Anti-inflammatory diet

[lurker]

I have been researching anti-inflammatory diets for several months now, and there seems to be a lot of conflicting information, for example, regarding oils.

 

Cheri, you probably know more about this and have had more personal experience and professional guidance in this area. You have mentioned before that your son's existing successful diet and supplement protocal had to be reformulated due to his Crohn's diagnosis. Could you give me some tips on pro-inflammatory foods, anti-inflammatory foods, supplements that are beneficial, supplements to avoid, lifestyle changes, etc. that specifically support autoimmune and inflammatory disorders.

 

I have already removed all of the artificials and all of my son's allergens (per testing). I have a consultation appointment with a nutritionist next week, but I really value your opinion.

 

Thanks.

[Chemar]

hi Tami

 

my son's anti-inflammatory diet and supps etc are pretty specific to his IBD of Crohn's, and so someone with say, arthritis would possibly need it somewhat different as my son's is very GIT oriented.

 

 

I think that for all inflammatory illness, avoiding anything that stimulates prostaglandins is a good idea, and so where before my son would take an omega 3-6-9 mix of oils as supps, now he only takes flaxseed oil and uses a lot of flax in food. (he tics more with fishoil otherwise that would be our #1 choice mixed with flax for his EFAs)

And of course he already avoids all the artificial and chemical junk they stick in most processed/packaged foods..we cook most everything from scratch with a few exceptions of things he has tried and trusts re purity of ingredients

 

We cook with a lot of anti-inflammatory foods, like garlic, ginger, turmeric (he also takes boswellin/curcumin and bioperene as a supp), cayenne etc and he has to avoid some acidic foods, tho he can have a few in moderation. We use olive oil when needed in cooking, and pure organic butter (I also make my own ghee)

 

The Maker's Diet by Jordan Rubin (book, not website) was really helpful to him, and tho we dont follow that diet to the letter, yet we abide by many of the principles

 

let me know if that is what you were looking for ...otherwise dont mind getting more specific re the GIT/Crohn's aspect if needed

I do have a thread about it at NeuroTalk tho I havent updated there for ages and probably should as my son really hasnt had a Crohn's flareup in a long while now

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=9831

[CSP]

Ok, Chemar, the way you discribe your son and how he exploded just after his 10th b-day, and how it appears that he has never had strep before, along with the dad and grandfather...ect... I feel like my son is the clone to your family.

 

Just a few questions that seem like they will fit here.

 

Awhile back I had looked up natural antibiotics and oregano oil came up. Had not hear of monolaurin, other then it comes from coconuts. I know the coconut oils are good to take. I'm a little confussed on the improving the immune system, but do not boost the immune system for autoimmune disorders?

 

So even though your son is not dx with PANDAS he benefits from the products that would be natural antibiotics, and foods/supps. that act as microbiocidal and anti-parasitic?

 

I'll start with that, and add more after you decode what I was trying to say

 

C.P.

[HeatherB]

Cheri,

 

My oldest son (age 18) has IBD - though most likely has ulcerative colitis. He just had prometheus testing done and I am still waiting to hear the results to determine the likelihood that it is colitis and not crohns as a more definitive diagnosis will help guide his treatment plan should he become ill in the future. We have never tried the Maker's Diet, though did try the Specific Carbohydrate Diet last summer. A year before that, Erik's inflammation rate was high and he had obvious swelling and pain in his joints (roved - he would literally wake up in the morning with a new joint swollen and hot to the touch - it was just awful for him). With great trepidation, and mainly to get off the dreaded prednisone (great short term but many IBD kids remain on it for extended periods which can lead to all sorts of problems), Erik started a low dose of methotrexate (17.5 mg once per week). Inflammation dropped and Erik's life began again so it was positive. At the same time, I struggled with him being on that and started to research supplements/natural treatment. I belong to an online support group for parents of kids with IBD - Dragonpack. Cheri, have you ever been on it? Lots of information and support. At the time of Erik's worst symptoms there was an RN on board who literally saved her daughter from having her colon removed using supplements, changing diet, etc. After conversing with this mom and talking with Erik's doctors, we started him on Thorne basic nutrients II, zinc, purified fish oil, VSL #3 - a probiotic tested for UC, and a few other things. His sed rate - inflammation marker - dropped to a 3 (it was in the 80's at it's worst). Erik started college this year and changed from the Thornes to a multivitamin and I know cut back other things including the probiotic. His sed rate has crept back to 20 and he has asked me to order all the supplements for him again and I am so glad.

 

We did like the specific carbohydrate diet - I went on it with him and the first week was very hard as I am sure we were detoxing from gluten and sugar. But it got better and I felt great. We didn't stick with it though and now as I try to clean up my younger son's diet I wish we had. There is so much junk in our pantry that I need to just toss. If anyone is interested we found a great supplier for almond flour - and made lots of muffins and even pancakes with it.

 

I am kind of rambling now - sorry about that! I jsut have to remind myself that it took a long time to figure out how to help Erik with his IBD. I am absolutely overwhelmed with tourettes right now but hopefully I'l get to the same place of being able to help my youngest .

 

Heather

[lurker]

Heather,

 

When I became obsessed with changing my family's eating habits, I tossed all of the "McFood" from my pantry -- canned goods, condiments, sauces, cake mixes . . . I still feel bad about that and wish I had donated them to a local shelter. I think it never occurred to me because I viewed it as hazardous waste.

 

And I really wish I could use almond flour, but the Little Master is allergic to almonds!

