Intestinal Anti-inflammation Drug CAUSES It

I work with Alice from time to time as several of my articles are found at healthiertalk.com, where she is the editor.

I find it supportive to see that other health sites are proactively education you about drug risks, especially when dangerous side effects can be the outcome.

By Alice Wessendorf

Another drug produced by Big Pharma that causes, and even worsens, the exact problem it is supposed to treat? It’s almost like this isn’t news anymore.

Turns out that the Caspase–1-inhibiting drugs, designed to quell the inflammation in the colon associated with colitis, are triggering intense inflammatory reactions that lead to severe flare ups of colitis.

A research team out of McGill University has proven that inhibiting or eliminating the protein Capsase-1—the very one targeted by these drugs—can cause the inflammation process to go out of control. Even worse, suppressing this important protein could eventually lead to certain cancers developing.

Every day your gut is bombarded with bacteria and the result is a controlled inflammatory response by your body. Occasionally, in some people, that inflammatory response flares out of control and this can lead to inflammatory bowel disease and make them susceptible to developing cancer like cancer of the colon.

Drug makers suspected that the protein Caspase-1 was involved in this inflammation process. So in all their wisdom, and rush to get a new product to market, they designed drugs to suppress it. Problem is they failed to take into account that the protein was an integral part of the entire regulated inflammation process.

So, the drugs leave your gut essentially defenseless when it comes into contact with bacteria. No Caspase-1 means no barrier. Bacteria are left free to invade deeper into tissues and cause much more severe inflammations, which can lead to cancer.

This is yet one more example of drugs doing more harm than good. In this case, Big Pharma’s half-cocked profits-before-people run to market could kill you.

This class of drug has also been tried with ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease.

Need some practical, non-drug approaches to dealing with an inflamed bowel?
READ MORE...

Health Tip

Consider a better way to boost immune system health in your gut and improve regularity with this health tip from Natural Health News -

Depending where you live and whether or not you pay tax on food, Activia will cost you about $30 each month.

One bottle of high potency, high quality acidophilus/bifidus capsules will cost you about one third to one half this amount. Find it here. And a lactose free product is available too.

Plus you won't have so much packaging to recycle.

PUFAS Lead to Increased Inflammation

"A high intake of polyunsaturated fat in the diet, ... may lead to inflammatory ... disease, ..."

Dating back to 2007 there have been a dozen posts here on problems with the plant sterol products glutting the market. The most common of these products is the margarine with the claim of reducing heart disease.

Some other data exists showing that these products lead to asthma. Asthma, heart disease and inflammatory bowel disease are all symptoms of reactive inflammation.

I don't count plant sterols or the products made from them as healthy, nor do I consider that the PUFAS (polyunsaturated fatty acids) to be health promoting, except when an actual imbalance exists.

Additionally, the fact that many of these oils are from genetically engineered sources raise even more health concerns.

As the story goes, when making margarine just cooking the oils a little longer gives you the tub...

Learn more from the Campaign for Healthier Eating

And read Smith's comments on Obama's new food czar here.

I'll stick with my long used, made at home organic unsalted butter and olive oil blend recipe!

Healthy fat link to bowel disease
A high intake of polyunsaturated fat in the diet, while good for the heart, may lead to inflammatory bowel disease, say researchers.

Experts believe a high intake of linoleic acid, found in foods like "healthy" margarines, may be implicated in a third of ulcerative colitis cases.

The researchers base their findings, due to be published in Gut, on food diaries from more than 200,000 people.

If the link proves to be causal, some people might want to modify their diet.

“ There is good biological plausibility of why linoleic acid can cause inflamation, and certainly Western diets are often excessive in this kind of fat ”
Dr Anton Emmanual Core

The researchers also found that a diet rich in another type of fat, omega 3 fatty acid found in oily fish such as salmon and herring, reduced the likelihood of developing ulcerative colitis by 77%.

Linoleic acid is a naturally occurring essential fatty acid, present in a variety of foods, including the oils of seeds and nuts, such as sunflower, safflower, soya, corn seeds or walnut oils.

