No one knows what causes Crohn's Disease. There are many opinions on the matter. Some say it is genetics. Others point to microbes. Because there is no consensus on its cause, most treatments involve correcting the symptoms of Crohn's, instead of the cause. Millions of dollars are spent on drugs that try to make people feel better yet not necessarily curing them of the disease.
Take Humira, for example. Humira is a TNF blocker used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. TNF stands for "Tumor Necrosis Factor." What this drug does is block those T-cells in your immune system that attack certain tumors and invaders. It severely suppresses the creation of those cells. Consequently, it can have a tremendous effect on your immune system by compromising it to the point that certain infections, both bacteriological and fungus-based, can take hold in your system. The FDA has put all sorts of warnings on Humira, requiring that it be made public that TNF blockers can cause serious infections caused by the medication, in addition to heart failure, lymphomas and multiple sclerosis.
However, Humera and other TNF blockers have had success in treating Crohn's, based on the idea that Crohn's is an autoimmune disease and if the immune system is "blocked" it will no longer attack digestive tissue.
But the drugs don't address the fundamental root of this theory: what is causing the immune system to attack the organs?
One theory regarding Crohn's disease is that the disease is caused by environmental factors; most importantly the foods that we eat. Since the prevalence of the disease is higher in industrialized countries where processed food is a large part of the diet, some researchers propose that Crohn's and other digestive disorders are caused by the body's inability to digest certain foods and chemicals. After all, they argue, our bodies have developed over hundreds of thousands of years and knows what to do with "real" food. Throw in some chemicals, perhaps some genetically modified food here and there, and the body doesn't know how to react and thus you have problems.
Traditional Chinese Medicine comes more from this end of the spectrum. Using herbs and acupuncture, the hope in TCM is to restore balance in the system; to treat the cause rather than the symptoms. This makes sense to me, but is also predicated on the belief that the root of the disease is food and environment related.
Recently, at a TED conference in Manhattan, a presentation was made showing the effects on the digestive system when eating processed food. The M2A camera was used on two patients, one eating processed Ramen noodles and another who had eaten home-made noodle. An "M2A" camera is a "Mouth to Anus" camera. It is swallowed and over 8 hours of video is recorded. The results are pretty amazing and throws a little light, perhaps, on this issue:
Interesting, eh?
I have my second TCM appointment today. I was told to bring wheat, corn and milk. My doctor is going to check my reactions to these foods as I eat them. In addition, this is day 2 of my herbal therapy regimen. More on that later.
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