 

Tami

[Chemar]

Hi Heather

 

so glad to hear how those supps have helped your son

 

Mine had the colonoscopy in June of 2006 that confirmed the Crohn's. he also had a fistula at that time and was in agonizing pain daily (would wake around 3-4 am) I have been thru hard times with him suffering the tics and OCD and med reactions and withdrawals.... but honestly seeing him in so much pain was just awful. We had a lot of misdx before the colonoscopy.

 

the Maker's Diet is a testimony of how optimized nutrition can promote health and healing and is written from the perspective of Jordan Rubin, who had Crohn's himself when younger. Dr Rubin's own testimony is an amzing story, and the book also has the detailed phases of his diet plan, plus a wonderful recipe section and a very helpful compendium of suppliers of wholesome foods

 

my son's main anti ulcerative/anti inflammatory supps for the Crohn's are Boswellin/Curcumin (curcumin is from turmeric), slippery elm bark, white willow bark, and DGL-liquorice root. When he has pain (hasnt been for a long time, he also takes cramp bark, plus extra garlic and ginger supps)

He takes his supps twice daily with a Genisoy protein shake that has a good multivitamin/mineral content, and he adds his powder and liquid TS supps into that mix too. Since he started that whole mixture he has not had pain flares. He hasnt had blood tests for a while as he has had an OCD related metal/needle aversion and I dont feel a need to stress him out while he is doing so well. But based on his lack of pain and good digestion, plus the healed fistula, I think we will be pleased when he next does

 

 

 

CP, yes, I have long suspected microbial involvement in aspects of my sons illnesses, and now some GIT docs are suggesting involvement of mycoplasma pneumonii bacteria in Crohn's. My son takes the monolaurin and olive leaf extract in alternate months and yes,CP, the Candida Clear that he takes 10 days in every month contains oregano oil! I do think the "natural antibiotics" help him overall, tho as mentioned in another thread...I cant say for sure that they directly help the tics/OCD or if benefit they have on the Crohn's trickles down to help tics/OCD...but whatever it is...the whole caboodle sure has him in a good place healthwise at present

[HeatherB]

Cheri,

 

The fact that your son's fistula has healed is a testimony to your hard work in researching what helps him - I know many who deal with fistulizing crohns and the healing rate does not seem to be high. So much I read about my younger makes me take a second look at my oldest. I have heard story after story about turmeric so I may have to convince Erik to add yet one more thing to the list of supplements! Do you have your son on any medications for crohns? Erik is on asacol and MTX and I would eventually love him off of those - of course MTX is the thing I worry most about. I am curious about candida cure? What is that? I know Erik's GI tract is still out of sync and I would love the good bacteria to reestablish control.

 

Tami,

 

I was thinking that I needed to donate the food - thank you for the reminder Sorry your little guy is allergic to almonds!!!!

 

Heather

[CSP]

Cheri,

 

So sorry to keep you running like this.

 

I can't seem to forget what the Dr. said after she had another Dr. look at my son's OAT results. "It look like my son's body is fighting off something."

 

If the Carvacrol in oregano oil is a powerful microbiocidal, is it ok to take as a daily supplement, or would that be something one would only use if they were sick and needed an antibiotic?

 

Back to the immune system. If say a child does have PANDAS does that mean the child would not do well on VIT.C? Just trying to understand the difference between someone like me, who never gets sick, has never be on any medication of any kind, and the natural thing for me to do for myself would be to boost my immune to fight off a cold or flu. Verses someone with an autoimmune disorder boosting their immune system is not good for them. ????

 

Thanks,

C.P.

[P_Mom]

Cheri,

 

I remember someone posting that antibiotics can be a contributing factor in developing Chron's disease. That sticks in the back of my head because of my kids being on antibiotics. I remember you posted that after your son's initial diagnosis, he was on 3 months of antibiotics. Were the antibiotics what the doctors used to treat the Chron's? I hope your answer is yes.

 

Thanks for everything!!!!!

Kelly

[Chemar]

Hi CP & Heather

 

from the way I have understood it, modulation of the immune system means keeping it balanced rather than boosted.

 

Heather, when my son was suffering the severe Crohn's symptoms and after the colonoscopy, we agreed to a trial of the Asacol plus asazine, along with levsin, tagamet and prevacid. however my son being so sensitive to meds just really didnt like the way it all made him feel and so we gradually started introducing the more natural plan and the dietary modifications and got him off the meds, despite the dire warnings from his GI doc , who wanted him on Remicaid . We obviously turned down prednisone etc as steroids are known to be tic triggers. I was reluctant on the protein shake at first, as so many seem to have reactivity to soy, but my son wanted to try it and seems to do really well on it. Genisoy products are not genetically modified nor aluminum stored etc, and thankfully the dreaded carageenan isnt in it, nor any artificial stuff . He uses the chocolate one only for that reason as their is the icky vanillin in the vanilla one............

 

CP, do be very careful of pure oregano oil as it is VERY POTENT, one or two drops in a large glass of water is more than enough!!

and yes, we were told not to use it beyond when needed

 

The Candida Clear by NOW contains magnesium caprylate,oregano oil, black walnut, Pau d' arco, and Biotin

 

ps just an FYI for anyone reading....the soy shake is *not* IMHO a source of some of the supps my son needs for his TS/OCD and so he *adds* those to it. I would not suggest the soy shake to anyone with soy/nut sensitivities or necessarily even for kids. My son is 18 now and so past the peri-pubertal years when the possible oestrogenic effects of soy may not be a good idea. Anyway just wanted to clarify that my son uses the shake more as a protein/vitamin base for his health mix, and for some of the vitamins/minerals/trace elements it provides. He no longer takes a multi but does add a number of other supps to this mix for his overall health conditions.