file.newsgroup.med.59220 Maven / Gradle / Ivy
From: [email protected] (brian manning delaney)
Subject: Re: diet for Crohn's (IBD)
One thing that I haven't seen in this thread is a discussion of the
relation between IBD inflammation and the profile of ingested fatty
acids (FAs).
I was diagnosed last May w/Crohn's of the terminal ileum. When I got
out of the hospital I read up on it a bit, and came across several
studies investigating the role of EPA (an essentially FA) in reducing
inflammation. The evidence was mixed. [Many of these studies are
discussed in "Inflammatory Bowel Disease," MacDermott, Stenson. 1992.]
But if I recall correctly, there were some methodological bones to be
picked with the studies (both the ones w/pos. and w/neg. results). In
the studies patients were given EPA (a few grams/day for most of the
studies), but, if I recall correctly, there was no restriction of the
_other_ FAs that the patients could consume. From the informed
layperson's perspective, this seems mistaken. If lots of n-6 FAs are
consumed along with the EPA, then the ratio of "bad" prostanoid
products to "good" prostanoid products could still be fairly "bad."
Isn't this ratio the issue?
What's the view of the gastro. community on EPA these days? EPA
supplements, along with a fairly severe restriction of other FAs
appear to have helped me significantly (though it could just be the
low absolute amount of fat I eat -- 8-10% calories).
-Brian