Newsgroups: sci.med
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!magnesium.club.cc.cmu.edu!news.sei.cmu.edu!cis.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!gatech!willis1.cis.uab.edu!spam.dom.uab.edu!user
From: uabdpo.dpo.uab.edu!gila005 (Stephen Holland)
Subject: Re: diet for Crohn's (IBD)
Message-ID: <uabdpo.dpo.uab.edu-220493145727@spam.dom.uab.edu>
Followup-To: sci.med
Sender: root@cis.uab.edu (Operator)
Organization: Gastroenterology - Univ. of Alabama
References: <1r6g8fINNe88@ceti.cs.unc.edu>
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 1993 19:57:48 GMT
Lines: 36

In article <1r6g8fINNe88@ceti.cs.unc.edu>, jge@cs.unc.edu (John Eyles)
wrote:
> 
> 
> A friend has what is apparently a fairly minor case of Crohn's
> disease.
> 
> But she can't seem to eat certain foods, such as fresh vegetables,
> without discomfort, and of course she wants to avoid a recurrence.
> 
> Her question is: are there any nutritionists who specialize in the
> problems of people with Crohn's disease ?
> 
> (I saw the suggestion of lipoxygnase inhibitors like tea and turmeric).
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> John Eyles
> jge@cs.unc.edu

If she is having problems with fresh vegetables, the guess is that there
is some obstruction of the intestine.  Without knowing more it is not
possible to say whether the obstruction is permanent due to scarring,
or temporary due to swelling of inflammed intestine.  In general, there are
no dietary limitations in patients with Crohn's except as they relate
to obstruction.  There is no evidence that any foods will bring on 
recurrence of Crohn's.  It is important to distinguish recurrence from
recurrent symptoms.  A physician would think of new inflammation as 
recurrence, while pains from raw veggies just imply a narrowing of the
intestine.  

Your friend should look into membership in the Crohn's and Colitis 
Foundation of America.   1-800-932-2423

Good luck to your friend.

Steve Holland
