What are Crohns Treatments, What is Crohn’s Disease, and What Are the Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease?

Today, there are many people looking for Crohns treatments for their Crohn’s disease.

(Note: Throughout this page, you will see the term "Crohn's" and "Crohns" used interchangeably for those that search for this information without the apostrophe.)

Let’s start out by asking What is Crohns Disease? It is a chronic inflammation in the digestive tract, similar to, but more severe than ulcerative colitis.

Ulcerative Colitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the mucous membranes of the colon leading to ulcers. Crohn’s disease is sometimes noted as CD or Crohn’s colitis.

What are Crohn’s treatments?

There are many courses of treatment that are available that go beyond the scope of this page. Much depends on the severity of the condition, from mild to moderate, to more severe.

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Some of these Crohn's treatments involve the use of anti diarrheal medicine, pharmaceuticals, and some involve supplemental nutrition or enteral nutrition, where a tube is placed in your nose down into your stomach. Some of these approaches will be referenced later in this page with medical studies.

For a thorough discussion of these treatments, webMD has a great two page summary and you can read about these treatments here. (this link opens in a new window)

Please always seek medical advice when necessary.

Now we will discuss Crohns treatments as it relates to the symptoms of Crohn’s disease and dealing with the possible root causes of the digestive problem.

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Crohns Treatments - What Are Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease?

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It is helpful to compare Crohn’s disease to ulcerative colitis. In ulcerative colitis, small ulcers are scattered in the lining of the large intestine.

Crohn’s disease is less selective, and may affect any part of the digestive system, from mouth to anus. The most common area that it affects is the ileum, or the end of the small intestine where it joins up with the large intestine.

While this disease occurs in heavy patches, the areas between these patches may be affected as well. Repeated inflammation results in the intestinal wall growing thick. As a result, deep ulcers may pass right through the lining and penetrate the gut tissues.

As this inflammation is repeated or prolonged, the entire intestinal wall may become affected. It may narrow or obstruct the passage. Symptoms of Crohn’s disease may include abdominal spasms, diarrhea, loss of appetite, anemia, and weight loss. Effective Crohns treatments gives attention to these areas.

Other more severe symptoms of Crohn’s disease may include chronic abscesses, deep fissures or cracks, and fistulas or abnormal passageways in the anus. All of this is very painful and uncomfortable for the person dealing with it.

This could lead to more serious conditions, such as bowel obstruction, infection, malabsorption, and elevated cancer risk.

Like ulcerative colitis, the exact cause of Crohn’s disease is unknown. Some feel this is an autoimmune disorder, and others suggest avoiding certain foods, allergens, and cigarettes, as they may exacerbate the condition.

Now that we have answered what is Crohn’s disease, and what are the symptoms of Crohn’s disease, let us move on to Crohns treatments that protect the digestive lining from the threats that may be causing it.

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Crohns Treatments - The Protective Role of Glutathione

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Recent research shows that a protective protein called glutathione may be able to play a key role in protecting the intestinal and stomach lining from the effects of Crohn’s disease. In this way, glutathione may be considered one of Crohns treatments.

For a brief refresher on glutathione, what it is, and what it does, please click

here.

Raising your glutathione levels can assist in many ways. It can defend the intestinal mucosa from threats that may come in the form of

toxins, oxidative stress, and cancer.

The results of published research in this area have prompted others to search out ways to raise their glutathione levels, not just for Crohns treatments, but to prevent it in the first place.

So glutathione may play a dual role - as a Crohn’s disease treatment, and a preventive role for those that do not have the condition.

Oxidative stress has been implicated in medical studies as being at least partly responsible for the condition.

Antioxidants combat oxidative stress, and have been the subject of much research.

There are currently 45 published medical studies that are available online at the National Institute of Health’s online resource under the topic “glutathione Crohn’s”.

To view all of them, open a new separate window and keep this one open.

Go to www.pubmed.gov and type in these two words together. I have selected a few for you here to illustrate the protective role of glutathione enhancement for consideration in the category of Crohn’s treatments.

To view a study that delves into the established role of oxidative stress, glutathione as a protective antioxidant, and Crohn’s disease further, please click here. (this link opens in a new window)

There have also been some studies that emphasize the role of proper nutrition in Crohns treatments.

To see the study entitled “Low levels of glutathione in endoscopic biopsies of patients with Crohn's colitis: the role of malnutrition”, please click

here. (this link opens in a new window)

This study concluded that “...mucosal glutathione is markedly lower in active Crohn's colitis, even in healthy mucosa; glutathione depletion tends to be more severe in malnourished patients. Glutathione depletion may be related in part to malnutrition and contribute to a prolonged evolution of disease and could be a target for pharmacological and nutritional support.”

Elevated glutathione levels may also protect against gastritis, ulcer, and cancer, and can be used as a complementary treatment to go along with conventional treatments for these diseases.

To learn more about the role of glutathione in HIV infection and other diseases associated with muscle wasting and immunological dysfunction, please click

here. (this link opens in a new window)

Selenium, which is an important co-factor for glutathione production, was found in one study to be deficient in patients with severe gastrointestinal disorders. So selenium may be helpful to be used along with Crohn’s treatments.

To view the study entitled “Selenium depletion in patients with gastrointestinal diseases: are there any predictive factors?”, please click

here. (this link opens in a new window)

To sum up the protective role of glutathione as one of Crohns treatments, note what this medical paper had to say:

"Glutathione protects the body from the inflammation of gastritis, stomach ulcers, pancreatitis and inflammatory bowel disease including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease."

- Gut 42: 485-492, 1998

So now you understand how important glutathione's role is in Crohn's treatment. How do you make sure you have enough?

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Crohns Treatments : How Do I Raise My Glutathione?

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So we have established the role of proper nutrition, selenium, and raising glutathione levels as having positive applications in Crohn’s treatents.

Probably the least understood of these methods is the role of how to raise glutathione levels effectively?

You cannot raise your glutathione levels by taking a glutathione pill.

You must give your body the building blocks it needs to manufacture glutathione in the cell. Unfortunately, our standard diet does not contain everything we need in sufficient amounts, so we must search out an effective way to raise glutathione in our cells.

For all of the best known ways to raise glutathione, along with the necessary co-nutrients like Selenium that are necessary for production in the cell, please click

here.

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In conclusion, there are many Crohn’s treatments available to those suffering from the condition. The page on webMD discusses many of these options.

Additionally, the role or proper nutrition, selenium enhancement, as well a glutathione enhancement, have positive applications that have been researched for Crohn’s treatments as well.

Although the exact causes are unknown, glutathione’s protective role as an antioxidant and detoxifier has been studied and shown to be beneficial for those that are searching for a Crohn’s disease treatment.

Dr. Jimmy Gutman is the world's most published author on the subject of glutathione. His current bestseller is entitled "Glutathione - Your Key To Health."

Good Health To You!

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