The multinational team working on the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) study say there is a plausible biological mechanism that could explain why linoleic acid is linked with this bowel condition.

Cell membranes

Once in the body, linoleic acid is converted to arachidonic acid, which is a component of the cell membranes in the bowel.

Arachidonic acid can then be converted into various inflammatory chemicals, high levels of which have been found in the bowel tissue of patients with ulcerative colitis.

In all, 126 of the people in the study developed ulcerative colitis after an average period of four years.

After adjusting for other factors likely to influence the results, including smoking, age, total energy intake, and use of aspirin, those whose diets included the most linoleic acid were more than twice as likely to develop the condition as those whose diets contained the least.

Lead researcher Dr Andrew Hart of the University of East Anglia, Norwich, said: "There are no dietary modifications of benefit in patients with ulcerative colitis, although, based on this study's findings, a diet low in linoleic acid may merit investigation."

In the UK, people consume on average about 10g per day of linoleic acid, found in around nine level teaspoons of polyunsaturated margarine or three teaspoons of sunflower oil.

In the study, the people who consumed the most linoleic acid had a daily intake three times this or more.

Biologically plausible

Dr Anton Emmanual, medical director of the digestive disorders charity Core, stressed that the study did not prove that linoleic acid caused bowel disorders, and warned that dietary diaries could be unreliable.

However, he said: "Nevertheless there is good biological plausibility of why linoleic acid can cause inflamation, and certainly Western diets are often excessive in this kind of fat.

"The omega 3 fish oils counteract the harmful effects of lineloic acid it would be helpful to see whether diets high in fish oils reduce colitis.

"Lineloic acid may have small part to play in some patients, but factors such as smoking, bacteria and stress are likely to be at least as important."

Professor Jon Rhodes, of the British Society of Gastroenterology, said the study was interesting, but also stressed it did not prove cause and effect - further tightly controlled studies would be needed to do that.

Dr Elisabeth Weichselbaum, of the British Nutrition Foundation, said the study was interesting.

But added: "The results need to be interpreted with caution.

"People who have very high intakes of omega-6 fats are likely to have a generally different diet from those with low intakes. Therefore, it may as well be possible that there are other factors that could have an effect."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/8161616.stm
Published: 2009/07/24 00:00:44 GMT © BBC MMIX

Ever Consider Herbal Help for IBS, Crohn's or Celiac Concerns?

The root contains starch (37%), mucilage (11%), pectin (11%), flavonoids, phenolic acids, sucrose, and asparagine.

I was reading two articles this morning about bowel disease and was particularly moved by the frustration of this mother and her son. Then I read this article and started to wonder if any one of the researchers ever considered the use of Althea or Okra.

I know most people do not like okra, however it is my favorite vegetable and it has tremendous healing effects for the gut, because of the mucilaginous quality of the food. Althea, or Marshmallow root is very similar.

In fact Marshmallow root is one herb I use along with Astragalus to help people with Diabetes Type 1.

Homeopathy and IBS

The use of these herbs and foods can do quite a lot to help inflammed tissues. Astragalus helps by being a deep immune tonic that helps support immune function and healing. I also think it is a far sight better than Prednisone. But then I think Bioprin is pretty good also. And there is a place for Okra-Pepsin compounds as well as organic flax oil.

From King's American Dispensatory: Althaea (U. S. P.)—Althaea.
(officinalis)
Preparation: Syrup of Althaea
Related entry: Hibiscus Esculentus.—Okra


"The root of Althaea officinalis, Linné"—(U. S. P.).
Nat. Ord.—Malvaceae.
COMMON NAME: Marshmallow.


