Diet and Health FAQ

Tagged As: Bowel Changes

Question:
What is the cause of crohn’s disease? Does it cause changes in the bowels?

Answer:
Nobody knows what causes Crohn's disease. It is becoming apparent that the germs or bacteria in our intestinal tract may have a role to play. There appears to be an imbalance in the bacteria of the gastrointestinal tracts of patients with Crohn's disease, which may contribute to persistent inflammation by changing the response of our intestinal immune cells. It is hoped that promoting the growth of 'healthy' bacteria may help treat the disease. There is evidence in both animals and healthy volunteers that supplementing the diet with a starch (carbohydrate) may promote the growth of 'healthy' bacteria within the bowel. This type of supplement is called a prebiotic. The prebiotic preparation that we are using in our study is called fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS). This is naturally contained in many conventional foods such as artichokes and asparagus. The aim of our study is to see whether supplementing the diet of patients with Crohn's disease with FOS alters the number of healthy bacteria within the bowel, changes the response of the intestinal immune cells and improves their symptoms.