed to the side, ignored by U.S. Federal Agencies such as the USDA and the FDA.

IMMUNE SYSTEM MALFUNCTION

Another problem associated with Crohn's Disease is a disturbed immune system. The immune system is composed of immune cells and the proteins that these immune cells produce. Normally, these cells and proteins defend the body against harmful bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other foreign invaders. Activation of the immune system causes inflammation within the tissues where the activation occurs. (Inflammation is an important mechanism of defense used by the immune system.)

The many other new types of health problems indicate that human autoimmune functions are severely compromised.

Observers think that the lack of probiotic (beneficial gut bacteria) is part of the cause. Over 400 distinct species of microorganisms inhabit the human digestive tract and their collective quantity far exceeds the number of physiological tissue cells. These friendly microorganisms are responsible for numerous essential body operations including maintaining the chemical and hormonal balance, preventing infiltration of harmful bacteria, yeasts, viruses, molds and other parasites, producing and regulating vitamins, stimulating the function of the entire digestive system and promoting proper immune function.