Botanical Source.—Althaea officinalis is a peculiarly soft and downy, hoary, green herb, having a tap-shaped, rather woody root. It has several erect, simple stems, from 2 to 5 feet in height, round, leafy, tough, and pliant; the leaves are ovate or heart-shaped at the base, of various breadths, plaited, 5-ribbed, unequally serrated, petioled, soft and pliable, and more or less deeply divided into 5 acute lobes, The flowers are large, in very short, dense, axillary panicles, rarely solitary, of a delicate, uniform, blush color. The involucre has 8, 9, 10, or 12 divisions. The 1-seeded fruit is formed of numerous capsular carpels, closely and circularly arranged around the axis.


History and Description.—This perennial herb is found commonly on the banks of rivers, and in salt marshes. It is indigenous to Europe, and portions of Asia, in some parts of which it is cultivated in great quantities for medical use; and moist, sandy soils are preferred. It flowers from July to September. The whole plant, but especially the root, abounds with mucilage. Although the plant grows to some extent in the United States, the root is principally obtained from Europe for medical purposes, that which comes from Germany being much whiter but not so thick as that from the south of France. As found in commerce, the root is in pieces 3 or 4 inches long, or more, roundish, about 1/2 inch in diameter, with a feeble odor and very mucilaginous taste. It should be chosen plump, and little fibrous; with a very white surface, well cleared of its yellowish epidermis, downy from the mode of dressing it with files; and possessing no moldy, acid, nor musty odor, and no acid taste. Sometimes it is met with divided lengthwise. The plant contains nearly 20 percent of mucilage—(Ed., Duncan). Both the flowers and leaves are occasionally employed by the Europeans. The root should be gathered in the early spring or autumn of the second (not later than the third) year's growth, and only the fleshy portions retained, the older, woody roots being valueless.


The Pharmacopoeia of the United States directs that Althaea shall conform to the following description: "In cylindrical or somewhat conical pieces, from 10 to 15 Cm. (4 to 6 inches) long, 10 to 15 Mm. (.039 to .059 inch) in diameter, deeply wrinkled; deprived of the brown, corky layer and small roots; externally white, marked with a number of circular spots, and of a somewhat hairy appearance from the loosened bast fibres; internally whitish and fleshy. It breaks with a short, granular, and mealy fracture, has a faint, aromatic odor, and a sweetish, mucilaginous taste"—(U. S. P.).


Chemical Composition.—Althaea-root contains starch, pectin, mucilage, sugar, lignin, calcium phosphate, fixed oil, a viscid material, and asparagin (A. Buchner). Asparagin (C4H8N2O3.H2O), is a colorless, crystallizable body, without taste or odor. Ether and alcohol do not dissolve it, but it is extracted from the root with water, from which it may be crystallized by concentrating the solution. Its reactions prove it to be amido-succinamic acid, having the formula: CO2N.CH2.CHNH2.CONH2. When boiled with acids or alkalies, it splits into ammonia and amido-succinic acid or aspartic acid (C4H7NO4). Asparagin is distinguished by its optical activity, being laevo-rotatory in aqueous solution, which changes to dextro-rotatory by the action of acetic acid. Asparagin, when pure, is stable in solution, but is susceptible to fermentation in the presence of albuminoid substances, whereby it is converted into ammonium succinate.


Asparagin was discovered by Vauquelin and Robiquet, in 1805, in the juice of the asparagus plant, and in the marshmallow root, as althein, by M. Bacon, in 1826. It is identical with agedoite, found by Caventou in liquorice root (Jour. de Pharm., xiv., 177), and is found in many other plants, e. g., comfrey, dahlia, potatoes, the roots of Robinia Pseudacacia, etc. The mucilage (free from starch) of the root is extracted with cold water; the starch by boiling water.


Action, Medical Uses, and Dosage.—The root of this plant, as well as of each of the below mentioned plants described as substitutes, is demulcent and diuretic, and may be used indiscriminately, the one for the other. They will be found valuable, in the form of decoction, in diseases of the mucous tissues, as hoarseness, catarrh, pneumonia, gonorrhoea, vesical catarrh, renal irritation, acute dysentery, and diarrhoea. In strangury, inflammation of the bladder, hematuria, retention of urine, some forms of gravel, and indeed in nearly every affection of the kidney and bladder, their use will be found advantageous. Much use is made of them combined with equal parts of spearmint, in urinary derangements. They are likewise efficacious in gastro-intestinal irritation and inflammation. As the decoction soon decomposes, or becomes moldy or acid, it should always be made in small quantities, not more than 1 or 2 pints at a time, according to the temperature of the weather.


Externally, marshmallow root is very useful in the form of poultice, to discuss painful, inflammatory tumors, and swellings of every kind, whether the consequence of wounds, bruises, burns, scalds, or poisons; and has, when thus applied, had a happy effect in preventing the occurrence of gangrene. The infusion or decoction may be freely administered.

'Old treatments' better

Two of the most effective treatments I have ever used with clients experiencing GI problems have been peppermint oil (and tea) as well as fiber or a favorite fiber blend.

A Novartis drug taken off the market recently made me want to pull my hair out because it had such offensive ads. Women were targeted and I think the tome was that IBS was one of those "hypochondriac" and imaginary illnesses.

I guess no one at Novartis knew, or cared, that IBS and other issues like diverticulitis often were from a lack of fiber in the diet.

I like to use peppermint oil. Generally these come in coated capsules but I have had clients use peppermint tea and essential oil effectively. Peppermint oil does soothe and relax, but can fight bacteria as well.

Not to overlook the stress related GI problems, herbs such as marshmallow root for reducing inflammation along with scullcap or similar herbs, and selected flower essences can do quite a remarkable job.

'Old treatments' better for IBS
Older "overlooked" treatments for irritable bowel syndrome may end up being the best option for patients, research suggests.

Fibre, anti-spasmodic drugs and peppermint oil were all found to be effective in a review of the evidence.

Guidelines on IBS should be updated in light of the findings, the researchers say in the British Medical Journal.

A UK expert said there had been a general feeling among doctors that the therapies "didn't work".

Between 5% and 20% of the population is estimated to suffer from IBS which is characterised by abdominal pain and an irregular bowel habit.


This puts these simple remedies back on the agenda
Professor Roger Jones, King's College London

The exact cause of the condition is unknown and recommendations for treatment include dietary advice, antidepressants and alternative therapies.

Fibre, antispasmodics and peppermint oil are used to treat IBS, but evidence of their effectiveness is unclear because of conflicting results from studies, the researchers said.

They have also been overlooked because of the focus on newer more expensive drugs which ended up being withdrawn due to lack of efficacy and safety concerns, they added.

Benefits

By trawling through all the studies comparing the therapies with dummy pills or no treatment, the researchers were able to look at data from 2,500 adult patients with IBS.

Fibre, antispasmodics and peppermint oil were all found to be effective, with doctors needing to treat 11, 5 and 2.5 patients, respectively for one patient to benefit.

Insoluble fibre such as bran was not beneficial; only isphaghula husk - a soluble form of fibre - significantly reduced symptoms.

Hyoscine - extracted from the cork wood tree - was the most successful antispasmodic drug looked at and should be the first choice, the researchers said.

Out of all three treatments, peppermint oil seemed to come out on top.

Both peppermint oil and hyoscine - an antispasmodic not currently widely prescribed in the UK - are available from the pharmacy.

Study leader Dr Alex Jones, a gastroenterologist who has recently moved from Canada - where he did the research to St James University Hospital in Leeds - said the treatments were cheap, safe and had been in use for 15 to 20 years.

"They fell out of favour with the development of new drugs.

"This is good news for patients."

Professor Roger Jones, head of the Department of General Practice at Kings College London, and founding president of the Primary Care Society for Gastroenterology, said: "There is a general feeling that they don't work very well.

"With all of the treatments for IBS, there is a huge placebo effect so it is easy to imagine your treatment is working then the trials come along and suggest they don't.

"This puts these simple remedies back on the agenda."

He added that the study did not pick out which patients would benefit from which treatment but as they are safe and cheap, patients can test what works best for them.

Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/7727459.stm
Published: 2008/11/14
© BBC MMVIII